The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1902-02-07


or coffee or sugar, and there was none
to be had, for what little there was
was kept hidden and couldn't DO
bought with confederate money; and
how our corn meal was nearly all gone,
and there wasn't but one COW In the
county, and she was kept hid IN a
canebrake, and how I borrowed
horse and rode IL miles and bought
her for $4,000 IN confederate money
and drove her home I'm the night and
kept her hid I'm the barn, and she gave
just enough milk to keep our baby
from perishing; and how bought ten
bushels Of corn away down the river
at $3.50 a bushel and got good old Row.
land Bryant to keep It hid for me at
his home six miles from town, and
once a week he took a bushel to mill
and had It ground and brought to town
hid under the seat Of his buggy; and
how the scouts and outlaws robbed
everybody who had anything, and
these outlaws we're a company Of cav.
airy made up of thieves and deserters
from our own army; and how l had
a bale of factory shifting hid out in
the country for two years and as soon
as we dared 1t was brought home and
my wife could exchange a few yards
at time for potatoes and chickens;
and how about these times the confed-
crate detectives arrested a quarter.
master in Selma for big stealing and
put him in jail, and he was desperately
scared and wanted to get out and run
away, and there wasn't a lawyer in
Selma, for General Morgan and Gen
eral Pettus and Dawson and all the
rest were in the army, and a friend Of
mine advised him to send for me, and
he did, and l went down there in an
old buggy, for there was no railroad
running then and interviewed him in
Jail and agreed to get him for $4,000,
and 1t was deposited with my friends,
and did get him out on a habeas cor
pus and straw bond, and he ran away
and is running yet, reckon; and how
q little steamboat came up from Mo-
bile with some blockade goods, and
bought two pounds of opium for $4,000
and fifty pair Of cotton cards on the
leaf without backs or handles for 800
a pair, and that took the rest Of the
money, and the captain gave me two
pounds of coffee and as much sugar,
and / put the opium in one side Of
little old rusty valise and the cards in
the other side and returned home and
formed a partnership with Bob Har-
grove, who had half box of cheap to-
bacco and we opened a store and took
in a third partner, which was my wife,
who sent down two bolts of shifting,
and we went to trading for something
to live on. We assessed the cards at
5000 a pair and the opium at $40 in
gold for an ounce and the shifting at
81 yard 1t was kind of department
store. Bob clerked on one side and
on the other. We didn't take confed-
crate money for anything, for 1t got
worse every day, but we exchanged
things-and we sold the opium to the
Jew who needed it for gold they had
hid away. Our store was a sensation,
for 1t was the only one in town that
had a stock of goods. All the. others
were empty. In April, 1865, q company
of bluecoats came down In the night
and next morning we were all surpris-
ed to see them. Mr.. Lincoln was kill
ed two days before. So 1t was rumor-
ed, but we didn't believe it. DR.. King
was great big red-headed man and
said what he pleased, so he rode up to
the company and said: "Cappen, is
there any truth in the report that ole
Abe Lincoln is dead?" The captain
replied roughly: YES, sir, he's dead
and buried" well, l thought If he
was dead it was likely that they would
bury him." said King, and he put spurs
to his horse and galloped down the
street to tell us the news. The cap
tain said afterwards he came very near
ordering the men to shoot him.
And so we talked over the old war
times, and the good lady and our other
guests listened and laughed and won
dered until bed time.-Bill Arp, in At.
lanta Constitution.
JOEL SMITH REPLIES.