The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1902-09-17
WAR STORIES.
F'oraging in East Tennessee.


On one occasion We had loaded the
wagons in the country beyond the
Chucky river and started back to the
railroad to unload, going by way of
the ford at the mouth Of the Chucky,
We reached the ford early one dcspcr-
atcly cold morning, and found the
river about 30 yards wide and about
four feet deep. 1t was decided to
crrry over only one wagon at time
and after it landed to start the next
one, and SO on.
After all except one had crossed
over safely and that one had reached
the middle of the stream, the very es-
scntial attachment, known as the
doubletrec, broke and left the wagon
stranded in the water. There was
only one way out of that unfortunate
difficulty and that was for the team
ster to plunge down into the water,
unharness the team, ride out, borrow
a doublctree from another wagon, car
ry it back and reharness the team.
But before doing 80 he stood up il the
wagon and INDUCED in boisterous
strain of profuse swearing. He cursed
the doubletree, the wagon, the mules,
the Confederacy, JEFF Davis and many
other persons and things and then
proceeded with his disagreeable task.
A FURLoUGH.
We went to Greenville to unload
and as We entered the suburbs of the
town we passed our own old 10th
Georgia Regiment which was on a
march and had stopped to give us the
road. When we got to my own com.
rany (E) was greeted in a chorus of
voices, from comrades with the very
cheering news that Captain Mcbride
had furlough for me. During my
absence an order had been received
offering 35 days furlough to one
man from each company and as the
custom was in our company, al who
had not been home on furlough, were
allowed to compete for it through the
chance game of dice. A friend won it
for me and my furlough had been ap-
proved before l heard Of the applica-
tion for it. was kept so busy, ar
ranging for transportation, passport
and making other preparations for my
journey, l had no time to visit Capt.
Whitehead's party to bid them adieu
or explain to them the cause of my
sudden absence.
On account Of the suddenness and
unexpecteduess Of my departure the
family had not been notified of my in
tention to visit them, and had ex-
pected to surprise them by entering
the home among them unanpounced,
but when I reached the edge of the
farm, [ climbed over the fence to take
a short cut slong pathway through
the field, and my twelve year old sis
ter. now Mrs. Della Kimberley, who
happened to be looking in that direc-
tion, saw and recognized me. although
was fully half mile away, and had
been gone nearly three years. The
entire family went out to meet me and
the scene when we met in that old
field can perhaps be better imagined
than described. Even Aunt Chain,
the old black nanny, the best old
negress | ever knew, insisted upon
putting her arma around me, after the
whites had all taken their turn, and
the general enthusiasm of the oooas ion
forbade any resistance to the embrace
of the old nanny. I remained away
forty FIVE days, instead of thirty. five,
and that was beyond doubt, the hap
piest six weeks of my entire past
life.
My health was excellent and my
appetite almost voracious with ample
provisions for the full qualification of
all Its cravings.
The weather was lovely and 1 was
at peace and in love with all mankind
except the Yankee soldiers, and 1 in
dulged in very little hatred towards
them, during those sublimely happy
days at home. The adult population
Of that community at that time, which
was the early part of 1864, was almost
exclusively female and every one 1
met seemed to act the part of devo-
ted lover towards me. Invitations
from wouldbe- e-entertainers were all
the time far in excess of my ability to
accer. and many -ery desirable ones
were declined simply because Of my
inability to attend, in several different
places at the same hour. But those
happy days passed rapidly by and
brought in their wake all too soon