St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1903-09-26
ARP Is REMINISCENT.
Sage Of Barlow Tells Of Sad Incl.
dent of the War.

dent Of the War.
Hurried Midnight Retreat with ii,
Enemy Close at Their Heels
Lost Everything But
Midnight-dark midnight. TIL,
heavens had been illuminated will
bursting shells and sky rockets evel
since nightfall, and it kept our side o.
the river in alarm, but Gen. French
was over there with 1000 troops
fresh from Texas. and these, with Ole
Joe Johnston's forces at Resaca, could
whip Sherman all to pieces. Every
now and then we sent messenger
over to Gen. French to know ii all
was safe. Would old Joe certainly
fight at Resaca, or would he fire and
fall back?
More and more terrific the bombs
kept bursting and nearer and nearer
and nearer they came. closer to the
roofs of our houses. Another mes
senger was sent to Gen. French,
but he assured us it was all right.
But about midnight the general
sent message that Sherman had
crossed the river and would burn
Rome and the bridges in half an
hour and the troops had orders to
move up the railroad. Then came the
tug OF war. The artillery had already
reached the crossing and were loading
the cars. with everything in a JAM
The highway Of Broad street, from
one bridge to the other, was crowded,
| and not q soldier could find elbow
room. But still they moved. We
had loaded our rockaway with bag
gage and my lovely wife and numer-
Gus children. l walked along outside
In silence to keep OF intruders until
we found ourselves right in the thick
Of the soldiers. Some were yelling.
some were whooping, some were curs-
ing, and pretty soon there was crash
and bang and the doors Of tho
stores flew open and the soldiers
rushed in. Just then my old friend
Meyerhart yelled out: "oh, mine to-
bacco!" Col. Cameron was des-
perate and rode into the store be-
hind them and whaled them over the
heads with his sword and ordered
them all out, but it made them all
mad to think they couldn't take the
tobacco the enemy would plumber in
few minutes. They cursed and
raved furiously, but 1t made no
difference with the colonel. To-
bacco wasn't all. They loaded
down with tobacco and then be-
gan on caps and bonnets and sugar |
and coffee.
After We had all crossed the bridge |
It was a funny cavalcade. Long inesof
troops marching up the long cemetery
hill, arrayed with women's garments
-bonnets and shawls and-but
the procession didn't turn out Of the
big road. 1t turned up into the ceme-
terry and began their vandalism there.
They got hammers and broke up the
Iron railing and tumbled down the
tombstones and monuments and then
knocked the soldiers headstones to
pieces. all except one, and that
was the handsome one OF Lieut.. +
Bayard Hand, of the United States
navy. They let that go untouched. .
because he was q United States Of
icer. All the rest were broken to
pieces and tumbled down the hill. MY
ather and son and brothers suffered I
he same fate. It was shameful!
From the top OF that hill they
'urnt the bridge and fired their shells 1
Icross the town and destroyed every
hing that would burn. Then they
ollowed us for six miles to Silver r
reek, where we were going to stop
or coffee. for we were expected to
AXE breakfast and rest. But camp
blowers pursued us and told us the
.ankees were close behind and for US u
0 get up and hitch up and get away A
rom there; SO we hurried the p
arness on and struck trot for a
'uharlee creek, and as we crossed the v
ridge it wabbled like snake. Then q
e 1ourneyed up long rocky hill te
nd that night camped near an old q
ouse and sent up there to borrow Z b
killet to fry some meat and the old P
ian said he was washing his feet in
but as soon as he got through he bi
ould send it down. tn
Next camp was In the suburbs OF 81
tlanta. and next morning we found de
lat two OF our servants had departed AZ
Rome and we lost them for good. Isl
ne Of them came back. The other CO
emit to Chattanooga. Ths other came ic'
Ick to US last week and said was m
at as good looking as when got
arried, and she flattered up my wife W;
that she loaded her down with RI
ncy scraps and calico and told her II
come back, and she said she Shore tic
would" She went on down to an
nesboro. where the children sh
mped, and from there we went
wn to Alabama to dodge the thick co
the fight and save our cotton and pc
" peas. But it didn't save tho in
ton and my wife and children got
'ay from there and she escaped by hi
roundabout way to Covington and he
q over lot Of soldiers and from his
ere to the plantation and took as
'uge at my wife's old river home no1
d took rest where her father got
ed.
Dur next move was homeward. Z
ere we found darkness and desola- 70,
mot bed or bedstead or mat cia1
80 or bureau or chair or cooking "
but the naked floor. tur
lard or meat or sugar or coffee: "Dt