The Tupelo journal. (Tupelo, Miss.) 1876-1924, 1906-07-06

| so depleted of men "home goers"
that a scout of officers was made
at their request, and detached
from their respective commands.
After some time we became sep
Grated, and for a time Capt.
Bob Allen, Lieut.. Duke Martin
and | were together, and finally
Martin fell out on account of
sickness and Allen and were
left alone of the detail, having
with us a private from Texas by
the name of Junior. After hav-
ing captured and turned over a
soldier one day, we again fol-
lowed on as near to the enemy
as we we'll could, and being
right in the wake of the army's
desolation we had a good chance
to see what damage was done.
l could see very readily why they
would wish to destroy all our
cotton and carry off all beef
cattle, hogs and sheep and the
horses and mules which could be
used by our army, but why they
should wish to burn every little
water mill in the country, passes
comprehension, except on the
theory that they wished war to
appear as near hell as possible.
And then when they went SO
for as to break up the little fam
lily hand mills, the very hight
of meanness was reached. |
can better illustrate to you what
desolation was made by telling
some incidents which came
under our own observation on
this trip. Some time toward the
middle of December 1864, Capt.
Allen, Private Junior and l put
up at the house Of an old man
whose farm had been raided and
desolated by the enemy. He was
something over seventy. His
boys were all in the confederate
army, save those who had fallen
in her cause. He and his old
help mate of many years were
living alone. He had a fine plan
tation and about thirty Slaves,
plenty Of stock, and a good sup
ply of provisions and all needed
household goods. Having heard
before the Federal came that they
were destroying all mills and
gins, and having a nice old time
hand mill for grinding corn, he
got his negroes to carry the mill
off into the woods and hide it,
hoping to save it SO he could
grind little meal for himself
and wife when the mills should
all be destroyed. We rode up
just at night and asked to be
housed for the night. Learning
we were southern soldiers he
was very willing to do anything
for us in his power, ''but" said
be, "the yankees have ruined
me. have nothing for you to
eat except some sweet potatoes,
a few of which they left me.
1t is the only morsel | have to
eat. | have gathered up a few
bushels of corn left on the ground
by the enemy, and that want to
grind on my hand mill to make
bread for the old woman and me
till we can do better, and in the
morning want you men to help
me bring my hand mill from the
place where l hid it, as it is too
heavy for me to handle. You
are welcome to sleep in my beds,
though they have left me but
little, and you can gather up corn
where they have wasted it on
the ground for your horses,
The Oldham seemed very much
crushed and remember a conver-
sation we had with him that night
in which l felt very much like
the Texas Junior ought to have
been very severely reprimanded
The old man had been telling
us what he had, what they had
taken from him, only leaving
him the few potatoes and the
little pile of corn he had gathered
up and Capt. Aliens heart and
mine were bleeding in sympathy
when Junior clipped in with "Eh!
old man that's nothing. Above
here they are living on herbs,
and roots and acorns''. The
old man replied in a very sad
manner. "Ah young man, it
might not be much to you. But
it's every thing to me-" Next
morning, having made our sup
per and breakfast of roasted
potatoes and being ready to de-
part, the old gentleman said,
''now men you must go and help
me bring in my hand mill from
its hiding place." We wentWith
him to the hiding place Of the
mill only to learn the vandals
had been there before us, and
broken it into many pieces. The
old mans sad countenance and
fearful eyes, as he looked upon
the broken mill, will cling to me
while the years last.