Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1886-10-01

"Confedcrato Sal ~
The name struck mo as il fell from
the lips of veteran, who was cxchang-
ingwar "reminiscences with two or three
friends. Watched my opportunity, and
soon had the satisfaction of seeing the
group disperso, with tho exception of
the man who had attracted my attcn-
ton, We casually driftcd into convcr-
sation, and | remarked that the mention
of Confederate Sal had excited my
curiosity.
"Was she one of the heroinos of tho
warp l asked.
"Wcll, no" was the reply, "it would
take considerable stretch of imagna-
tion to make her heroine, but she was
right lively character in her day."
"rell me the story" said /, as | ten
dered fresh cigar TO my acquaintance,
"Story, bless you, there is none to
tell, answered the old soldier, striking
match. 'She was just Confederate
Sal, and that is all there is in it. She
was woman, you know, who was up
in Tennessee with the army, knocking
around in tho camps. We simply
couldn't stand her any longer, and we
put her out of the way.n
Put her out of the way P"
"1cs, and it is n rather remarkable
thing that, although | was in the war
four years, | do not know that had
hand in the killing of any human being.
with the exception of Confederate SAL
"Who was sheP"
'Hcaycn knows. She first made her
appearance as sort of pcddlcr selling
stationery and other little tricks. She
was rather good-looking and had some
dash about her. Before long we found
that She wouldn't do. Several times
she was ordered off, but the first thing
we knew she would turn up again in
new way, sometimes wearing pri-
vate' uniform. She was determined to
stick to US and we couldn't get rid of
hor."
"Was she spy?n
al don't think she was. I think that
loyalty 10 the Confederacy was tho one
solitary virtue that she possessed. In
several skirmishes | saw her pick up a
musket and fight like n tigress. No,
don think she ever played us false"
And yet she seemed to be specially
obnoxiousPn
"She was, sir; and there was good
reason for it. That woman, sir, was
drunk half the time. / have known her
TO break up a council of war by forcing
her way into the Generals tent when
she was bowling drunk. She not only
drank herself, but smuggled liquor into
camp and made the soldiers drunk. o,
she was terror.
"She went on from bad to worse,n
continued my companion, land made |
herself a most unbearablo nuisance. No |
doubt the liquor she drank affected her |
brain; it certainly made her physical |
wreck and destroyed what little beauty
she had. Towards the last she devei- |
oped wonderful cunning, the shrcwd-
ness, perhaps of insanity, but did not |
think of such an explanation at the
time, or l might have been more mer-
ciful. Sometimes, when we were in
quarters for weeks at time, the Gen
erals wife would come to visit him and
stop Mt some convenient farmhouse
within the lines. When Confederate
Sal found it out she tried a new racket
How she got her money was a mystery,
but she would ride up very nicely
dressed to house and tell the inmates
that she was the Generals wife and de-
sired board for few days, rs she
wished to be as near as possible to her
husband. OF course she would be given
the best room and the family would do
their best to make her comfortable.
Next day she would ride Off to camp
and come back gloriously boozy. Then
the ladies of the family would put their
heads together and say that il was an
outrageous shame for the General TO
give the poor lady liquor when she went
To see him, that of course she wasn't
used TO strong drink, and couldn't stand
1t. After another day or two the woman
would appear at the house in a state of
beastly intoNicatjon and use such Ian
guage rs to shake the inmates. Then
our officers would be approached and
asked how our General came to have
such n wife, and, you understand, the
whole truth would come out"
''Did she run that schedule oftenPn
"Several times. As the Generals
wife she made bills in the neighboring
towns, borrowing money, bought horses,
and boarded with the incest people in
that part of Tennessee. Well, sir, the
queerest rumors imaginable got out
about the General. His character was
neally ruined in Richmond on account
of these rumors, and his wife, one of
the noblest ladies' that ever walked the
earth, became an object of suspicion
among strangers who were not acquaint-
ed with the facts.
You said that Confederate Sal was
killed?n
Certainly, so she was. You know
those were rough times, and human life
was not very valuable. One day we
found that Sal had been cutting up in
particularly disgraceful way at a gen
tleman's house near the river. She had
passed herself of as the General wife,
and the very first night walked into the
parlor drunk as billed owl and scat
tered the company. She was put out
of the house and fell into the hands of
some of the boys who were passing. 1
was along with the crowd. We saw
that there was all sorts of row in pro-
gress, and, after stopping long enough
to get the drift Of it, we took Confeder-
ate sal and hustled her to the river
bank. We told her that we were going .
10 throw her in, and if she wanted TO 1
live she must strike for the opposite :
shore. II she came back on our side
we would kill her. Sal just gritted her
teeth and sworc like trooper, but we
pushed her into the water
''Ihe night was dark apd we could
not see well. We watched and waited.
awhile, and heard q choking cry for
help. But there was no pity in that
crowd. Either the woman could not
swim or she was too drunk. ANY way
she went under and the strong current
swept her down the river. And that
was the last of Confederate Sal!'-
atlanta Constitutions.
-~ -
GENERAL MARMADUKE.