The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1903-08-28
A Thrilling and Graphic
Tale Of War Times.
ARP FAMILY ON THE RUN
..Rtow Advent Of sherman's Army crea.
ted Pandemonlum In Rome, Ca,
at that Time the Home Of
Barlow sage.


ing shells and sky rockets ever since
nke1tfall, and It kept our side of the
rttr in alarm. but General French
was over therd with 1000 troops
fresh from Texas, and these, with old
Joe Johnston's forces at Resaca, could
whip Sherman all to pieces. Every
now and then we sent a messenger
over TO General French to know If all
was safe. Would old Joe certainty
fight at Resaca, or would he fire and
fan 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 messen-
ger was sent TO General French, but
he assured us II 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 rail
pad Then came the tug Of war. The
crossing and were loading the cars,
with everything in a jam. The high
way Aioad street, from one bridge
to the other, was crowded, and not
soldier could find elbow room. But
still they moved. We had loaded our
rockaway with baggage and my lovely
wife and numerous children. l walked
along outside IN silence to keep off IL.
ruders until we found ourselves right
in the thick Of the soldiers. Some
were yelling, some were whooping
some we're cursing. and pretty soon
there was a crash and bang and the
doors Of the stores flew open and the
soldiers rushed in. Just then my Old
friend Meyerhart yelled out: ooh,
mine tobacco" But Colonel Gamer.
on was desperate and rode into the
sstore behind them and whaled them
yer the heads with his sword and Of
Eed them all out, but made them al
lad to think they couldn't take the to.
bacco the enemy wound plumber IN
a few minutes. They cursed and raved
furiously but it made no difference
with the colonel. Tobacco wasn't al.
They loaded down with tobacco and
then began on caps and bonnets and
sugs Wand coffee.
Al efr we had all crossed the bridge
it WIS a funny calvacade. Long lines
of troops marching up the long Gene
terry hill, arrayed with women's gar.
ments on-bonnets and shawls and
But the procession didn't turn out OF
the big road. It turned up into the
cemetery and began their vandalism
there They got hammers and broke
upA 1.-THE iron railing and tumbled down
the tombstones and monuments and
then knocked the soldiers head stones
to- pieces, all except one, and that was
the handsome one of Lieutenant Bay
ard Hand of the United States navy
They let that go untouched, because
he was a United States officer, All the
rest kwere broken to pieces and tum
bled5 Town the hill. MY father and sol
and brothers suffered the same fave
1t was shameful!
From the top of that hid they burn
the bridge and fired their shells across
the town and destroyed everything
that would burn. Then they followed
us for six miles to Silver creek, where
we were going to stop tor coffee, To-
we were expected to take breakfas
rest But camp followers pursuet
d told us the yankees were clos
4 us and for us to get up ant
Fsh up and get away from there. s.
We hurried the harness on and struc
= trot for Euharlee creek, and as W
: crossed the bridge it wabbled like
snakeF Then we journeyed up a lon
rocky hill and that night camped nea
an Oh house and sent up there to boz
row skillet to fry some meat, and til
old man said he was washing his fee
in it, but as soon as he got throug
he would send it down
NextA camp was in the suburbs {
Aha1 and next morning we toun
that b of our servants had depar
ed 60 Rome. and we lost them fo
good. One Of them came back. Tn
other went to Chattanooga. The othe
came back to us last week and sal
was just as good looking as I wa
when I got married, and she fattero
M y wife so that she loaded he
do with Iancy scraps and calico an
toll her to come back, and she sal
she "shorely would" She went 2