Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-02-17
FELTON, WRITES A
MRS.
"GOSE GALL"

Il - NAN~A 49,
s.::':::'::
General Sherman occupied Atlanta Sep
| temper 2, 1854, but there was never ceasing
| efforts TO cut of supplies from General
/ Hoods army. When the federal forces
| finally cut off the supplies at Jonesboro
/ the city OF Atlanta could not be defended.
In July, 1864. General Stoneman, with
| large cavalry force. started out to capture
Macon. At that time we were living in
/ four miles of Macon, not far from the
wagon road leading to Clinton, Jones
county.
The house was unfinished, had no ceiling
or plastering and not a pane Of glass in
the four rooms and hall. We had rough
shutters as big as doors. and during the
| hot weather these shutters were Kept
/ partly open because we could not sleep or
rest in comfort in any other way No mat
ter how uneasy we might be, or how in
secure we felt ourselves, our sleeping room
was kept open for fresh air
There were rumors-grapevine reports
every day, but we heard so much that was
untrue that we ended by believing very
| little that we heard.
We visited our neighbors and they visit
ed us, went to church when we could and
read the newspapers, every one that we
could reach and tried to possess our
souls in patience.
on a hot afternoon late in the month Of
i July we sent a colored servant woman to
the city postofice where we received our
mail. She had various acquaintances in
Macon. and was delighted to go always.
A number Of our neighbors dropped in to
/ spend the afternoon, and we had been
very Jolly considering the times we lived
i in less than hundred miles from the
headquarters of General Sherman's army,
/ and with the land full of stragglers, spies
Il and army riff-raff of all sorts.
i al thora
man returned with the letters and papers.
and was suffering with excess of excite
| ment. 81 met a soldier on the bridge as
/ was comm out, an he said the Yankees
| wuz comma perfect army-comin' to
/ Macon. He sont word to hide your money
! and send your horses to the canebrake.
They viii shore be mere tonight" were her
first words. We laughed at her, told her 1t
| was some body who was April fooling her,
/ for the newspapers just brought in said
everything was quiet and getting along
| nicely.
Go out and rest yourself and don't al
| low teasing folks to run you out of your
| wits anymore" and she begun to believe
| she had been made jest of by the SOL
der on the bridge after we all assured
her of the mistake of the soldier and the
| folly of alarm.
our visitors stayed until the "cool of
the evening" and the reported Yankee
| raid gave US no concern at all.
| To look back at that period of our his
/ tory IL is impossible to understand how
easily we could be gulled by our own
wishes in matters of that sort. 1t was
the most probable thing in the world to
expect cavalry raids under the circum-
stances, but we pooh-poohed the idea out
| of our own minds and went to bed as
| usual with the window shutters held apart
| by a stick and fastened with cotton
string for purposes Of ventilation, as
stated
1t was a night Of sweltering heat as it
| frequently happens at that time of the
| year. We tossed about, famed the chill
dren and slept ''cat maps" until just be-
fore day when 1 went to sleep soundly,
| I suppose. 1 was awakened by some one
rushing through the house crying yam
KEGS! Yankees" A negro boy gave the
alarm.
DIR. FELTON, had slept poorly also and
was getting a breath Of fresh air on the
front door steps. 1 sprang out of bed
| and donned a wrapper Just in time to
hear colloquy between he and a Federal
cavaIryman, who asked the nearest road
to Macon. BY the time / could peep
through the half opened, shutter the woods
In front of the dwelling were literally
working with blue, coats mounted on
| horses.
The clatter of countless canteens and
sabres is fresh in memory up to date.
Sure enough the Yankees did come on
us that night, had turned our cows and
sheep out of the big Enclosure nearby and
had loosened saddles and fed horses, while
less than a hundred yards distant we were
trying to sleep with everything in the
house accessible to anybody in the world
who chose to come in at the open win
dows as there was nothing to hinder.
What day II was with us. to be sure
They. chased and shot chickens and kept
oar cook hard at work all day long.
We had some fine young peach trees
the fruit. just ripening. They cleaned up
the whole business in less time than 1t
takes TO write it. They swarmed over the
premises and were continually going and
coming. After little time; firing began
over towards Macon. The rattle of mus
kerry sounded like big FIRE crackers at
Christmas, only more so. There were
cannon shots at intervals. screeching
shells ever and occasionally.
Down in the meadow field, there were
hundreds Of little fires, where preparations
were made for camping towards evening.
Our cornhelds were handy for forage ra-
lions.
I peach brandy stored away. The raiders
revealed in peach brandy. They were be-
come boisterous, as the long hot day wore
| on. fought and quarreled among them
selves. Several coat collars were jerked
off and left in the yard after they retired.
Towards sun down the firing seemed 70
come our way and inside OF ten minutes
afterwards every trooper had disappeared
Some of our neighbors- came through the
fields and sought protection with us.
We then placed pallets over the floor
for the children-we older ones sat up
kept watch all night. Down in the mead
ow the smouldering camp fires twinkled
/ in tina darkness-but the stiffness CT the