The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-10-19
United DauShterC
of The ConfederaCy.

the balrnorais, My good aunt said there
was one comfort, the poor soldiers got
them-but think our patriotism was not
enoura, developed to warm US.
This lovely country home was, as said.
half a mile from the road, yet record
kent BY an observant member Of the
family showed that not day nor night
during the war passed without guests
from one to twenty. Every man In the
family was In the army, and little boy
represented the male white element on
that large plantation Yet such was the
dignity of the mistress and the loyalty
Of the slaves. no trouble arose. Food for
man and beast was cheerfully given, and
neither mistress nor guest ever dreamed
of compensation. The family Is broken
and scattered Of course. still in one
branch faithful old Polly still nurses the
babies and potters bout the house look
ing after every ones comfort. To the
wandering and returning children she
makes home more homelike. When last
saw her, q few years ago, she seemed
the only unchanged person or thing amid
the varying elements of the old life. the
wrinkles in her dear brown face seemed
no deeper.
There was only one Yankee raid to my
native town and that in the latter part
of the war. Rumors were frequent and
frightful and packings Of precious things
and hiding them in the dark of night
often occurred and made a delightful d.
version. There seemed no fear the SER
wants would tell, for I remember wh3n
I climbed through a dark hole in the
ceiling over the staircase to hide the sill
YER candlesticks, and other valuables,
Rose and Nancy, my sable attendants,
were close on my heels. One OF those
candlesticks lacks to this day piece
must have lost in the rafters and could
not md when the scare was over. After
so many cries OF wolf, the wolf sud
denly descended without warning and the
sheep had scarcely time to scatter. My
guardian rode out of the back gate as
the enemy came in the front. One gallant
Captain Rogers of Prices command, was
shot as he was leaving town. He tainted
and fell from his horse and the cold and
loss of blood ended his brave young life.
A rich citizen fleeing with his gold was
importuned to help him. The Captain
urged Take me on your horse; my
wound Is not dangerous, but l cannot
walk" / heard the citizen tell the story
not many hours after. He said in gen.
tie way, II was very sorry for Captain
Rogers and / would have brought him
with me. but my saddlebags were full of
gold. and my horse could not carry any
more" A bag of gold against a human
nfe! When his brave son died on the bat
tlefeld, / wondered If he thought of
this, and when one misfortune after an
other overlook him and he had little
left but his gold and then when he was
going on that journey where gold avail
eth not! The way happened to hear
and meet with my only warlike adven-
ture was this: l had an old cousin and
his wife living a mile or SO out of town
who were rather sensitive when visits
were not made by the young kin. 1t was
a lonely place. but my old black NANNY
and daddy lived close by and made so
much of me that cheerfully acceded to
my elders suggestion that 1 spend a few
days at cousin Marian Dowdell's. After
a day and night of unlimited petting and
unusual good behavior, l gladly agreed
to spend the night with a school friend
who was visiting at farm house mile
or SO further up the road. She. in lonely
desperation, had come over to my cous-
ms house riding a gaunt old horse, and
finding me, was overjoyed to have me ride
back with her on the same horse and
even to ride in front. 1t was quite cold
and we started lats. so when we rode
out of the woods on to the road the moon
was rising, and one horse after another
came tearing by. the rider shouting,
THE Yankees are coming" Well, our
horse tore along too, Florence holding
on to me shouting, Il am falling off. :"
She held on, however, and when we
reached our destination the yard and
house were full of refugees and we had
the delightful excitement of setting up
far into the night listening to the wild
tales Of the frightened men who followed
each other in quick succession, none dar-
ing to hnger so near town. Early next
morning the raiders were there in full
force and the storeroom and smokehouse
speedily emptied. The owner, an old
man, begged for enough for his family
to eat, and 1t must have been left him.
for l do not remember going hungry
that day 1 remained. but the excitement
was enough to live on. The officers were
splendidly mounted and elegantly dress
ed and respectful in manner. The young
er ones seemed much struck with the
beautiful Creole, Florence. and made
overtures to her. She was a born CO.
quette, but her orders were very strict
not to speak to them and she could only
look.
After exhausting the resources of the
place the detachment moved on to meet
and whip Forrest. they said. We did not
know that chief was within hundred
miles, but boosted of his numbers and
strength as If he was right around the
corner. He was not far off, for about
noon we heard yelling and firing, and
saw the Yankees coming pell nell down
the road. followed closely by Forests
men. The Federal officers vainly endeav-
ored to force the men to make a stand.
l am not sure l did not see a spick and
span lieutenant sh Dot at one of the cow
ards. Just beyond the house there was
brief engagement, but few casualties.
In front of the gate a last effort was
made to induce them to turn and face
the rebels. and bullets flew through the
hall where l danced and capered with
joy over the rout of the enemy. heard
very uncomplmentary language and
threats of what they would do to me
when they came back, but they never
returned and l posed for a while as he
rome with lock of hair shot off in bat
tie. I never found where it was severed
and further than being spattered with
plaster knocked out by the bullets l had
no claim to distinction. Late that after
noon Forests tattered men came YEARLY
back and stopped for water, there was
nothing else on the place. Words cannot
describe their dila pdated worn appear
ance and how they chased that we'll fed
warmly clothed band of <Grierson's, has
always remained a wonder to me. When
l went back to town all the glory OF
seeing almost being in, a fight, scarcely
compensated for the excitement / had
missed Rose and Nancy had such tales
to tell of what went on. especially of
''one great big jewshopper' 0ayhawker),
who having imbibed too freely, insisted