The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1889-06-01
IIAPP SAVED HIS COTTON.
AN INCIDENT OF sHERMAN's MARCH
THROUGH GEORGIA.

AN INCIDENT OF StlERMAN's MARCH
THROUGH GEORGIA.
Through the Influence of Music and Old
burgundy $4,000 Worth of Cotton Es.
capes the Torch - A Concert Whore
Dixie" Was Taboocd.
When the people of Sandersville heard
that Sherman's army was headed in this
direction burning and destroying everything
in their line of march, they took the precau.
ton to have several bales of cotton which
were scattered about town moved on the
public square so as to guard against con.
Migration Of the town, in the event the cot
ton should be burned by the enemy.
Sherman's army reached the town at 8
O'Clock in the morning of Nov &C. 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 cot.
ton OH the public square their next move was
to go up to Pincus Happ's, on Harris street,
and burn fifty bales of cotton Happ had piled
up OH his back lot. Happ was on the look.
out he saw volumes of smoke roll up from
the public square and smelt the fumes of
burning cotton. He saw them coming up the
street; he realized at once his cotton was
doomed to n fiery ordeal and himself to ruin,
unless he could by some strategic move cart
urc the enemy.
MONEY WOULDN'T BUY 1T.
He had a dozen bottles of old Burgundy
wine in his cellar, which he thought might be
made to play an important part in capturing
the enemy and saving his cotton. He met the
enemy at his gate with Il pleasant smile and
friendly greeting, told them that he was hap,
py to meet some Union soldiers, invited them
to call and make themselves at home They
accepted his invitation, went in and took
seats in the paror. After little pleasant
conversation they inquired if there was any
wine or brandy in town, said that n little
would DO very acceptable after 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 a baby to keep until his
daughter married, to regale the guests at the
marriage feast.
They proposed to Happ to sell them
couple of bottles of the Burgundy; they
would pay any price he asked. Happ told
them that wine was sacred trust, dedicated
to love and friendship; he had promised his
wife that no ono but old father Abraham
if he should happen along, should taste
that wine until their daughter Jennie mar
ried, but as they were Union soldiers, soldiers
fighting for the flag, he would be highly fat
tered if they would allow him to present
them with n couple of bottles of tho old
Burgundy.
They readily accepted Hnpp's offer, with
many expressions of thanks for his generous
gift and especially for his kindness to Union
soldiers. Away went Happ to the cellar to
bring up tho two bottles Of old Burgundy, to
his great disappointment there was not u
bottle to be found. Mrs. Happ had sent it
off the day before, without his knowledge,
and had it buried deep in mother earth to
protect it from the ravagcs Of tho enemy
She left two bottles of blackberry wine in
tho cellar, not thinking them worthy u Chris
tian burial. Happin looking about the cellar,
almost i'll n state of despair at tho absence Of
tho old Burgundy, discovered tho two bottles
of blackberry vino; he seized them, brushed
off 'hc dust and cobwcbs, and hurried back
and delivered them to his guests in tho parlor
THE SONGS THAT PLEASED.
They soon had the bottles open, tested tho
wine pretty freely, were highly pleased with
its flavor, pronounced ta first class brand of
old Burgundy wine, improved very much by
age. They discussed the probable date of its
vintage, and came to tho conclusion Judging
by the flavor of wine,, that it could not be
less than 90 years old. Ono of them said that
tho wine would readily sell in Boosting" for
$40 bottle, that the rich nabobs in "Bost-
81
a BOTTLE
1t had now become time to test the old Bur
gundy again. They invited FIapp to JOIN
them in drinking bumper Ho joined them,
SO they filled their glasses to tho brim and
drank each others health. Ono Of Happ's
guests remarked that it was the custom up in
the big north to have music after drinking a
bumper Happ went out and called two
daughters, Misses Jennie and Anna, told them
those Yankees in the parlor wanted to hear
them play on the piano, to so in and play
anything but "Dixic''-ho had been told by
moraiZed the Yankees, and was sure to Gre
Jackson led the music-but to play some of
those old tunes that will please the Yankees.
such as "Yankcc Doodle"
played tho "Bonny Blue Flag and several
other old Yankee airs, which pleased their
guests very much, and finally closed the con-
cert with Sweet Home, there is no place like
home" With Sweet Home" the finale was
reached, the enemy surrendered at discretion,
aud called guard and placed over Happ's
cotton, with strict Instructions to allow no
ono to approach within less than fifty yards
OF that pile of cotton.
Whether it was the sweet music or the
blackberry wine that calmed the savage breast
and saved Happ's cotton, is yet n mooted
question. Suffice it to say that Happ saved
his cotton and sold it Mt the close of tho war
for over twenty thousand dollars in gold.
Happ well deserved his success, he was a
good citizen, enterprising, kind hearted and
charitable AT the commencement of the
war he was past the military age, conse
quently did not enlist in the Confederate
Ga, llo N