The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1893-11-07


tiOn of the union soldiers. This my mother
refused to do, and when she. in company WIN
a number of other ladies who were on the
same mission, appeared before the provost
marshal, at Gainesville, and requested the
return of her cow, she found, alter nearing
her neighbors Intercepted, that this question
would be asked her. and she feared the result
of her answer. Yet she resolved to be true
to her colors, and tell the truth. She was
the last one ta be questioned, and when the
provost asked her if she had taken the oath
Of allegiance she said no.
'.Have you ever been asked to take it?'
said he, and again she answered no
"Have you any objection to taking itT' he
continued.
81 have, sir, very serious objections.
"What your objections"
81 am a southerner by birth and principle,
and would not take the oath for all the cows
in the United States,' her plucky
answer.
"You are not loyal, madam, and cannot
get your cow"
~ am as loyal as you are -
Eyes" said the provost, 81 see you are
truly loyal to the southern confederacy, and
/ respect you for it,
Aud she was the only lady in the party
who got her COW.
About this time the beautiful residence of
Colonel Warren Akin was burned-the begin
ended in leaving only desolate valley, with
scores of sentiuel-ike chimneys to mark the
spot where Cassvile once stood. In q few
days other houses were burned. 1t was on the
18th day of May 1864 that large number
of yankees entered the town and ordered the
people to leave, saying they intended to burn
1t. There We're about forty families in town
at the time, and they We're given three days
in which to leave. They knew not what to do.
After consultation two ladies We're sent
to Gainesville TO see General Smith, the
commander of the post This officer referred
them to Colonel Danhury, at Kingston. and
he saved the town Temporarily; but, August
LIST. Licutenants Crawford and Kinney came
with their wagons to move them out General
Steadman had ordered all the citizens TO go
three miles from the railroad. They only pro-
posed taking one load for each family. Some
families bundled UP few things and went:
others refused to go without further orders.
Those who did move lost nearly everything
they possessed by being robbed by the soldiers
At this time three old men (alI who were lefO
went to General Smith and told him how the
people had been treated He was very angry
and saved the town again. The people were
much harrassed from time to time by similar
threats, though these threats were not car
ried out until later.
On October 18th, the male coIIeoa and
President Rombaut and Judge Lands houeos
We're burned. The college was burned ~, +h
second division of cavalry WiId's hl.oodo
composed of the Ninety-eighth Illinois L'irst
1hlrd ana Fourth Ohio regiments and First
Mlchlgan, guard division. On the 29th Cau-
titlh ChllC0at came with orders from GanaroI
smith Tor the people to move The yankaas
seemed bent on the destruction of CasSyilIe
on November 9TH. Colonel Heith, of the SIKH,
ONO regiment. came with about three hundred
caValrymen and two or three pieces Of or+n
lely to burn the town. Twenty nin,rtos ~
the tlme allowed the poor, pleading v,rotchnd
people III winch to move. Between . ana ,
Clock the federals commenced setting lire
10 the houses. In few minutes rho u,bli,
square was one vast sheet of flame ana =
was not long until Cassville WAS in oebo,
ana her citizens without shelter from mo
Clements The weather was very cold and
one poor widow, unable TO find q roof to nro
tect her from the storm, made her bod ana
slept with her six fatherless children bv hnr
husbands grave.
Next day the smoke hung like black nall
over the town, but, as the sun was settino
melted away, and it seemed that Nature was
weeping over the sad fate OF Cassyfllo Today
in her cemetery, side by side sleep about
three hundred Of the blue and the gray
careless alike of sunshine or shadow. cocb
III ms WtudoWlcsS palace of rest" A few,
Struggling houses, three stores and two
churches comprise the CasSvllle OF today
Of the beautiful little city that fell victim IN
Shermans torch, history vii! speak for ages
TO come CAPERS G. QUILLIAN.