The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1902-09-17


Virginia line and spent the remainder
Of the winter among the mountains,
near the eastern border of the State,
where we found food supplies abun-
dant, especially bacon, which seemed
to have been the specially of those
farmers.
The Yankee cavalry had followed us,
short distance, from Knoxville, hut
had abandoned the pursuit and left no
forces in those mountains to oppose
us, SO we engaged quite extensively
in the business Of impressing bacon
and other supplies, not only for our
own consumption, but for shipment
to other departments Of the army. l
accompanied one Of those foraging cx
petitions and have been thinking
that perhaps an account of that part
of our service might be interesting to
the great modern army of war story
readers. Our party consisted Of
commanding officer, Captain White
head, eight teamsters with wagons to
haul the bacon We might capture and
sixteen armed guards to protect the
party from attacks of bushwhackers
who were supposed to be lurking in
those mountains. We were very un-
popular with those Inhabitants, and
there were no demonstrations Of well
come extended to us.
A considerable proportion of the
pc pie were disciples Of Andy John.
son and Parson Brownlow and sympa-
tAized with the Yankees; the heads Of
some families we visited being in the
Yankee army, and the business we
were engaged in rendered us unwel-
come even to those who would other
wise have been our friends. Threats
of armed resistance from organized
bands of bushwhackels reached US oc-
casionally and although such an at
tack seemed not altogether improba-
BILE, we never encountered them We
we're required to call upon every fami-
~ in the territory assigned US, re-
gardless Of the appearance Of the
premises, and we sometimes found
large stocks of bacon in small houses.
The news of our approach always pre-
oeded us and almost every family had
their meat hidden away, more Or less
securely, before our arrival and would
then deny having any. We became
expert disooverers Of hidden meat but
at the homes of some, apparently we'll
to do, families we failed to 6nd any.
We spent one night with an old
bachelor, who lived with several ne
gro slaves, in some old dilapidated log
cabins, remote from any road except
an old blind, wagon trail, so obstruct-
ed by projecting rocks, roots Of trees,
stumps and washouts as to render it
almost inaccessible by wagons. He
apologized and feigned deep regret, at
being unable to offer US meat at our
meals, but we cav great many hogs
Of various si1es shout the premises,
as we'll as cattle, horses aud poultry.
These and many other Indications
pointed to the probability of there be-
ing meat about the place, but a most
exhaustive search failed to locate it.
Some of our men offered bribes to ne
gro children for information about the
meat, but they had evidently been
we'll drilled for the occasion and gave
us no olew whatever to the secret.
We called upon one lady who had an
unusually numerous family Of daugh-
ters, several of whom were grown up
women, and were exceedingly beauti-
full. They met US with the sweetest
smiles upon their faces and engaged
US Immediately in lively and most
pleasant Conversations and some of US
Awere 80 fascinated by their charms,
we began to regret the necessity for
mentioning our business, which, we
felt sure would ruin all that good fell
lowship. They denied having meat
and explained, with great exactness,
the causes which had deprived them
of that very desirable article of diet,
: but our search disclosed considera-
BILE quantity of hams, sides, shoulders,
, etc., buried under the kitchen floor,
,.and those sweet smiles and pleasant
words Immediately gave way to frowns,
Tears, lamentations and meanings that
made the place hideous. We weighed
out their allowance, so pounds to
each ne.lber OF the family present,
and like amount for each Of half
dozen alleged absentees, loaded the rc-
mainder ON the wagons, settled for it
in Confederate money and went on our
WAY. We called ON one old LADY,