The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-08-21

would have to live upon in the state OF
chaos to which We were now reduced, we
determined 10 remove them, If possible,
to our own apartments, aud Mrs. Carter
not being able to bear the fatigue, m
dertook TO transfer them.
a FoRAGING EXPEDITION.
Mastering all the force could, which
consisted of five little children, two
whites and three blacks, ranging in age
from six to ten years. the larger ones
being busy "toting" water to the roof,
and encouraging them by the promise Of
a lump OF sugar to each, rare luxury
in those days, off we started on our for.
aging expedition. The lurid glare of the
flames in the burning district, with the
masses of smoke.clouds swelling and
rolling over cur heads, the silent and de-.
serted appearance of the streets as we
passed along, and tho novel and remark
able aspect of my little squad of fora.
gers, rs we trudged timidly but resolutely
on, presented scene worthy of a
better pen than niue.
On our route We saw sights TO make o
toper's heart ache; for in the cutters in
several places flowed streams of wines,
whiskeys and brandies, the hoardings of
loving mothers and other provident
women for the use of the soldier boys
who might be brought home sick or
wounded; these were now poured out
into the streets for fear they might fall
into the hands of piundclers, and make
them indeed the ruffians we so much
dreaded. One bottle, however, l rescued
for the use of my sick sister, and kept
afterwards hid in little cuddy to which
there was no access except by means of
a ladder, though all these precautions
proved to have been unnecessary, for the
pTiyacy cs ou: homo, or Of sny other 10
my knowledge, was never intruded upon.
On reaching with my little band my
sisters deserted house | found the walls
already hot to the touch from the close
proximity of the fire, and haste was i'm.
perative, 30 seizing two hams I placed
ono upon the shoulder of each of my
two youngest assistants, then spread q
table.cloth upon the floor, into which l
threw pell.me tea. coffee, sugar, spices,
dried apples, black-eyed peas, infants
clothing, shoes, &C., &C., which, as it may
be supposed, presented most incongru-
Gus and ludicrous medley on being re-
opened. This tied together by the
four corners and put on the head of mum.
ber three. Dipping into barrels l filled
pillow. case from the contents of two Of
them, which afterwards proved to be
equal parts OF corn meal and flour.
| This handed, with jug of molasses,
to number four. Taking o sheet filled
1t with bed and table linen aud clothing
of all descriptions. This huge bundle I
threw on my own back and held it with
one hand, while the other helped num-
boo E,,o t<. IL
three feet high and one Ill diameter,
which contained few pounds of lard, to
which hnd added ham or two, several
bars of soap, &C., &c.
Thus loaded, the procession issued
forth. Though fully impressed with the
awfulness of the occasion, and the solem-
| nifty Of the fact that was making des-
perate effort to ward off threatening
famine, my pack almost rolled off my
shoulders in my convnlsions of laughter
at our ridiculous appearance when 1
fancied what Col. -, Capt. - and
others with whom had 80 recently prom
enaded and Airted, and who had always
seemed to imagine that was not strong
| enough to bring my own prayer book
home from church, would think could
| they see mo now |! But my mirth was
soon checked by the thought that they
were at that moment going through ster.
Esr scsRss and harder trials with Our
! vanquished chieftain. Fancy my cha.
grin and distress when on reaching
| home and triumphantly opening my
| bundles to display my dearly won treas.
ures, found the tea, coffee, sugar and
spices intermingled in sad confusion,
whilethe meal and flour were veil aha.
ken up together, and the bars of turpen-
tine soap had slipped down to the very
bottom of the lard can? However, peo-
| pie on the brink of starvation must not
| be too choice, and we shall hear from
| some of these things again.
| SEEKING FEDERAL PROTECTION.
as nightfall drew near vague fears be.
| gan to creep over us. for we felt that
with the daylight would vanish most of
our courage7 and again we began to pic.
ture to ourselves desperadoes, under
cover Of night, forcing entrance into the
house. Again our little household was
| assembled in conclaye to devise some
means Of safety, when in came our next-
door neighbor, Mrs. Blaine. We all re-
garded IN amazement at her hardihood
venturiug out, for of course everything
like business was suspended, bat she
] soon explained by telling us che had
I hCaits tuut Iy SoanS donh " LILO piOfOst
marshal's Office we could get protection
papers" which would insure safety to
the holders of them.
can admirable suggestion" exclaimed
we all, "but," thinks I to myself, I'VE
are very much in the fix of the council
of mice, who decided that 1t would be an
| excellent plan to bell the cat, when one
old grandfather among them inquired,
who will put TIE bell on?'"
Everybody thonght the protection
papers ought to be gotten without delay,
for the shadows were ominously length:
eniDg; but nobody was willing to 60 to
the "City. Hall" the very neat of the
dreaded yankees" to ask for them. A
pfotracted pause-the case seemed des-
perate-something must be done, soon it
would be too dark to think Of venturin q
out. On one hand the idea Of making
our way into the midst of the terrible
Yankees, on the other scenes of horror
that might be in store for house full of
unprotected women.
"I'll gop' said /. az will be one of
any three who will undertake the daring
enterprise"
The next volunteer waa Mrs. Blaine.
and Mrs. Mills, emboldened by her ex-
ample, agreed TO make the third. SO,
collecting all the wells from the Assem-.
bled household, we donned three apiece,
and linking arms together and followed
by the hopes and prayers of all the rest,
Ewe sailed forth. On We went, our fea-
lures set 10 grim determination, scarce a
y n