The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-10-16
"SKEERY LUCY"
An Anecdote of Gen. sherman and Brave
Woman.

An Anecdote of Gen. sherman and Brave
Woman.
''Skeery Lucy, was what they called
her" said Plunkett, as he chunked the
fire and seated himself.
GAS little girl at school, the teacher
called her 'Timid Lucy, but all the schol-
airs knowed her as 'Skeery Lucy for she
went by that name among all the settle
ment folks and her own daddy and
nanny said the name suited her charac-
ter.
+ when she growed up and got married
she was Just the same, and when John,
her old man. would be little late in get
ting at night he'd find her shut up tight IN
the house, with the doors all locked and
every table and old bench and chairs piled
up ergin them.
"The name of 'Skeery Lucy chung to
her for long time, and l guess she de-
served it, for she'd squeal at a lizard or a
frog and take a fit almost if she seed a
snake, but when old Sherman come down
here she done what most any man would
erbin eriraid to do, and they quit calling
her 'Skeery Lucy after that and that's
what L want to tell you erbout.
''She was left with four little children to
scufile for when John went Oft to Vir-
ginia, and it was mighty hard getting
along at best, but as the armies got nearer
and nearer things got scarcer and scarcer
and Lucy got scarier than ever. The big
guns could be heard for long time before
we seed the Yankees, and Lucy just
looked like she couldn't stand it. and the
folks in the settlement said she'd die Just
from fright and anxiety.
"But everybody had to scuffle, and one
morning Lucy walked up with not crust
of bread in the house, and the children
were swinging on to her dress and apron
crying for something to eat, and there was
no other way but for her to start out and
get little meal for 'em. She shut the
children up in the house and put out
across the field to the mill and they, poor
little things, sat, all in huddle, scared as
rabbits at everything that cracked or made
a fuss, and whispered to each other.
''Sherman's army was making for the
railroad-they'd got down the night be-
fore and Lucy didn't know it.
'Hardee's army was moving to meet the
Yankees and to keep them from getting to
the railroad, and Lucy didn't know moth
ing erbOut that.
"She had Just got to the mill and
stepped upon the platform when down
through the woods came Hardee's line OF
battle at a double quick, and before she
had time to think they were past, throwed
out skirmishers.
''Sherman's line was coming toward
Hardee, and it was only few minutes till
the fight would begin.
Lucy thought of her little children
shut up in the house, and knowed how
scared they'd be when they heard so
many men. She didn't know yet it was a
fight.
"She started in a run toward her house,
intending to get there before Hardee's
troops. But old Sherman was coming to
meet them; it would only be a minute till
there would be warm times between Lucy
and her house.
"The skirmishers began to pop their
guns up and down the line, and here come
battery dashing through a road in the
woods, and numbered in a twinkling and
let in, and then the fight had started.
''Lucy's house was between the two
lines She seed a shell hit the chimney
and scatter the bricks and rocks. She
thought of her four little children that
were huddled up and couldn't get out and
she didn't stop.
"The balls were flying thick from one
line of battle to the other, but she dashed
through Hardee's line and went up
through the cotton patch the same as a
deer. The soldiers screamed come back
lay down! you'll be killed. but through
| it all she went and dashed ergin the door
and fell in ermong her little children.
"Just then a bomb struck one corner oil
| the house and scattered splinters every
where. The children were clinging to hel
and er screaming at the TOP of their voices
Another shell hit the house and took away
| one gable end and the minnie balls were
| pattering the same as hail. She grabbed
the smallest child up on her left arm and
made the rest jine hands and then took
| hold of the end child's hand and out they
dashed into the open field between the
| two armies.
''The Yankee line was the first to see
them as they went stumbling, falling and
10 ling over the cotton rows, and they
yelled like madmen:
"'A truce, truce, truceP
"Then Hardee's men seed what was ur
and they waved their caps and jumped VI
and down and yelled:
"'A truce, truce, a trucep
''In less time than it takes to tell YOU
the firing ceased and a hundred men from
! Hardee's line rushed for the children anC
| Lucy. and the first ones to them grabbed
| 'em in their arms and were back over the
hill in minute and the bitter fght
went on.
"She's never been called 'Skeery Lucy
from that day to this, and old Sherman
! said the next day he wOulder lost the bat
| tie rather than kill so brave woman"