The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-03-15
yard. for which ! paid the fabulous

homes and entertained our beaux7 (for
l was young then. tool Not by the
electric lights of this wonderful age,
nor by gas, or even kerosine oil. but
by the light OF the taiiow candles
made from the taliow of the beeves
we killed. We moulded them In tin
mouids. and these. together with the
pine knots, furnished our light, and
for those dear fat knots OF pine l
have the tenderest regard to this day!
We ate our supper by the candle light.
but extinguished 1t as soon as posi-
BILE, and would knit and play the piano
and games and entertain our friendss
all by the beautiful bright pine light;
and we have even danced by the lignt
of the moon. for do not imagine that
| IL was all gloom and despair. though
times were hard and privations great,
1t is the nature of the young to be
gay and happy. and when as was FREE
quently the case, our boys would gee
leave of abance and come hhome to re-
cover from illness or wounds. the
young and old not only ,ministered to
| their comfort but did everything in
their power to. make them forget the
| grim war they had faced so unhinch-
| ingly. No matter whether he was one
| of our boys or not, the Confederate
gray was Sufficient passport to help
and hospitality. After awhile. we
\ learned to make better and brighter
| light than the ta1low candle by making
! large thread wick and wrapping this
around a bottle. We had thus both
| stick and candle--so in time we were
becoming almost as ingenious as the
Yankee whom 1t was a luxury then to
| simply loathei
Dust as the end OF the war was In
| sight and surrender inevitable
| Grierson. with his hungry horde
| of soldiers, and broken down horses,
came through Clayton. having made a
raid on all the farms near by, and
| robbing our poor farmers of all their
| forage and horses.
Fortunately. a timely warning was
| sent to our men In town. who took
| their horses to the woods and hid them
| until the Yankees saw 1T to leave. They
/ demanded something to eat from our
homes. however. and the women. real
izing that discretion Is the better part
| of valor," nd believing that Charles
| Cradd9ck was right when she said that
"the most becoming thing to q woman
Is q shet mouth" we gave them to eat
from our scant board and looked on,
| In silent contempt. as they ate, thereby
preserving the dignity of q Southern
| woman. They committed no other dep
| redat but I must tell you, even
| at the risk of incurring the displeasure
OF her brave husband, that a little win
some Clayton lassie had beautiful
/ pony which attracted the admiration OF
the Yankees. and. although she has
| grown into our stately and efficient d.
rector. her husband. who was only "a
lad, but at the front, 1t not willing to
have her say she remembers the Yam
kee. or was old enough to cry and get
mad, and ] expect. try to fight little
when her pony went.
Theer are so few os US left who were
here nuring those stirring times, that
believe can recall each one. There
are: Mrs. Lightener, Mrs. Foster, MIRA
Hill, Mrs. Paullin. Miss Moilie Smith
| and myself
/ have endeavorsd to tell you some
thing OF the prfvations We endured. bui
will touch lightly on the bereavement
and afiictions which befeH many Of tn,
brave. struggling mothers ! remem
Der the stricken a,,a heart broken NC
Neills, Borders, MiIiere. Coxs. Whites
Roberts and perhaps many other
whose noble husbands and sons eithe
lie buried on the blood stained Held
where they gave up their lives for thu
cause SO dear to their hearts. or wer'
brought home to lie in our quie
church yard. and to be cared for b.
loving hands. Though bowed by grie
and sorrow, these brave women strug
gled ON to the end, never once falling
in their duty. or losing faith in thu
Confederate Cause. They, too, to
gether with many who fingered longe
here, have crossed over the river
gone to that Beautiful Land to mes
their solriers on the battlefield OF Low
and Peace. where no more war, no
rumors of war" will be heard.
want to remind our dear ''Daugh
ters" that while teaching the children
now, and for generations to come. o
| the Southern soldiers bravery and pa
triotism and courage. which is propo
| should be recorded In history ant
verse and song. that they must not for
get that those brave soldiers had hero
ic mothers who inspired them to deed
of valor. and who bore their own sor
rows and trials without a murmur. Al
long as life lasts. will their memories
lfnger with those Of us who are left!
Mary Screws Williams.
(dra Jere N. williams)