Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1902-04-15
Written for the oxford Democrat
A REBEL WIFE.
BY MRS. H. E. n. ALLEN.
PART SECOND.

| PART SECOND.
Meanwhile throughout the state, times
became more and more turbulent. The
war made broad lines of cleavage. Az
the people "took sides" with the North
or with the South, churches were broken
up, friends were alienated, neighbors
who had lived on amicable terms became
enemies, and sometimes mans foes
were OF his own household.
Cotton was almost the only unionist
in Waterloo; but the number of unionists
in the county was nearly, if not quite,
equal to the number of the disloyal. At
first, they scarcely dreamed of any
serious trouble with the latter, and re-
garded rs mere bravado the threats
which often came to their ears that the
"blackies" were to be driven out OF the
state and their lands taken possession OF.
1t was not long however before, in
neighborhoods where the loyal men were
in the minority, they were harassed by
petty prosecutions that made their lives
a burden. Some were driven into the
Union army because they had good
reason to believe that neither life nor
liberty was secure at home. They
might be sbushwhacked", or they might
be nabbed up by some rowing squad OF
''secesh" soldiery, kept as prisoners at
their camp or perhaps pressed into the
rebel service. Reports came from other
parts of the state Of still greater out
RACES, of Union men robbed, hunted,
shot down like dogs and driven by
hundreds from their homes. One was
almost forced to believe that Missouri
disunionists exceeded all others in their
animosity towards the men who re-
manned loyal to the federal government.
These things at length aroused the
unionists of Northeast Missouri to
the necessity of organizing for self de-
fence, and early in the summer, regi-
ment of Home Guards was recruited
among them. No questions were asked
of those who joined as to age or fitness
for military service, nor did they pre-
sent an altogether imposing appearance
when they mustered for drill, without
uniforms and with such arms as they
could collect among themselves and
their friends. No small amount of rid
icule was heaped on the "blackie"
soldiers, especially by the more aristo-
cratic rebels. One wealthy Southern
lady, seeing a company of them drinking
from we'll in her yard, rushed out to
the Captain, a plain old farmer in his
shirt sleeves and ragged straw hat, and
begged him not to let any of his men
fall into the we'll, because they ,could
color the ,cdter!
Ofwhat stuff these despised "blackies"
were made was demonstrated in the
latter part of the summer in a some
what striking manner. A handful OF
them, less than three hundred in num-
ber, who were camped at little town on
the Des Moines, successfully resisted the
attack of some ten or twelve hundred
"secesh" soldiery, made for the purpose
of capturing stand of arms, furnished
to the Home Guards by the General of
the Western Department. The term
sdevils" afterwards applied to them, was
not altogether flattering, but it conveyed
at least an unconscious tribute to their.
valor.
Arrangements were also made among
the leading unionists of that section for
grand rally on the fourth of July, at
strong unionist settlement some six or
eight miles from Waterloo. The idea
was to make it such demonstration OF
their strength in numbers and the spirit
and purpose animating them as might
suggest to the disunionists among them,
the difficulty of attempting to drive
them from their homes, II indeed any
such measure had been contemplated.
Notices were sent throughout a wide
extent of country aud every unionist in
a radius of many miles was urged to be
present.
AS soon as Ginnie heard of it she was
eager to attend. 1t would be something
new and as good as a play. "Besldes,
Harry," she said, sit will be so horrid
dull here at home with nothing going
on except lot of little wretches whoop-
ing and yelling in the streets and hur-
rahing for jeff. Davis"
"Why, my dear, one would think you
would enjoy that immensely SAID
Cotton, laughing. "There might De
some variation in their program, such as
bullying some young lad from the country
and threatening to duck him in the
river. if he won't take the Confederate
oath. But I'm afraid, Ginnie, the play
as YOU call it, will hardly be 10 your
taste. It's to be a regular 'blackie' cele-
bration; there will be 'blackie' speeches
and you'll see waving there proudly, the
glorious old Stars and Stripes which you
want to pull down ana
trample under your feet. l don't be-
lieve my rebel wife can stand it."
"But what if the speeches should
convert me to your way OF thinking!
said Ginnie archly. "Then we shouldn
have any more trouble in keeping our
hatchet buried, you know.
'Oh, I've given you up for hopeless
case. But l haven't told you the worst,
my dear. There's to be an address from
the Rev. Mr.. Castle, red-hot unionist,
and" he added with twinkle IN his
eye, "a virginian. He doesn't 60 with
his state, you see, wifey, and how could
you abide that?"
.sTd like to hear what the traitor has
to say, anyhow, just from curiosity,
said Ginnie with little toss of her head,
$50 don't make objections, Harry. l
want to 60 and you'll have to take me
that's settled"
.At your service, my fair lady. You
shall 60 if you wish; but l warn you the
heat Of the day and the red hot speeches
may prove pretty fiery ordeal:
The gathering on the fourth proved
quite notable affair. Looking at the
crowd of men, women and children who
collected there that day, one who had
ridden over the sparsely settled prairiess
in that region would have been inclined
to think portion of them must nave
risen up out of the ground. Most OF
the vehicles that came in from all direc-
tons were the huge springless wagons
used by the farmers. Often these
brought dozen or more of people, old
and young, besides boxes and baskets OF
provision for the picnic dinner. One OF
these wagons served for platform 1oI
the speakers, with a covering overhead
to protect them from the scorching sun
of July day in the Mississippi valley.
As there were no lumber yards within q
dozen miles or more, it had not been
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