The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-04-19

of the occasion. After lowing togeth- CT and asking Gods blessing and pro tection on us and the little ones, good- bye was said and he went out into the darkness from the gloom of which the train whistled back a long, solemn farewell, and I turned back to the des- olate home and the children with such anguish as no young wife and mother can realize in those fair times or peace. He was wounded in the battle of Resaea, Ga, and was an inmate or the hospital at Montgomery Tor two months, being allowed to spend only seven days. of that time at home. never saw him any more until aiter the surrender.
 But there was no time to stop and grfeve--time was given to trust Goo' pray, work. and plan to solve the prop lem of how to clothe and feed the chiI
 dren, white and black, and the men ana women on the plantation. Be it ssio to the credit of the slaves that tney uia nobly through all the conn.ct yn.h the country was invaded by the fah- kees about the time of Lees surrender. The four years of the war seemed 10 be the shortest four years or my ire the reason being we had to work mind and body all day to make support and pay the tax demanded, ana at night we were too weary to dream or our troubles.
 We had everything to provide. from hats to shoes. The men and boys hats were made of cloth. two or three ply, and quilted. The girls and wo- men made their hats of corn shucks and pine burs, and trimmed in the same. Their Quaker bonnets were made of cloth woven in the loom nlled in with bare grass soaked and cleared of the bark. It was then a fine white substance resembling long hair. An other substitute was a long grass that grew in the branches, and, when woven in resembled the mating with which
 we cover our floors today. These bon nets were trimmed in parts of old silk. linen, or lawn dresses, or any similar article that chanced to be at hand. These and many other makeshifts were resorted to. for war blockades ports and cuts off every source of supply Our country was at last invaded by the Federals, and 1t was said that there
 were 30 900 Yankees and the same num- her of negroes encamped near the city near our home; and they ransacked and foraged the whole country Tor miles, taking horses, buggies, saddles guns, corn, meat, and killing dogs ana hogs. carrying off or destroying as they went. In some homes they cut open feather beds, letting the feathers out into the room, and some that saw them said the feathers were knee-deep over
 the floors; that was in a place in sight
 of my home Some well-to-do families had to draw their rations part or that time from the Yankees. and when they left some of the citizens could not furnish one meal from their own pantry or smoke house.
 There were fourteen different squads of the "blue-coats" in my yard and house at different times during the eight days they encamped there. and
 every time I saw them my heart would leap into my throat, and when this aw- full fear was removed and I'd see them
 depart, I'd have a nervous rigorI and. 1 if 1t had not been for young lady teacher who stayed with me for com | pany I might have died from fright, she was a friend in need. therefore, 2 | friend indeed. and with her company. nd by the help of God. survived and am here to tell the story.
 Mrs. A. A. Crews.