Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1901-07-10

y AH&eV2$l IA efn Georgia,
GJ4NEN giant oak tree. At
NEKW WI first here was
NKrHTLEW nothing about this
KSN9&1 king Of the forest
to distinguish il
from the other trees of that kind. with
their large trunks and great, wide,
spreading boughs: but. how ever, if one
We're TO gaze mt it more attentively he
would see large. old-fashioned work
ing kettle wedged securely in one of
the many forks OF the tree. 1t was
huge affair, one of those Old plantation
kettles which would easily contain all
the linen from the great house and turn
1t forth clean and white as snow.
Those were the days when it was in
use, and all the little pickaninnies
could see their shining white teeth re-
Elected in 1t, so well Aunt Susan kept it
polished; but now, alas! it had fallen
into sad decay and become so caked
with rust that one would never recog-
niZe the shining black kettle of former
times
1t was in the year 1864, Roy S. Sen
sabauGh says in the Atlanta Journal.
and the Southern army had been stead
lily driven back until they had almost
concentrated their forces in Atlanta it.
self. Everything was in the greatest
excitement through the neighborhood,
but old Col. Merritt refused entirely to
leave his plantation home; he declared
that he, who had so valiantly whipped
the Mexicans in "A was not now go
Ing to run from some rascally Yankees,
and so very complacentiy he gave his
orders and all went ON as if there was
no cause for excitement at all. 1t was
Monday, and old Aunt Susan was su-
perintending the weeks washing,
which was done at a spring very near
the house.
Come he 70 chile and tell old Aunt'e
what young marse Frank done say
bout herr
Thereupon a little darby named Sam
brought her the beatling stick and
said:
"Marse Frank done sed, he say he
mine to kiss yo' old black face fore he
CINE back"
Il sho' goud love dat chile
Just at this moment thrt Confeder-
ate soldiers burst through the small
clump of trees that separated them
from the house, and ran hurriedly to
where they We're standing.
There is no use said one of them.
the young captain to whom Aunt Susan
had just alluded so affectionately. We
are entirely surrounded"
Better sell our lives as dearly as pos
sible, for they will surely hang US for
spies" said one of the soldiers.
What dat? Who gwine to hang You.
sab? Marse Frank. what dey do to
yo'?"
The Yankees have surrounded the
house, and are closing in on us: by and
by they will capture us and hang us.
too. l suppose"
DE good Lawd have massy, am dat
de truf?"
'Doan say dat, Marse Frank. Look
heah, chile, run up dat tree an pull dis
we're kettle up and git in it; den d. IS
CANT poster yo'.'
There was no time to lose. and so two
of the men climbed rapidly into the
tree and very soon, by the help of the
clothes line, succeeded in getting the
huge kettle safely placed in one Of the
branches. Now they were fortified.
with plenty of ammunition, and so
they awaited the enemy with that
vengeful silence which betokened much
Ill to their disturbers. And they did
not have to wait long; scarcely We're
they safely secured in their strange
aerial fort ere the Federals broke
through the Gordon Of wood and came
rapidly to the spot.
Have you seen three rebel soldiers
pass by hereT' the leader asked of SUI
san.
Use sho' amt
But her too emphatic denial caused
them to be suspicious, and the turf dis.
turbed around the foot ofnthe tree di-
rected their attention into ii. whore
they saw the strange spectacle of the
kettle. Almost ut the same time one
of the soldiers made cramped move
iJSilis c3lDh IuE IftFL OF MS mar above
the rim, and they were observed. In
stantly they were summoned to sur
render, but their only reply was three
sharp reports from their rifles and each
shot stretched Yankee cold In death !
upon the sward.
Shot after shot was fired against the
thick iron sheeting of the kettle but In |
vain for they all came sputtering down I
through the leafy boughs, fiattened and |
useless against it's side. But at every |
volley Of the besieged more Federals /
were stretched upon the ground until |
Mt length they retired In sheer dismay. /
An ak was procured, but il meant death |
to every one who dared to use It. FL |
nally some soldiers were sent to look
for n cannon. and it began TO look as |
though all would soon be over with the |
daring three who had so CALAMITY beat
en- of hundred.
They had given up all hope, and were
20 die with the eAultation of |
knowing they were victors; the cannon
had arrived and was trained directly
upon their little air-castle. In another
moment they would be blown into eter-
nifty. when they suddenly heard the
sweetest music il all the world to them
the wild rebel yell!
---..g st,o battle 81 !