The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1896-06-12
BILL ARP'S LETTER.
WILLIAM ACTS TIE ROLE OF
HIGHWAY R0BBER.
10 Was During the War and no HAD
It 20 DO.

but once IN my life, aud IL shocked ne
exceedingly that had it 10 do. When
] joined the army at Winchester, Va,
IN July, 1864, General Bar tow sent for
me one morning and said he had been
made brigadier and had completed
hie staff excepting a brigade commits
snry, and asked me % accept the posi-
ton. told him that / knew nothing
about the duties OF that Office, but ho
and Dr.. Miller and Major Aver inaist-
ed that / could soon learn, and so I
bought me horse and pair OF high
top boots and some big brass spurs
and got ready for business. Tho
blanks had not been printed, and I
couldont find a book on that subject,
and 80 i dident do anything for a few
days. / dident receive any rations
nor issue any, for was waiting
for my commission and instructions
and blank forms TO come from Rich
mond. These had not come MP
70 the time old Joe Johnston
made that allsniRht march TO Join
Beauregard at Manassas. The day
after our army forded the Shenan-
doah General Bartow's brigade took a
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
Aver on ahead to get corn and forage
81 Piedmont for the artillery horses and
other horses. of my command, and
ana informed that most of the men
have either eaten all the rations they
started with or got them wet in cross
ing the river, and they must have
something TO eat when they get to
Piedmont. You had better ride on
ahead and secure rations for about
1900 men. The regimental commits
saries will not have any, for their
wagons are several miles behind"
'Will I find supplies at Piedmont?'
said 1, very innocently.
t'You must find Them" said he.
"1hls country is full of provisions,
and you must purchase enough for
1000 men-beef, bacon, flour, salt,
coffee and so forth. The men must
not suffer"
And he knit his brow and looked
stern. With exceeding modesty ]
said General, 1 have no money TO
buy with and may be they will not
sell on a credit. What then?"
''My dear sir, said he, "this is war.
Inter arma leges silent If they will
not sell to you without the money, you
must impress what you need. The
men must be fed"
perceived that he was desperately
in earnest, so I hurried on to Pied
moat and found Major Aver with @
pocket full of Richmond banks money,
buying corn from a solid old Virginia
farmer. There were two wagon loads
that had been hauled by two of the
finest yokes of fat oxen 1 ever saw. I
took the MAJOR aside and told him my
orders.
''There is some very fine beef in those
steers, said he.
"Cut I have no money!" said i.
''Can't you lend me some?"
81 cannot" said he. cit would
cost me my commission. You can i'm.
press the oxen,
Suppose that old fellow should re-
sistP What thenP"
''Get Captain Towers to give you o
detail and arrest him if he won't give
mp peaceably."
So 1 timidly approached the old man
and proposed to buy his steers, but he
didn't wish to to sell them at any
price. Said he wouldn't take 500 a
yoke for them. When I finally came
down on him with the generals orders
he was furious and so was his son. ]
felt as mean as a dog. They swore
they would 60 back home and get theil
guns and kill the first man who dared
to touch their oxen. The old mar
stood guard while the son went home
half mile away-to get their guns.
"And you don't even propose TO lei
q man price his own property nor to pay
a dollar for it, but you will give re-
ceipt for it that may not be worth a
durn. Any robber could do that. If this
is the way the southern confederacy
has started out it will bust wide open
in sixty days, and I wish to God il
would !"
Up to this time had talked kindly
and perAuasively. but at last, when
found out he was union sympathizer,
I got fred up in my feelings, and az
the Eight Georgia marched up got q
detail Of ten men and had the steers
driven away, and as the old man was
crying and waiting for Ills son with
the guns I told him that if he would
come over to the station would give
him a receipt that would be good al
Richmond. He never cursed, for he
belonged to the church, but he said
'tGol durn" and "dad burn" and
"dingnation" with great emphasis.
The steers were soon turned over to