The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-13

Tor hef SICK charge, thus eliminating
chance from the battle she was fighting
with disease. Her loving solicitude for
her mistress-her Miss Em"-was beau
tiful to see. What a picture for the
glorious annals of Montgomery, of the
loving understanding that so often ex-
listed between owner and slave-that con-
dition which seems to pc such mystery
othe northern mind.
Mrs. Jones looked with apprehension
toward the future. The men of the south
were being swept into mighty graves that
SCARED the breasts of Virginia. Kentucky
and Tennessee-not to count the dreadful
rows in cemeteries at home What would
become of the helpless women and chill
dren throughout the south? Some sort of
thought for that morrow must be taken.
Provisions for the 'front.' yes; care for the
sick and wounded. yes; but against that
day - yes. She must begin to plan.
And this was her plan: From the pro-
ceeds of her own individual property
which had been lavlshly spent in THE
cause she now withheld a certain por-
ton every pay day" and, handing 1t to
her husband, requested him to turn it
into gold. DIR. Jones laughingly inquired
IL her pets the soldiers. were now
ready for that kind of diet; but she re-
manned discreetly silent. When she could
do SO unobserved she made a number of
small bags into which she put her gold
$1,000. Then she waited for that day she
feared.
When, the time of the coming of the
conqueror had come and the people of
Montgomery knew not what their fate
would be, Mrs. Jones accompanied her
husband to the plantation, out In the
Mount Meigs neighborhood. They bore
with them from the city all their treasure
of family silver, closely packed in a
heavy box. Mrs. Jones said nothing of
her own private treasure of gold.
Having sunk the box deep into the
earth of the garden, with the indispensa-
BILE help OF trusted family servant. into
whose faithful care the secret of its hid
ing place was committed DR.. Jones be-
took himself to other duties concerning
the welfare of the plantation. unob-
served, Mrs. Jones slowly sauntered to
the front of the home and into the i'm
mense flower garden. Here. away from
all prying eyes, was a lovers retreat,
formed OF dense growth. of cedars. Tn
der its ornamental brick pavement Mrs.
Jones buried her treasure of gold Not
word did she say to any one and not
until vandalism had expended its fury
upon the devoted plantation and peace
had really come did they dare to seek
their valuables. What an upturning of
that garden. 1t took so long to locate
the exact spot, which had been indus
ITIOuSly ut Dy pdS ohNbSi thue
they began to fear for the results, though
the faithful old servant assured DR.. and
Mrs Jones that he had kept so close a
watch on ''dem Yankee thieves" that
they could not have discovered the box
without his knowledge. doubt of his
honor did not enter their minds. And
their faith in his integrity was soon re-
warded, for the box was finally resur-
rected. The writer of this record had
the pleasure of drinking health" to
that faithful servant In one of the resur-
rected silver goblets.
While the Yankee troops were en-
camped on the Jones plantation and were
engaged in seeking treasure" they en-
deavored to induce the slaves to reveal
its hiding place. Their efforts became
concentrated on old Aunt Charlotte"
After exhausting entreaties, brides and
threats, they finally placed a rope around
her neck and raised her from the ground
She had truthfully said that she knew
nothing, and now, with her last ability to
articulate, she declared that had she
known she'd die fore tcllin dem scoun-
dels." At last, convinced of her ignor-
ance, they let her down before life was
extinct, but the Yankees had lost the
friendship of every negro on the place.
The wines and peach brandy made on
this plantation had more than local rep
utation and 1t was into the well-stocked
cellar that the Yankee troops ''trooped.'
but staggered out. When they could
consume no more and orders had come
for them to 'move on" they rolled the
demijohns, casks, hampers and barrels
out and knocked the heads from them ALL
Only few gallons did the faithful slaves
save as the Yankees had come to regard
them with suspicious eyes. The hand
some pictures on the falls fell victims to
the ruthless bayonet; portraits, priceless
from association, We're cut from the
frames. Aunt Charlotte" in husky tones
produced by the rope, begged that GER
tain portrait be given to her-she 'allers
wanted dat COLE frame" So. feeling that
it was a small concession, they ordered
her to take 1t away, then Weeks
afterward, when Gr. Jones went out to
the plantation, she brought him the
precious picture of his mother, and with
tears told how they had all striven to
save something from the ruthless van
dals, but in vain.
An old pure African" as her fellow
slaves would call her. "Bougia,' took her
stand at the elbow of the ring leader in
the Wholesale destruction and threatened
TO sen town, ha yo' Yank rascl rest.
This ticked the Yankee imagination and
they laughed al her but when the flames
they had started communicated to an I'M
mense barn full of supplies they had
gathered for their own use, and old
"Bougia" openly reioiced in their discom-
future. thanking the Lord that since "Old
Mars" couldn't have the use OF his own
his enemies couldn't either. they sternly
ordered her to her own cabin. But aw
had de las wud. | did," she still claims
Courtney's husband, Henry Waddell
went to the war with his master, Col
Williams (who married Miss Rosa Nad-
delD, and actually fought side by side
with his master-of his own free WILL lie
has told it proudly many times since
that he surrendered with Robert Lee.
yessir." He named his son Robert Lee
and, when the boy was old enough, he
was taught pha, macy by DIR. Jones him
self. He is now Robert Lee Brewster, a
well-to-do druggist of Chicago.
Yon want to know what became of Mrs.
ZONES. gold? Well, it would be hard to
make the prosperous people of the pros
nervous southland of today comprehend
the straits to which those once happy
and wealthy people were reduced at the
close of the war They knew not whence
bread was to come-they who had every
thing. There was no money no stores
no provisions no BUSINESSMAN gone III
that "chaos come again.
It is easy TO imagine what a fortune mat
$1,000 seemed to Mrs. Jones. Breadstuffs
from the Yankee commissary was per
suaded, by it: bread for her family, Tor
her neighbors and, the still more Needy
one. the returning soldier. Far from his
native home. without means, without
food, without clothing to decently hide
his nakedness (embodying the nakedness
of his southland), without way to reaon
bic distant home-perchance il be still
standing. Then did that noble woman
nut into the hands of her husband the
wherewithal to send many an one on his
way rejoicing.