The Tupelo journal. (Tupelo, Miss.) 1876-1924, 1906-08-03

cdlloQ IN, anu lOSI SlXlC VI Odpl
R. II. Allen after that, and do
not remember him any more,
till soon after the war closed he
and his brother, Jas. H. Allen,
commonly called Pig" Allen,
stayed over night at my fathers
home. The record made by Capt.
Allen in the memorable days of
carpet bag rule, and the part he
played in the remarkable con-
test for white supremacy in our
county in 1875 and 1876, will no
doubt long be remembered. He
was a man Of ability and force,
a born leader. of men in a quiet
way,not an eloquent, but a force
full speaker, and a lover of his
state and the cause of the South.
Others may have been more dis
Greet and judicious; others may
have been more blessed in hav-
ing more to give to needy
brother traveller, but none had a
more willing heart or open hand
for those he found in distress;
every cry Of pain or distress
brought a tear to Bob Aliens
eye and he opened his purse for
every needed object Of help. AS
tender as a woman, as brave as a
lion IF he had lived in the davs
of chivalry, no knight would
have carried a loftier lance or a
brighter sword, or welded a
heavier battle-axe in the cause
of the oppressed. And, while
we travelled through the desc
late land of Georgia and South
Carolina, he showed by his sad
dened countennace and tear
dimmed eye that his heart was
in sympathy with the stricken
people. Let us emulate his yir-
tues and cast the mantle of for
getfulness over his faults.
When Christmas of 1864 came,
even the average aoaathern sol
der could begin to see the hand
writing on the WALL" and many,
thinking of the ruin which was
already wrought and of the GER
tainty of the end, and fixing
their minds ana hearts on the
wife and children in the home
land, were led to leave their COM
mands and go home. And many
a strong and vigorous man who
remained with his command,
looked up to the God of battles
and cried for help and relief;and
many night, amid the pine for
ests Of Georgia and the Carolinas,
brave men, but whose hearts
were bleeding for their country
and their homes, sought the God
who rules the destinies of men,
and cried nightly for deliver
some Way-any way.
that would restore them to their
homes and loved ones and still
give them freedom. But when
the news was spread abroad in
our camp that the brave and
chivalrous Lee had been COM
PEELED to surrender his brave
men, strong and brave men cried
like children. 1t is true we had
heen lookinr through the many
coming months at the Gordon of
increasing soldiers drawing near
er and still nearer, and viewing
the mighty on-coming hosts
coming, coming and ever coming
more and more, while our little
band was decimated and none to
fall back on or draw from at
home, the boys of sixteen having
entered the service, yet it was
so hard to believe the gallant
Lee must be the first of the great
commanders to surrender to the
enemy. But even then, a sol
dier is so true to his cause, we
did not say much to each other
about the cause being utterly
lost. We thought that even af-
ter Lee had surrendered we
might succeed, and / must say
that it did not enter my mind
that we were on the eve OF the
close Of the war till Johnston
gave up the fight. Then all at
once it dawned upon me that the
war was over, and an intense
longing came over me to see the
loved ones at home. We were
at Rock Hill, South Carolina
when our commanding general
received the news Of Johston's $
surrender, but he kept it from
the command until we got to
Washington, Georgia, and we
then received the news by the
printed protocol coming into our
hands. Gen. Ferguson seemed
to be anxious to march us through
the country and cross oyer to
the Trans-Mississippi Depart
ment to still carry on the war
For several days before we came
to Washington. Georgia. we had
been in the train with the flee
ing President Of the Confedera
cy. and It that place his treas
1 ufer distributed to each soldier
and officer alike twenty-five
dollars in specie.
was in command Of our reg