The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1884-11-29
ELKI on MD, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1884,

down our way. Not that we had many
slaves but most of the families had one
or two old negroes in the household
who had, perhaps, they or their fathers,
been brought over from Virginia.
understand now that the war was fought
by the Abolitionists, and that the praise
IS due 10 few great orators and phil
anthropi5ts who stayed at homie to in
spire the nation with their eloquence,
and bought the freedom of the negroes
with the lives of half million fellow
citizens. But we did not know it then :;
We had not heard much Of this, and
We had too few slaves and were too
rude end far away to realiza the harm
that slavery vas doing. The first that
any Of US knew my father came home
rom the county town one day and
said that news had come up from Knox
vile the week before that the South
CaroIinians had been firing on the flag
1t Charlestown and were breaking up
the Union. Now it was nigh on 10
eighty years before this that my grand
.ather had come bacl, from Yorktown
with TIE first American Gag that had
been 5 en- West Of our mountains, and
We still had this flag, with the thirteen
Stars il It, though my grandfather was
sone, having died few years before,
oy the Lords mercy as now see.
My father brought down this flag
from lis place of honor on the wall Of
The best room, and VIC looked al it
shat evening and the neighbors came
n. lnIre WAS a star in the flag for
South Carolina, but none was there
ol Tennessee. But we all felt that
Old Tennessee was there, just the same ;
more shame for South Carolina, if it
vas she that left to give her room. I
don't remember that anything was
sail about the negroes that night, or
rea about state rights, Of which |
have heard SO much since. The SIM
pie fact vas that that was cur flag. |
believe if my grandfather had been
lh-r- he would have started off with
MS old buff and blue cost, just as if
it were the first year after Yorktown,
instead Of the eightieth. | know that
Va what my father did, AID most of
cho ncighJors went with him. Off he
went to The North the very next morn
ing and left me alone with my mother.
He Kissed my mother and me and told
us that he would come back soon with
the Union soldiers, SO we kept the IN
ion flag and waited.
But the year passed, and another
year came and went, and the Union
soldiers did not come. And all our
men were away, away in the Union
army. Perhaps you did not know this
in the North l dare say, though, that
they knew it at Washington, and it
was wrong for them to leave us so. You
shall! not make me go back Of that. All
our mountain counties were left to the
women and children, as well in North
Carolina and Northern Georgia as in
Tennessee and the womenraised corn
and tended the COWS and bees, and /
turned the mill to NY hearts content,
small as | was. l suppose YOU never
heard Of Garter County, and Washing
ton, Watauga, Mitchell and Asher? |
suppose YOU think North Carolina was
L rebel? There were 1000 voters in
Carter, by The Government count, but
more than 1900 Carter County men
and boys were in the Union armies.
Md IS for us of Union-it was called
Uuicoi after the war, from Union and
JnaEa-I believe there was hardly a
man, young or old, fighting on the side
of the rebels. or even hidden at home.
The crops had to grow themselves
mostly.
won't say our men were better sol
Gigrs than those Of the North, who
came down from their mills and work
shops. But we were used to hunting
and riding I never saw the Northern
man hat could sit horse and better
knew the enemies we were fighting
with. It might have gone hard with
New York and the moneyed places,
which had their theatres and their tea
and coffee through the war, without
those 500, 600 clever rifles from the
South. No, do not believe you knew
this in the East; but | have heard tell
the Government knew it only it was
not thought strategic to send away
soldiers to relieve us Union people in
tn South.
1t was not vulnerable point of the
rebels and the Government was trying
4o-c to injure its enemies than to save
i,s friends. There were 100000 South
ero naca in the Northern armies, but
The Washington authorities could not
spare any Of them even for East Ten
ncssee. They were needed on the
Peninsula, about New Orleans, at Ma
nassas. Lincoln had heard of us, |
know, and wanted to get to us; but
Lincoln had not been trained at West
Point, and there were simpler words
that he understood better than STRAIT
egr.
So the Southern Highlands suffered
for their loyalty, while the Government
left them to their fate. But we were
ar UP in the mountains, and no one |
thought the rebels would ever get to
IS, and that first Summer after my |