Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-01-31
ALL'S FAIR IN WAR.
Consolation For the PerpetratOr OF
q Mean Trick In War Times.

Mean Trick in War Times.
my conscience has always hurt me
just bit about little thing that hap
pened at Helena, Ark, during the
war" said a white-haired veteran
while musing over some Of the side
lights Of the COS, land I do not mind
telling you in a confidential way that
I have prayed over it a good many
times. Price was skirmishing around
in the hills back Of Helena at the time.
The Confederate lines were in bad
shape. Some of the southern men had
crossed the river below Helena and
were quartered on the Mississippi side
of the river, on a little bayou which
reached out from the main stream.
The information reached me that the
men were in bad way, and that they
needed provisions, clothing and few
other things. There was q certain
merchant in Helana who had been do
ing a great deal of smuggling, and I
had been keeping pretty well up with
him. Here was my chance. I told him
he could sell some goods down below
town If he could get out Of Helena
with them, and I offered to help him
do 1t. He had large yawl which ne
had pressed into service before, and 1t
did not take me a great length Of time
to convince him that we could use this
yawl to advantage. He fell right In
to the plan. One night we loaded the
boat down with an assorted cargo OF
clothing, food, and other things which
the merchants had in stock. At that
time you couldn't hardly get away
from the soldiers, but we managed to
get out into the river without MAX
ing much noise. 1t was very dark
night.
when we had reached the current
Of the stream I suggested to the mer-
chant that we lay down in the boat
until we had drifted down below the
city. We allowed the current to drive
us several miles below the city, IN fact,
as far down as I wanted to go, for
knew exactly where the Confederate
soldiers were camped. We pulled into
a small bayou and started to tie up.
Suddenly a squad Of men swooped
down on US and placed us under arrest.
Then they began to unload the boat.
The merchant did not seem to care so
much about the $4,000 worth of goods
he had in the yawl and which the SOL
diers had confiscated. He told me we
were in great danger Of being shot,
but consoled him by saying that l
would fix up a scheme to escape. That
night a squad was named to watch us
until daylight. About 8 a. m, nudged
the merchant and told him the SOL
diers were sound asleep and we could
get away. At first he was afraid of
being shot, but persuaded him that 1t
was safe, and we skeddadled. I never
saw a man run so in my life, and I
was so tickled all the while that could
scarcely keep from letting the cat out
Of the bag.
up to this day that fellow feels
that he owes his life very largely to
me, when I had deliberately laid the
scheme to rob him Of a boatload Of
goods for the benefit of the Confedera-
cy, and have often debated the moral
aspect of the question in my own mind.
But I suppose all things are fair in
war. Besides, the motive was to help
the suffering Confederate soldiers and
not to hurt and harm the merchant"
New Orleans Tfmes-Democrat.
"a OF buildings that represent the
good in life first comes the church.