The Portland daily press., 1897-12-31
SOUTHERN WAR EPISODE.
distress of the Times as a Union Officer
Found 1t.
(From the New York SIM

(From the New York SUM-
Anls incident of the civil war occurred
"U nuntsVille,eAla., after Gen. Crook had
taken possession OF. the town in Novem-
Doi' 1905. The scene was homestead
whose owners had fled before this advanc-
lug union troops, leaving behind them.
among other property, score of slaves
me union officer placed in charge of the
Town installed himself in this homestead
ana hared one of the former slaves, an
olo anu very important woman, to look
after mas comfort. To him she came ona
day. LOOKING more than usually import
ant.
"Massa hurnel, dah's lady in de yahd
what wants to see you" she said.
| TASK her to walk in" renlied tbe
Colonel.
81 did, massa, but she say 'scuse her.
she only want to speak word at de
gate"
"Who is she?"
"she is Mrs. Gov. Clay, de biggest
lady in de town"
The lady was the wife of a former Gov.
|
States Senator, and a member of ,one of
the most distinguished families in Ala
bama. She was waiting at the gate be-
cause she..would not..enter the.house.while
unionsofficer occupied it and a blue uni
formed guard was pacing in front Of 1t.
Learning that she was aged, the officer
went to the lawn, and there met very
small, dignifed lady, who. without pre-.
l1minaries, said:
my reason for disturbing you, sir. is
| this: Some of your soldiers are tearing
down the fence around our garden and
carrying away the boards. This leaves
our home exposed to intrusions of ell
| kinds and subjects us to great annoyance.
| l desire to ask that the destruction be
stopped and further annoyance of the
kind be prevented.
Madam, the destruction of private
prop erty Is in violation Of orders. and ]
| Will see that your fence is replaced.
THANK you. Good evening"
GOOD evening, madam. Allow me,
| and stepping forward the officer held
| open the gate while the lady. passed
through and disappeared in the gloam-
| ing.
The fence was repaired; few days
went by with the ordinary routine of
military duty. and5then the darks.mistress
of the household again announced that
DE lady wanted to see de Kurnel in de.
yard. AS soon as the officer made his
appearance Mrs. Clay began:
Sir, my last servants, enticed, be-
iieve, by persons connected with your
most distressing. My husband is ill
| unable to leave his bed, and am left en-
tirely alone in midwinter. You can NOT
realize the terrible situation in which
am placed, and it is humiliating to have
IN low h
plant. Will you send my servants back
to me?''
Madam" replied the officer, 81 do not
claim to have any control lover the negroes
as long as they are orderly and peaceable,
but l will endeavor to persuade your. ser
wants to return. They certainly Will re-
ceiVe no encouragement from the army to
leave their homes, and they will not be
permitted to accompany it when it moves
from here
Again the gate was held open, saluta
tions murmured, and the lady faded
away.
The aDsconding servants-a man and
his wife-were easily found among the
throng that without Is thought of tomor-
row were tasting the first fruits of free
dom. The man had been his owners
personal attendant, and bis wife her
mistress llnaid, but the changed times
had driven away all the other household
cAnf Cc,E uliu eACSO tNO llal, irOJli NECESSITY,
been compelled to perform more and more
labors until they had bect N disconnected
and abandoned their home They were
easily persuaded TO return when told that
they could not accompany the army on
its departure.
A brief interval and then the old ser
want interrupted her elaborate prepare
tion OF supper one day to announce that
ode lady was in de yahd agin'
She was waited upon promptly for her
age, her feebleness, and her misfortunes
all appealed to the sympathy of the union
officer. She was evidently distressed to
an unusual degree and spoke with some
embarrassment:
II need not tell you, SIR she said,
chow this war has brought suffering and
misery to the women and children Of the
South, for You and others in your army
must observe our condition. We are un-
able, even when we have money, to buy
the neeessaries of life, and many OF us are
left entirely without help of any kind,
because all the men of our families are
away. AS l have said before. l am left
almost alone with bedridden husband.
my sons all being in the service of the
Confederacy. You will excuse me if l
tell you that, until the present winter, |
never put on my own stockings and shoes
but now / am compelled to be servant,
nurse, everything. The favor wish to
ask of you is this, and God knows how
reluctantly / ask it My shoes are worn
through and I am actually walking on
the-cold ground. Could you take buggy