The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-06-28

win me-" continued Phil hOss In re-
sponse to our questions, "but he was
Yank durin the wah and at in the Fifth
Kaintuck TO the gov'mont.
"Did Andy Maxwell lose his sight in
the war2" sslped.
"Yaas, hut Andy amt what you uns
mout call plum blin. Thar's doctah,
a Yankee doctah, down to Knoxville,
ez Is a-curin him, and he lows that An
dy III git 10 see right smart aftah bit,
but his face won't nevah be much TO
looks, and ken tell yo', streDgers, befo'
the wah thar wasn't a man in all the
hills ez had finer pair D. gray eyes in
his head than Andy. Reckon you uns
been in the. wah? Yes. on the Union
side2 Well, hit,don't mattah d-n,
a sojer's sojer to me, and don't keer
the side he fit on 30 longs he did his
plum best and wasn't cussed sneak"
This easy moving, low voiced man
attracted me very much. felt there
was romance in the lives OF himself
and his Yankee" kinsman, Andy Max
we'll, and now that l am reading over
my journal, in which was kept the rec
ord of that trip, all the first impressions
come back to me intensified, and lind
myself wondering why did not write
out the story before.
We went up TO the cabin, where we
found Andy Maxwell sitting with his
back to the fire, at which the woman
was preparing supper, while he dandied
q chubby year-old yonngster.
We had wheat -four biscuits, fried
bacon, "genuwine" coffee, with cream,
butter and new milk for supper-lux-
uries not often seen in the cabins OF
these mountaineers.
I was particularly struck with the
appearance of the room in which we
found ourselves. Side by side from the
pegs there we're suspended two old over
coats, the one blue and the other gray.
A saber with dented scabbard, Spen-
Ger carbine, a Belgian musket, such as
many of the Confederate troops in the
west carried; tattered guidon, with
the staff broken and gilt "B" on its
faded blue field, while two old fash
toned rifles, with powder horns and an
unmistakable Yankee canteen, hung
from pegs near by and suggested feel
ing of good fellowship between at least
two late foemen which was unfortunate
Iy not very prevalent at that time.
AS soon as Andy Ross learned that
Singer and myself had been in the
Union army and fought in number OF
battles with himself he insisted on shak-
ing hands with us, and he assured Us
again and again that he was "doggone
glad" to seq us, and he promised that
IL we staid for week Phil Maxwell
would give us some Of "the best wild
turkey shootin to be had atop NV the
Lor's fahr artbS'ss y
While smoking our pipes after sup
per that night the men, with the help
of the woman, Sally, whose status
at first puzzled me, told their story. |
cannot pretend to quote these kind
hearted, simple minded people, and so
as am giving an actual experience !
shall tell the story in my own way,
though am well aware that my method
violates all rules of literary art.
AS in every other part of the Appala.
chan mountains south of the free states,
the people of the Great Smoky range
were divided on the question of the war,
aud hence, as elsewhere, those knit by
ties of blood and who had been the clos
est friends became the fiercest enemies
when the presence Of the Confederate
conscripting officers forced them to take
sides.
The fathers Of Andy Maxwell and
Phil Ross were first cousins, but for no
good reason that any one could see OF
that they could give themselves they
took opposite sides when secession be.
gan, and their sons did the same.
The young men-neither had broth
er-were brought up together. They
played together es children, fished to-
gether as boys and hunted together in
the mountains when they became old
enough to be intrusted with rife.
They fell in love at the same time, but
IL was unfortunately with the same
young woman, Sally Jordan. Sally Jor-
dan was at that time the belle Of the
Great Smoky range, and her fame
brought many an amorous youth from
the valleys to the hills. but IL her heart
was touched at that time by the devo.
tion of any of her admirers she kept the
secret to herself.
The neighbors, who knew that the
cousins, Andy Maxwell and Phil Ross,
were "dead Above with Sally Jordan,
shook their heads and prophesied trou-
BILE between the young men. Even their
respective fathers feared they would be-
come enemies, all on account of that
gal Sally" and they were planning for
compromise when, following the
thunder of Sumter's guns, the con-
scripting officer appeared in the hills.
There was at first among the noun
taineers pretty general feeling that
they should stand together and repel
the men who came to recruit or con-
script, but gradually the latent likes OF
prejudices asserted themselves, and old
neighbors who adhered to the Union be.
gan to hold aloof from old neighbors
who came gradually TO sympathize with
secession, till at length they passed each