St. Landry democrat., 1889-07-20
HAPP SAVED HIS COTTON.
One of the Incidents of Sherman's March
Though Georqia.

Through Georgia.
THROUGH THE INFLUENCE OF MUSIC AND
OLD BURGUNDY $780, 600 WORTH OF COT
TON ESCAPES THE ToRCH-A CONCERT
WHERE ''DIxIE" WAS TABooED.
When the people of Sandersville heard
that Sherman's army was headed in this
direction burning and destroying every
thing in their line of march, they took the
precauti N to have several bales of cotton
which were scattered about town moved on
the public square so as to guard against
a confagation of the town, in the event
the cotton should be burned by the enemy
Sherman's army reached the town at s
o'clock in the morning of Nov. Is, 1864.
Among their first acts after they reached
town was to saturate the cotton with kero-
sene oil and set it on fire.
There were two federal officers present
at the burning, who seemed to have charge
of the fire department.. After burning the
cotton on the public square their next
move was to go up to Plncus Happ's, on
Harris street, and burn fifty bales of cotton
Happ had piled up on his back lot. Happ
was on the lockout he saw volumes of
smoke roll up from the public square and
smelt the fumes of the burning cotton. He
saw them coming up the street he real
lied at once his cotton was doomed to
fiery ordeal and himself to ruin, unless he
could bysome Strategetic move capture the
enemy.
MONEY WOULDN'T BUY IT.
He had dozen bottles of old Burgundy
wine in his cellar, which he thought might
be made to play an important part in cap
turing the enemy ana saving his cotton.
He met the enemy at his gate with
pleasant smile and friendly greeting, told
them that he was happy to meet
some Union soldiers, invited them to cali
and make themselves at home. They &C
cepted his invitation, went in and took
seats in the parlor. After little pleasant
conversation they inquired if there was
any wine or brandy in town, said that a
little would be very acceptable after a
long march. Happ told them that there
was no spirits in town of any kind except
few bottles of old Burgundy wine he
purchased when his daughter Jennie was
baby to keep until his daughter married,
to regale The guests at the marriage feast.
They proposed to Happ to sell them a
couple of bottles of the Burgundy; they
would pay any price he asked. Happ
told them that wine was a sacred trust,
de Dictated to love and friendship he had
promised his wife that no one but old
father Abraham, if he should happen along,
should taste that win until their dau ghter
Jennie married, but ss they were Union
soldiers, soldiers fighting for the flag, he
would be highly fattered if they would
allow him to present them with couple of
bottles of the old Burgundy.
They readily accepted Happs offer, with
many expressions of thanks for his gener-
GUS gift and especially for his kindness to
Union soldiers. Away went Happ to the
cellar to bring up the two bottles of old
Burgundy to his great disappointment
there was not bottle to be found. Mrs.
Happ had sent it off the day before, with
out his knowledge, and had it buried deep
in mother earth to protect it from the raw
ages of the enemy.
She left two bottles of blackberry wine
in the cellar, not thinking them worthy of
a Christian burial Happ in looking about |
the cellar, almost ina state of despair at |
the absence of the old Burgundy, discov-
cred the two bottles of black berry wine |
cobwebs, and hurried back and delivered |
them to his guests in the parlor.
THE SONGS THAT PLEASED.
They soon had the bot1. s opened, tested |
the VINE pretty freely, were highly pleased
with its flavor, pronounced it a first class
brand of old Burgundy wine, improved |
very much by age. They discussed the
probable date of it's vintage, and came to
The conclusion Judging by the flavor of
wine), that Il could not be less than 20 |
years old. One of them said that the wine
would readily sell in Boosting" for $40
bottle, that the rich nabobs in "Bosting"
never drank wine that cost less that $40 |
3 bottle.
1t had now become time to test the old
Burgundy again. They invited Happ to
Join them in driking bumper. He Joined
Them. SO they filed their glasses to the
brim and drank each others health. One
Of Happ's guests remarked that it was the
custom up in the big North to have music
after drinking bumper. Happ went out
and called his daughters, Misses Jennie
and Anna, told them those Yankees in the
parlor wanted to hear them play on the
piano, to go in and play anything but
'Dixie"-he had been told by our boys in
Virginia that "Dixie' always demoralized
the Yankees, and was sure to create a
especially when Stonewall
Jack son led the music-but to play some
Of those old tunes that will please the |
Yankees, such as yankee roodle.'
The young ladies went into the parlor
and played the "Bonny Blue Flag and
several other old Yankee airs, which |
pleased their guests very much, and finally |
closed the concert with "Sweet Home,
there is no place like home" With"Sweet
Home, the finale was reached, the enemy |
at discretion, and called a |
guard and placed over Happ's cotton, with |
Strict instructions to allow no one to ap-
proach within less than fifty yards of that |
pile of cotton.
Whether it was the sweet music or the |
blackberry wine that Gained the savage |
breast and saved Happ's cotton, is yet a
mooted question. Suffice it to say that
Happ saved his cotton and sold it at the |
close of the war for over twenty thousand |
dollars in gold. Happ well deserved his
success he was good citizen, enterpris- |
ing, kind hearted and charitable. At the |
of the war he was past |
the military age, consequently did not en-
list in the Confederate service.-Sanders-
nile (Ga.) Herald.
An Alligator in Boston.