The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1896-05-28
BILL ARps ARMx RAIDS.
How Ho Got Food for tho Hungry
soIdiors-Ariny Law Is Bettet Than

No Law
never committed highway robbery
but once In my life, and 1T shocked me
exceedingly that had II to do: When
joined tho army ut Winchester, Va,
In July, 1861, General Barlow sent for
me ono morning and said he had been
made brigadier and had completed
his staff excepting u brigade commits
siary, and asked mo to accept the posi-
tiOn. | told him that know nothing
about tho duties Of that Office, but he
and DR.. Miller ana Major Ayor Insist
cd that | could soon learn, and SO |
bought mo u horse and u pnir OF high
top boots and some big brass spurs and
got ready for business. The blanks
had not been printed, and ] c0uldent
find u book on that subject, and 80 !
didont do anything for u few days. |
any, for | was waiting for my commits
sion and Instructions and blank forms
| to como from Richmond. These had
not come up to tho time old Joe John
| ston mado that all-night march to join
Beauregard ut Manassas. Tho day
after our army forded tho Shenandoah
General Bart0w's brigade took IL rest
at Paris and after dinner began the
march to Piedmont, " station on the
Manassas railroad. General Barlow
said to me: "MajOr, | have sent Major
Ayor on ahead to get corn and forage
ut Picdment for the artillery horses
and other horses of my command, and
| am informed that most OF tho men
have eiLhor eaten all the rations they
started with or got thcm wct in CROSS
ing tho river, and they must have
something to eat when they get to
| Piedmont. You had better ride on
ahead and secure ratiOns for about
1000 men. The rcgimental commits
sarics will not have any, for their wag-
ons arc several miles behind"
"Will find supplies ut Piedmont ? I"
said |, very innocently.
"You must find thcm," said he.
''rhis country is full of provisions, aud
-bcef bacon, flour, salt, coffee and so
| forth. Tho men must not suffer-"
And he knit his brow and looked
stern. With exceeding modesty
said: General, | have no money to
buy with, and maybe they will not sell
on u credit What then ,"
"My doar SIR" said De, "this is war
Inter arma leges siley ; If they win
not sell to you without ...e money, you
must impress what you need. The
men must be fnd."
| perceived that he was desperately
in earnest. SO hurried on to Piedmont
and found Major Aver with q pocket
full OF Richmond banks money, buying
corn from q solid Old Virginia farmer
There were two wagon loads that had
been hauled by two of the finest yokcs
OF fut oxen | ever saw. | took the
major aside and told him my orders.
| 18th, &c is somc very fine beef in
| those steers" +" said he.
but | have no money" said L.
Cant you lend mo some ?"
ST c,n not" said he. 1t would cost
me my commission. You can impress
tho oxen"
"SuEp . that old follow should re-
sist? v lat then ?"
Got Captain Towers to give you a
detail and arrest him If he won't give
up peaccably."
So timidIy approached the old man
and proposed to buy his Steers, but he
dident wish to sell them at any price.
Said he wouldent take 500 u yoke for
them. Whom | finally came down on
him with tho generals orders he was
furious and SO was his son. | felt as
moan as a dog. They swore they
would go back homo and get their
guns and kill the first man who dared
to touch their oxen. The old man
stood guard while the son went home
half milo away--to get their guns.
And you don't even propose to let Il
man price his own property nor to pay
q dollar for it, but you will give a
receipt for it that may not be worth a
durn. Any rObbcr could do that. II
this is the way the Southern COnfed-
cracy has started out it will bust wide
open in sixty days, and l wish TO God
it would "
Up to this time l had tal.t .ted kindly
and pcrsuasivcly, but at last, when |
| found out he was a Union sympathiZer,
I got fired up in my feelings, and as
the Eighth Georgia marched up got
q detail Of ten men and had tho steers
driven away, and as the old man was
crying and waiting for his son with
the guns told him that If he would
come over to the station [ would give
him receipt that would be good at
| Richmond. lie never cursed, for he be-
longed to the church, but he said "Gol
durn" and dad burn" and "dingna-
tiOn" with great emphasis.
The steers were soon turned over to
some expert butchers from the First
Kentucky regiment, and by the time
the young man and some of the neigh.
bors arrived with their guns and dogs
the ill-fated brutcs had been killed
and llayed on the altar Of their coun
try. In an hours time their carcasses
were cut up into mess pieces and dis
tributcd and the camp fires lighted.
At a store nearby l purchased from a
good Confederate some flour and
crackers and a thousand pounds of
bacon. had no trouble with him, for
he said tho boys must be fed if it took
everything Ee had. | invoked his
good Offices to make Dea,a with tho
old man and his son, and about dark
| they came to me and said they woul
take my receipt, but it was gol durn
cowardly piece OF business. And it
did look that way. | wonder how 6hey
got their wagons homo.
But before long tho good people of
the valley got the hang Of the business
and surrendered at discretion. / never
had much trouble with those who
were on our side.
One day | seized 400 barrels of flour
IN Il merchant mill not far from Orongc
Court House. Tue man WAS desper-
atcly mad, but had heard that his