The National tribune., 1901-03-21

? OF SparSely-WOoded pine -barrenS, the lnhoS
, pitable sandy plains reaching clear to thu
ocean, on the southeast.
, The plantations were all larger anC
: finer than any the army had seen since
leaving the rich middle Tennessee coun
try around Nashville, and there was
everywhere an abundance of food and for
age, thanks to the providence of Gov. Joe
Brown, who had brought his militia home
TO gather their crops, and they did it just
in time to have them convenient for Sher-
man. Sherman could not have arranged
that part of the campaign better, if he
had ordered it himself.
Never did an army live better than
Sherman's during this period. There was
flour, meal, sweet potatoes, fresh and
cured pork, hams and beef, chickens and
turkeys, sorghum molasses, honey, col
lards and turnips enough for everybody,
and to spare. The men drew nothing from
the Commissary wagons but coffee, sugar
and salt. Every night the camp-kcttles
smoked with the most sayOry messes, and
every morning the men started on their
march with their stomachs full of the fat
of the land. The horses, mules and beef
cattle on foot Jared equally well, and grew
fatter and sleeker every day.
After the 200th Ind. passed Murder
Creek, and was nearing Milledgeville, the
Colonel remarked TO the Adiutant:
| AS we were coming over the hill back
| there | noticed some mounted men pass
ing through an opening a mile or so ahead.
| They looked like citizens, but you'd better
go back and send Serg't Klegg out with
his squad to take look at them"
IF it's necessary to hang any of them
| he'd better wait again for the regiment to
come up, hadn't hei" suggested the Ad-
jutant, as he started down the column.
III trust Klegg's judgment as to that"
answered the Colonel.
Ur,I.; H. =
| rapher, 81 marched swiftly across the
| country, and presently came to thickly-
| wooded knoll, from which he could see a
| trail leading through the woods from the
point where the Colonel had deserted the
| horsemen in the distance. Hearing ap-
preaching voices, and the sound of horses's
hoofs and rattling of wheels on the frozen
ground, he concealed himself and men and
waited Developments AS the woods in
front were tolerably open, he could see
fairly well for several hundred yards
ahead
The leader of the party was a fuli-bod-
led, rather large man, with silk hat of
long-before- the-war vintage, black frock
coat, and 'copperas" dyed vest and panta-
looms. His large, full face was shaved
clean to the base of the jaws, whence
descended a heavy black beard. He rode
fine, quiGk-stepping bay horse, with
three white stockings and a white nose"
and his fat face was drawn with anxiety.
He fretted his spirited horse by nervous
tapping on his flank with switch, and
kept glancing back at farm wagon, laden
with household, goods hastily thrown in.
Behind him rode a matronly woman,
clothed in a. combination of store goods
and hOmespun, and couple of strong |
faced, clean shaved, tobacco-chewing men. |
''Now, Cato" he called out fretfully to |
a negro who was riding in the front of the
wagon, carrying a large picture in heavy |
gold frame, .'be mighty careful not to lose |
through the woods. And be mighty care
ful of that picture. If you git it banged
or scratched I'll take your hide off,
Il done got it heah on my knees, takin' |
de best keer in de world oh hit" answered |
the negro.
Did you wrap it up in blanket, as
done told you before we started!' asked
the woman, looking back.
mo, missus,'' answered the negro.
Didn't hab no time"
Get out blanket at once" command
ed the man, stopping the wagon, "and
wrap it up carefully as you would a baby.
These branches will scratch and whip it
and the frame all to pieces. 1t won't
be fit to be SEEN"
In obeying the command the negro
turned the picture so that 81 got full
view of it. 1t was an oil-painting, repre-
senting the man in front in full black
clothes, with q high standing collar, and
a volumnous black neckerchief. His hair
was carefully reached above his forehead,
he had look of stern importance on his
face, and an ofiicial-looking paper in his
hand. Glass cases containing books were
in the background, and on a table other
books and official papers, and an inkstand
with quill pens sticking in it. 1t was one
of the regulation pictures of the day OF
public men, and an imitation of the cur
rent portraits Of Webster, Clay, Calhoun,
etc.
"Only some citizens skipping out o Mil
ledgeville,p said 81, relaxing. Let 'em
go. We don't have anything to do with
EN-"
Probably a Justice o the Peace, or
Probate Judge" echoed Shorty laying his ;
gun down, and feeling around for some to-
bacco for smoke. IF you're ever elect {
ed Justice of the Peace ST, l expect
you'll get some sign painter to paint pic
lure of you that'll fill the side of a room,
and have enough red in it to go over Il t
wagon. It'll take that much to do justice {
% your hair and your nose"
DRY up, Shorty" said 81, giving his
partner a nudge, "and give ME some O. I
hat tobacco. No, don't mean that |
mean that bright plug you were just G
down. | want change to some q
hing of Uncle Sans. Don't talk vanity Il
o me, you old peacock, you" q
Hist, there's some more coming" whis- |
,ered Pete Skidmore as the wagon rolled q
IN out of sight and hearing. L
The partners laid down their pipes and
picked up their guns, as the sound of b
,ther voices and hoOfs came nearer.
1t was a group of citizens, all men past S
middle life. many of them quite old Sew v
raj wore the rusty-black suits, with high a
Iats. affected by the country lawyers, JUS II
ices and minor public functionaries; sew L
raj were plain farmers. They had all Il
eft hastily, and were grumbling at the s
ind of horses they had been able to Sc /
ure Each had picked up some bit of s
PERSONAL property to take along. One or z
wo carried law books under their arms, a
ne had a bundle of printed speeches, 9th Il
rs had carpet-bags, umbrellas, canes, ETC., ii
n their hands. Some were chewing to- h
acco earnestly, others smoking cob pipes L
)ne fat old planter had only been able to o
ecure q string halted old wagon-horse II
Which still had on the collar, names and u
races He kept up with the others with n
iiiculty, constantly implored them not to V
cave him, and was answered with jeers b
nd injunctions to whip up and come
long," c.
'Just some more citizens" said 81. law ii
ng down his gun and reaching for his a.
ipe. B
Looks like n gang o Township Trus-
ees going TO road meeting" remarked g,
horty, scratching match to lipbt hi, n,