The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-04-25

years OLD, ana living IN southwestern
Missouri, was recounting her expe-
rience during the early days of the war
the other evening, and said:
"James (my husband) was anxious
to finish bis fall work that year in order
to enter the Union army and l did not
dissuade him. One cold winters
morning he babe us good-by and en-
listed. We lived on farm on the Ten
nessee river, on the other side of
which his regiment was for time en-
camped. His mother lived with us,
and l had several children, the oldest
being only twelve years old at that
time.
zone of the most important tasks
which James left completed was the
harvesting of fine crop of corn, 500
bushels in all. But hardly had he lett
us before that corn began to disappear.
l watched patiently for several nights,
without discovering who took it. The
crib stood behind the house in a clump
of bushes.
" AT length, at about midnight one
moonlit night, as l sat carding and
spinning, our old dog Rover began
barking. He would run from the
house to the corncrib, and then re-
turn whining to the house. l told
mother, who was still sitting up, that
some one was probably stealing my
corn, and that l was going to investi-
gate.
Following Rover, l reached the
crib, and there saw man standing on
log at the end of building with
mealsack. He had not put more than
two or three ears in the sack, and on
seeing me and the dog he instantly
sprang down and ran"
81 told Rover to take him. and he
flew in pursuit. The thief ran through
the bushes toward his house, which
was near, and 1 followed him. Just as
he reached the door his wife opened it.
why, what in the world is the matter,
Jim Scott?' she cried.
"' That 'ere woman's after me- he
replied, breathlessly.
By this time he had got inside the
door; and just then 1 reached it. Yes
l answered, 'and l have caught you,
too In his haste he had dropped the
sack of corn.
81 got the sack and kept it, 1t had
his name on it,"
Didn't you try to put 'em through
for it, grandma?" asked some one.
Grandma laughed and answered.:
"What could l, lone woman, do in
time of war? But | had much harder
time than this later; for everybody told
the man who stole my corn that when
the Union soldiers came he would get
thrashing. you had better get out of
the country they told him; and he got
out.
Well, winter passed away; spring
came; and l again took heart, and went
to work on the farm. With the assist
auce of the boys | made a tolerable
crop of corn and potatoes.
In the fall the bushwhackers made q
raid.
e. and Frank, my oldest boy, aged
twelve, had each carried sack contain
ing peck of corn on our backs to the
mil down the river and had it ground.
When we got home the yard was
swarming with the raggedest, dirtiest
set of men l ever saw.
"There was no chance to conceal the
NEAL and no sooner had | taken it
into the house than man walked in
and carried it out.
Our visitors had made fire in the
yard; and the next thing in order was
TO kill my ducks. l had twenty-five of
them. They cut the ducks heads off,
picked them, and cooked them in my
kettle, before my eyes. While they
were doing this they condescended TO
offer me the feathers, if would come
out and get them.
Having eaten their dinners, the
bushwhackers began to cast longing
looks at ny twelve fattening hogs.
They would 90 to the pen with their
guns, pointing at the animals, and
threatening to shoot them.
81 left the children with mother and
went up the river to headquarters. l
told the Confederate officer that his
men were going to kill my hogs, my
only dependence for meat; that they
had already destroyed the corn and fod-
der in the field, and that | aud my lit
tie boys would have to gather corn on
the shares for the winter.
-" He told me that if would 90 home
and build a pen in my dooryard my
hogs should not be disturbed.
g went home, and, with the help of
the boys, built pen before the door;
and an old neighbor, who was too in
firm to go to the army, came and helped
us to get the hogs into their new quar-
tiers. They were not disturbed after
that.
Guards were placed around the
houses of us women TO prevent us from
getting news from our husbands. The
guard at my door was an old gray
headed man. You should have seen
him going with me to the : milk-gap,'
morning and evening, gun in hand,
and trying to look very gallant.
" However, | got news to my hus-
| band, and from him. There was an