St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1893-04-29
Written for the FARMER.l
A Village Ransacked
AND A PRISONER At NINE.

~ VUsASV Uu0uIOOOnVV
AND A PRISONER At NINE.
\ story of scenes and incident.
in st. Tammany parish. during tn,
late civil war.
MADI>ONvIL.LE, La.
April 20. 1898.
PART THIRD.
The water I'M the well was ken,
SO muddy that it could not be
used until settled. Mr.. X. w.
tried to stop them and send them
TO the river. but to no purpose.
Finally he went to the officer in
command. and asked him to come
and look into the matter. He ordered
the soldiers to go to the river
and get water. which they did. II
was not long before the well refill.
ed. and supplied the family with
plenty of water.
The good soldiers would come
to the children and ask them to get
their canteens filled with water, and
when they were filled, would give
them candy, cake or raisins
Others would ask his wife to wash
and iron clothes for them. and when
done they would give her soap.
flour, meat rice. beans or coffee,
for pay. Thus his family kept
well supplied. He had sheltered
in his house . blockade runner,
who had from time to time left
goods there until his return.
Through some means the Federals
found out that this blockade runner
was there with q large supply ci
goods. and accordingly an officer was
sent to the house to capture him.
Addressing Mrs. X. W., he said :
"iou have a blockade runner in
your house, Madam" mo, SIR.
was her answer. ''I'vc been told
SO, Madam. and your house must
be searched" he said. .You are
welcome to search the house," she
replied. swell. in six hours I will
be back to search it, All this
time the blockade runner had crawl
ed up in the loft to hide and listen.
AS soon as the officer was gone he
came down. Mrs. Il. w. had in
the meantime sent for her hus band,
and hurriedly explained what had
happened. The smuggler was the
first thing to be disposed Of, and he
was told to move his quarters,
which he did. He was o man of
courage and daring, but how he
evatled detection ] do not know.
The next thing was to move his
goods, which consisted of shoes and
bolts of dry goods Now how to
smuggle these things out of the
house, and it surrounded with
Federal troops. At that time it
was cold, and the style for ladies
was hoop skirts, which were very
wide. Mr.. X. went to all his
lady friends and asked them to
dress in their hoops and come to
his house one at time, and they
did SO. They would hang three OF
four pairs Of shoes across the rattan
in their hoops, then fold a bolt of
cloth under . heavy shawl, and out
they would go just across the street.
BY the time the officer returned all
was gone, and he was very well
come to search. He seemed to be
greatly disappointed when nothing
could be found, to even suspect
that he had been fooled.
l must tell about Mrs. O. b,
who resided only q short distance
from the village, on the Ponchatou-
Ia road. Those rOgueish Yankees
would even 60 out to visit her. and
pilfer and catch fowls. Ga this &C.
casi0n she saw soldier with q
turkey half picked. She went up
to him and began growing with
him about the turkey, whereupon
he gave her some flip talk.
BY this time she had got in
reach of him, snatcled the half
cleaned turkey and began beating
him over the head and back with
it, laying her blows with such ef-
feet that he made hasty retreat.
must now return to the river
and lake, and relate what happen
ed at little earlier date, say in the
beginning Of 1868. The Federals
had four gunboats that cruised
around Lake P0ntchartrain and its
tributaries. Two of them, the Grey
Cloud and New London, were of
to heavy draft to enter any of the
small rivers, but would anchor at
the mouth, take bearings, and send
q few bombs to burst over the vii.
lage. This was previous to their
landing in our village. The other
two boats were called the ~ and
AZ. 1t was the a that made a
prisoner Of me, lad Of nine years. |
She was also named inside, hid
from view, If mistake not, Stock
dale. These latter were always up
and down the river. One day the |
Grey Cloud shot . cannon from the |
Lake with the accuracy that it
struck the house of AR. NJ. H., in |
the upper end Of town, hitting it
about six inches from the caves. |
1t struck somewhat slanting, shat
tered tue shingles ana sheathing,
and being diverted in its course,