The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1892-06-07

the handSolneSC person, tnluh ScI, l. eve,
| saw of man. Oh. how loved my father.
When the box came. enclosing the olsen
tOmbed colin, and was opened at the famhE
burying ground, it revealed the features OF
a coarse heavy black-bcarded soldier,
dressed in bomespun clothes, as utterly TN
like my dear father as Ii he belonged 10 Il
different race of men.
MY disappointment was fearful We
had the poor soldier buried, but my father
grave has never yet been found, and Will
upset me, and | cared to do nothing but sit
bv mothers grave, and mourn for my
father. | blame uncle for not sending me
to school, or persuading me to 60. or
course, fathers estate had money III plenty,
but . pittance was d0led out to me. During
the war schools were broken up, and
mothers anxiety about father absorbed her
time and thoughts. | was groWn-up
ignorant lad, and should have been properly
cared for by my guardian, but j wasn't.
own plantation, and look after nay own bust
ness. lie had rented to several squads
the negroes-said lie spent all the
ready money in stocking the plantation. I
went down there. hired an old negro woman
to cook for me. because | had begun to dis
stay under his roof or be dependent on him
any longer. You know, dear lady, what q
miserable state of affairs prevails in South
Carolina. The carpet-bagger5 and the mil
itary are Infamous rulers. Negroes are
spies and informers to these masters. L
did my best to keep out of trouble, but these
negro troopers were insolant and thievish be
yond relief / had few amusements, few
books, but little of anything. except the
plainest food and clothes. / hoped to make
a crop and get in control of means enough to
fix myself more comfortable.
early in the spring / traded for six lovely
little Guinea pigs They We're my pets. /
had fed the little things at the door until
I loved them dearly. / had also little ne
gro boy to stay around, black my shoes, etc;
gave him my cast-off clothes and fed him
after l ate. He WAS an unruly chap some
times and a miserable thief, but they were
all so, and [ would punish him occasionally
by Withholding his meals or refusing him my
saddle horse TO ride after the cows, etc.
| came upon him one day in the barn beat
ing my setter dog unmercitully ! let him
have a few strokes from my riding whip and
told hins to go home and stay. His father
was one of the troopers thar uncle engaged
before J weat e Us nlanlatlon ne 1T, nsI
~ x 20. was .r-rr1-r7r 1t
] came home three of my pigs were mlssllS-
this cropper knew something about their an
sence. An old African darby, That once
belonged to my father, came to my bedside
after midnight and whispered the timer
name to me, and further said | could ind
them behind bed in box dressed tor cook
ing. if / was spry and active. Next morn
ing called for the cropper at the barn and
asked about the missing pigs. lie
gave surly reply that angered
me, and / said they must
be produced, or 7 would have the houses
searched and the thieves punished. lie re
Piled 'ketchin' fore hangin' boss. N
lax your unc' John-you no biznes down
irar 10 how; links you buclra man. but
you nuttin'. Better KEEP outen folks houses;
Emancipation dun KUN, white man 10 pet
tern nigga now Then he turned off with
q muttered curse. ] went 10 the house en-
RACED, and sat awhile in the plaza, TO
think coolly over the matter. ! had no
neighbors to appeal TO, and l knew my
uncle would blame me, III every and AL
cases.
Finally / placed one pistol in my hip
pocket and crammed its mate in my boot,
and resolved To see if the pigs were III the
uegro's cabin. As [ entered the front door,
two stalwart blacks came in ut the rear.
| threw up the bedcoycriuE, and there /
saw the pigs, dressed. in a huge wooden
tray. One glance was enough, and too much
as it proved. Before | uttered n word, the
two black devils rushed upon me. In the
attack they calculated rightly as to the
location OF one pistol but dld not suspect
the weapon in tie boot. One Of the tleuds
caught me around the waist to hold me fast
while the other stepped outside for an AK.
that was still bloody from butcherng my
pets. l stopped and reached for the pistol
in my boot and shot him promptly IS he
left 10 rush upon me, but the wound he
had received disabled his shoulder and arm.
In a second of time | became aware that
| was being stabbed from behind. |
wrenched myself loose by superhuman eff
forts and succeeded in reaching for the
hip-pocllet pistol, which / used with fatal
effect on the second demon. He fell with
a groan, as the bali entered his heart The
first one struck me with something, maybe
the AK, on the head"
hon
to the lounge dropped OF one knee and said:
PUT your hand here on my head" She
pressed her fingers lightly over the short,
curly locks, and, Obedent to his
guiding finger, her surprise was great
to find cavity in which small-sized hen
egg could rest, just below the crown, and
on the rear of lis hcld. "Imagine, dear
lady, what suffering that wound caused
me. For weeks ! lay at
deaths door-and look"-as with
coat, rolled up his shirt sleeves. and barred
his left arm, which had been carved in deem
slices from elbow to shoulder, until the
flesh cured up in purple ridges-the gashes
nearly foot Ions and less than an inch
| in width oh, dear lady, what a weary
time was this! A messenger rode to nv
| uncle's and ! was carried there after mid
night in Il closed vehicle. The two dead
negroes-for one was killed outright and
the other died in a few hOurs-were laid
| the yard swarmed with bIackamoors and
| yankee soldiers for days therea fter.
''For weeks | was unconscious with in
! fammatlon OF the brain. | know but little
! of the wounds in the arm. When | came
TO myself, l found / was secreted in my
uncles house-Hke q prisoner They in.
formed me that yankee and negro troops
secured the country for days to find me
A neighbor said they proposed to hang me
if captured, without judge or jury. Uncle
became very restless. He was cowardIv
and he was tired of me. Finally he brought
home proclamation in which reward OF
| Il thousand dollars was put on my heaC
and he told me / must get away. the tirst
day ! could travel, and ! was ready anC
willing to shake the dust from my pool
| feet.
Last week he told me there was horse
already saddlrd in his stable. and he offer
ed me 4 small roll of bank bills | left n
o'cock a. IN, and rode to the Savannah
river by the first night. He had said there
could be Il requsition issued at any time
for my capture in Georgia and / had bet