Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1889-01-24
WHERE GLENNIE WAS.
How He Was Made Prisoner by a
Pretty Confed crate Miss.

"TwaS down in Louisiana, not
many years ago." to quote from an
old song, that several companies of US
wicked Yankees were posted in small
town just far enough from New
Orleans and other important points to
be of no strategic consequence for its
own sake; yet. being on direct route
from the enemy's lines to the Missis-
sippi river, WIS important as an out
post. The war was almost over, and
the enemy knew it, and we knew they
knew it, SO We were not as vigilant as
we might have been had we been sta
toned in front of Lees army. The
natives were Loyalty Southern, every
man of them, perhaps l should say
every woman. fov the only men left in
town were the few who had passed
their three score years and ten, one
physician and one preacher. But the
natives did not allow us to feel I'M
comfortable. The doctor disagreed
radically with us on principle and
cursed Grant fluently, but he took pro-
fessional and even friendly interest in
such Of Us as had more malaria than
our regimental surgeon could manage.
The preacher gave us sermon that
reminded us of Sundays at home, and
the old men would smoke and chat
with us all day long. SO long as we did
not say what we believed about the
future of military events
As for the women, bless them! they
were exactly like the majority of
women everywhere else. very tenacious
of their opinions so far as the war was
concerned, but otherwise hospitable,
gracious and charming. They didn't
mean to give Us the entree of local so
ciety, but somehow we got there all
the same. We did it so quietly that
none of them knew how it began or
who began it. and don't believe that
after the first twenty-four hours any
of them took the pains to inquire. We
purchased enough supplies to set bust
ness booming, allowed no marauding,
wore clean clothing, and were on our
good behavior every way. President
Lincoln having specially ordered,
through General Banks, that Louisi-
ana must be ''conciliated" .(whatever
that might mean).
The consequence was that we off,
GERS soon knew every body worth
knowing, and were entertained with a 3
much courtesy and self-possession as
if the native coffee had not been
burned rye or some other substitute.
and the tablecioths had not long be-
fore been turned into lint or bandages
for Southern hospitals We found in
offensive ways of introducing real
Java, white sugar, Oolong tea and
other diling-roOm specialties dear to
the feminine heart, and We unloaded
countless novels and newspapers into
eager hands. More important than
all else. l believe we could talk. So
could they, but for some reason
women's talk with women did not
seem to have been entirely satisfying.
Wetalked so industriously and 70 such
good effect. that any chance visitor
who might have dropped into town in
the middle of our first week would
have thought from appearance that we
were lifelong acquaintance. The
women never let US forget that they
were SOutherners to the hearts core,
and that We were merely Lincoln
hirelings; still. they were women;
they did not like to see any one appear
careless OF dress. SO soon there was
not . uniform coat with loose hang
ing button To have q Southern
woman. whether maid. wife, widow or
gray-haired grandmother. bring q
needle aud thread and tighten . but