The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1901-09-04
A BAG OF
COZ r. T. T..
a s,tory OF the
ConSsderacy.

pencil brigade .re, ted at noon from
their labors Of editing postmasters'
"accounts current" aabcnt the
bluest time I ever saw, ana most Of
YOU are aware I AMT no spring
chicken, was when I surrendered
with Johnston in Moth Ca'lina and
started for home"
Tell lis about it, colonel!" said
the boys.
We'll, you see it was this way.
During the wah I'd left the cid NC
man on the plantation down in
South Ca'Gna, but when the surren-
der come I hadn't heard word
from home for more than six
months, and I didn't have the least
idea whether there was coul left
alive on the place nor whether
, Sherman's army had left anything
Of the old place more tilan just the
naked dirt. ST
+ "Well, I started off for home, or
toward where Il thought home
ought'r be, with my parole in my
pocket, and riding the poorest,
orncriest mule it was ever my mis-
fortune to become acquainted with,
and do assure you, gentlemen, /
have had large, variegated and
picturesque experience in that par
ticuiar line.
"We moseyed along, the mule and
and one or two other boys, until
We got down to Charlotte, and there
the officer in command pressed me
! into service to help him parole a
3big lot Of the prisoners.
'sIt took us a couple of weeks to
get through the job, and when 1 was
/ getting ready to start the colonel
in command said:
"T can't pay you anything for
your services, but I think if you
we're to take that beast down to the
corral and swap him off for better
one it would be good thing for
you, and I guess the government
will be able to stand it.
"Well; you fellows here who
know my liberal disposition will
probably imagine I want slow to
take a hint like that. I turned in
my crow bait and took the best in
the lot, and I fatter myself I know
good mule when see one.
"Purty good animal you got
there,' said the officer when I rode
1 up to his quarters. There's some
coffee down in the commissary, and
that mule looks strong enough to
! carry bag Of it.
"Well, sir, half an hour later I
left town on the best mule T ever
straddled, carving bag Of coffee
worth $3.50 in gold and altogether
feeling like the richest man In the
&hte Confederacy.a
II travelled by myself on the first
day out, just me and the mule and
the bag Of coffees
II got along all right until along
toward dark, when i began to look,
3out for o place to put up for the.
might. It was the dismalest pros
apsct you ever saw-the poorest pine
i 3harrens. Il made yon hungry to
Just ride along and look at the coun-
ahy, end the houses were mighty
asids apart.
& "At last i saw O light and rode
5ap to cabin by The side Of the road
and found an old woman sitting in
the q door smoking 6 pipe. I boned
per to let me stay all night. She
fetched her old pipe few more
Slshifs and finally said:
You'll halter gwy on to the
pe1t house, stranger
:" How far is it?'
Puff, puff. Bout four or Eve
niles-mebbe SIX
But, my good woman, I am
pred and my mule is tired. Let
ne stay if ! have to sleep on the
'PaH puff. Hain't 60. no
1T do not care for myself If You
"A - 6ASOAA A1A4S oOu1StuA1lkss
i Puff, puff. eHain't got nothing
ee the critter.'' A -
well, we will both do without 3
81 re can only stay. / do not want
lie down by the road and maybe
sake up murdered by some gier-
Is&la.' IS 2 q. S.,.
"a She finally consented to this and
poved ont 0f the door and took up
es station by the fireplace, where
ee continued her labnrs with the
pe, as if thatgwere The chief end
pd aim o. existence.
Il took Goff the saddle, tied the
5ule to the door jamb, spread my
3anket just inside the door and lay
p%wn, with my precious bag Of
Pifee fora pillow.
There didn't seem to be another
~ on the place, but ! asked no
stions for conscience's sake. I
St lay there wishing for o bite to-
III and Watching ffs0t cId xynyns,,n