The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1888-10-18

got round to Covingtou and thence to
Madison, and then took roundance on
the yankees and fanked the whole con-
Germ and settled down away up on the
Chattahoochie. You see, ] was on duty
in Macon, and so Tip had to be general
manager aud foot scout for the family.
Your mother had as much confidence In
him as she did in me. and maybe more,
for he had belonged to her about ten
years longer than I had. We ran away
from Rome about midnight; that is We
started to run, but got blockaded on the
street and couldn't go forwards nor back.
wards, nor sideways for the soldiers and
the army wagons. We never crossed the
bridge until day was breaking, and all
this time old Sherman was tossing his
shells over in town just for his own
amusement. We burned the bridges
behind us and felt easy for awhile, and
logged along down to- Silver creek
church, and stopped to make coffee and
take a bite of cold victuals, and while
we we're thanking the good Lord for let
ting us get away, some scattered cavalry
came gailoping along and said the yam.
KEGS had crossed the Coosa down below
Rome and were coming to head us Oft.
So we let the hot coffee burn its way
down, and re eat the cold victuals on the
run and never stopped any more until
we got to Euharlee creek. We stopped
to rest, and from labor to refreshment,
and felt thankful, but Tip had hardly
unhitcbed the horses before some cavalry
came charging by and said the yanks
were not more than five miles behind.
We bounced the big road again and Eu-
harlee bridge fairly danced as we few
across just behind Bill Ramsey, and We.
never Stacked up until We got to Mr..
Whiteheads at the foot of the mountain.
Your mother and Mrs. Anderson and the
girls all bunked in one little room in the
house, and we men and boys tried to
sleep in great, big wagon body under
the wagon shed, but. the feas everlast.
ingly eat rs up alive, and we took to the
bushes and th1eshed the feas out of our
clothes aud then laid down in the piazza.
Next night We made camp not far from
old DeFoor's ferry on the Ohattahoochie,
and Tip went to house near by for
water, but the bucket was gone and the
folks said their we'll woulden't furnish,
water enough for everybody that was
running from the yankees. But Tip
begged enough to do us, and after while
went back there to borrow skillet and
the old woman was washing her feet in
it, and said be could have it when she
got through. Tip seemed to be in hurry
apd couldn't wait, and 80 he cooked our
meat on the Goals. That night after we
had lsid down the little boys took on 80
.abouttheir flea bites that your mother
told me to rub them with some sweet oil
that was in her basket, and so fumbled
around in the dark and found bottle
and rubbed them all over wherever they
scratched and next morning found out it
was syrup ofippecac. But it is good for
flea bites, sure. Yes, we had high old
time running from old Sherman, and re
beat old Joe Johnston fair race to At
.lanta. ~.
"Papa," said Carl, twas it right for
you to own negroes and make them work
for you." "Of course it was, my boy.
I would own some right now ifI had my
way. There are lots of them who ought
to have master. Don't 1 own you.
But I woulden't own them as they used
to be owned When they are old enough
to take care Of themselves and behave
themselves, and live by honest work they
ought not to be owned any longer. They
ought not to be sold nor their families
separated. never separated families,
but L bought negroes to get families
together. The negroes owe TO the white
people all the blessings they enjoy. It
was slavery that civilized them and
trained them to good habits. Their an
cestora we're all barbarians. They ate
raw meat like dogs and eat human flesh.
Some years ago I was in Columbus, and
saw some of the native Africans that
were brought over in the Wanderer.
Colonel Mott had them working in his
garden. He vas teaching them to work
with tools and to speak our language.
They looked more like babboons than
human beings. In year or so they
became civilized and made good servants
and were contented and happy, and their
children grew up like decent folks. 1t
was a blessing to them and their children
that their parents were stole away from
Africa. II is the very best way to civil:
ize them, and if I vase fanatical fool
like some of our Northern brethren and
wanted to do the negroes all the good l
could I would abolish the laws against
the slave trade and get every one over
here that could. Itwould beat all the
missionary work that has ever been done.
But we don't want any more down South.
Let our Northern brethren try it awhile
and see how they like it. Why, these
negroes here ought to send or go over to
Africa and bring a lot every year and
own them and put them to work and
civilize them.
No, my children, there was nothing in
slavery that you need be ashamed of SO
far as my part OF it was concerned. The
truth is, I belonged to Tip about as much
as Tip belonged to me. He was one OF
the family and that was all. But if l
had my way and was to come across
barbarian I would do like Robinson Cru
soc did his man friday would take
charge of him and take him-yes I
would. BILL ARP.