St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1896-06-27
BILL ARP'S RAIDS.
ne Tells How He Got Food for
the Hungry Soldiers.
Says He Committed Highway robbery
But Once-sorry He Had to Do IT.
Il The Law the Bul-wark
"a 5SSs of Liberty.

| 41AS
exceedingly that I had to do it. When
/ joined the army at Winchester, Va, in
July, 1861, Gen. Barlow sent for me one
morning and said he had been made
brigadier and had completed his staff
excepting brigade commissary, and
asked me to accept theposition. told
him that I knew nothing about the
duties of that, Office, but he and DR.. Mill
ler and Maj. Aver insisted that / could
soon learn, and so bought me a horse
and pair of high top loots and some
big brass spurs and got ready fer busi-s
ness. The blanks had not been print
ed, and / couldn't find book ON that
subject, and so didn't do anything for
a few days. didn't receive any ra-
tions nor issue any, for was waiting
for my commission and instructions
and blank forms to come from Rich
mond. These had not come up to the
time old Joe Johnston made that all
night march to join Beauregard at Nam
assas. The day after our army forded
the Shenandoah Gen. Bartow's brigade
took rest at Paris and after dinner be-
gan the march to Piedmont, a station on
the Manassas railroad. Gen. Barlow
said to me: Major, | have sent Maj.
Aver on ahead to get corn and forage at
Piedmont for the artillery horses and
other horses in my command, and am
informed that most of the men have
either eaten all the rations they started
with or got them wet in crossing the
,.su 4, W,
eat when they get TO Piedmont. You
had better ride on ahead and secure ra-
tions for about 1000 men. The regi-
mental commissaries will not have any,
for their wagons are several miles be-
hind.n
"Ifill I find supplies at PiedmontP''
said very innocently. ..5..
'sYou must find them" said he. This
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 Isaid:
General. have no money to buy with,
and maybe they will not sell on a
credit. What then?'
'My dear sir" said he, this is war.
Inter arna. legas silent If they will
not sell to you without the money, you
must impress what you need. The
men must be fed"
I perceived that he was desperately
in earnest, so / hurried on to Piedmont
and found Maj. Aver with pocket full
of Richmond banks money, buying
corn from solid old Virginia farmer.
There were two wagon loads that had
been hauled by two of the finest yolses
of fat oxen / ever saw. I took the
major aside and told him my orders.
'''There is some very fine beef in those
Steers" said he.
"But have no money" said I.
"Can't you lend me some?"
"I cannot" said he. "It would cost
me my commission. You can impress
the oNen.''
Suppose that old fellow should re-
sist2 What then? ?''
"Get Capt. Towers to give you q de-.
tail and arrest him if he won't give up
peaceably."
So Itimidly approached the old man
and proposed to buy his steers, but he
didn't wish to sell them at any price.
Said he wouldn't take S1oo yoke for
them. When finally came down on
him with the generals orders he was
furions and so was his son. felt as
mean as dog. They swore they would
go back home 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 mile
away--to get their guns.
'And you don't even propose to let q
man price his own property nor to pay a
dollar for it, but you will give receipt
for it that may not be worth q durn.
Any robber could do that. II this is
the way the southern confederaey has
started out it will bust wide open in 90
days, and wish to God itwould! -,
Up to this time I had talked kindly
altd persuasively, but at last, whensI
found cut he was a union sympathizer,
I got fired up in my feelings, and as
the Eighth Georgia marched up I got
detail of ten men and had the 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
a receipt that would be good at Rich
ruond. He never cursed, for he belonged
to the church, but he said "Ge1 durn"
and dad burn" and "dingnation" 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 brutes had been killed and
fayed on the altar of their country
In an hours time their carcasses were
cut up into mess pieces and distributed
and the camp fires lighted. At a store
near by. I purchased from good con-
federate some -four and crackers and
1000 pounds of bacon. / had no trouble
with him. for he said the boys must be
fed if it took everything he had. / in
voked his good Offices to make peace
with the old man and his son, and about
dark they came to me and said they
would take my receipt, but it was a
gol durn eowardly piece Of business.
And it did look that way. I wonder
how they got their wagons home.
But before long the good people of
the valley got the hang of the business
and surrendered at discretion never
had much trouble with those who were