The Columbus dispatch. (Columbus, Miss.) 1905-1908, 1908-04-15

the states. IN loohih6 baNh NlAN et
stands pre-eminent-the attitude OF
the Confederate women. With what
courage. fortitude and endurance they
faced the situation. To stand amid
death, carnage. the ashes Of ruined
homes, to listen to booming shot ana
Dreaming shell. knowing that those
dearest are exposed to the withering
FIRE. This during the sixties many
southern woman knew. They wore
their home-spun dresses dyed black
AZ mourning for their slain, and though
their Laughter sobbed with hidden
bitter tears" they laughed sometimes,
laughed over their make-shifts. They
were many-dried pear leaves used as
tea. roasted rye and other substitutes
for coffee. / have known OF a win
dow curtain fashioned into ball cos
tune, a table cover into a becoming
cape.
Early in 1854 Gen. Sherman before
laa4lnr viokahure for The Federal army
"a ChaHnooea decided % mqfe
fhnronah hFf 81 destruction 81 Allaais
rIbpi A nami0r torch I'D oy his nauQ
swept across the entire state II vas
while on this devastating raid that Re
one day. announced IN his report we
have made fine progress today IN the
work of destruction" Mrs Andrew
Thomas, of Sunnyside plantation. used
TO tell an amusing incident Of this raid.
Gen. Sherman rode up to her door and,
dismounting, ordered a cup OF eonee'
Alice Mrs. Thomas said to her
maid make Gen. Sherman a cup oil
coffee" In a short time the maid're-
turned with the coffee served in TIN
can. "Why did you not bring a cup
aud saucer?' demanded her surprised
mistress. Lord, mistiss, he'd steal
it." was the reply; you know dem
Yankees done tuck most all we ais
Guns and saucers. We bound to keep
some" Mrs. Thomas possessed a
keen sense of humOr. She could not
repress the smile which rippled across
her face as she glanced at the stern
face of the famous general, as with
frowning brow he gravely drank his
coffee from the tin can.
Mrs. Mary Menger, Of Clinton, MISS
also laughingly tells of an incident
which occurred in her home at this
time She was i'll in her bed one day
when a number of Federal soldiers Wis
tied her house. Her little children,
who were at dinner, came running
from the dining room. The soldiers
had taken their food and every knife
and fork from the table. Thank good
ness | have knives and forks hidden
away" Mrs Menger remarked. In the
late afternoon a neighbor called on
Mrs. Menger requesting the loan OF
knives and forks, saying the Federals
had made headquarters OF her nome
that night; there were many officers
to take supper. Mrs Menger took from
her hidden store every KNIT and fork
she possessed and kindly handed them
0uss to thaz Dor via S,ltaz - 80
cahed aE8In, this siIire inform MIS-,
Menger that the loaned articles had
gone the way Of the others. The yam
KEGS had taken every one.
The writer was much during this
time with Mrs. Polly Thomas, of Ray
mond, Miss. She gave four sons 10
the Confederate cause. One was killed
at Malvern Hill. In the battle OF Har-
risburg another gallant son was lost.
Her eldest and also her youngest son
fingered many months in prison. Yet
day after day she sat quietly knitting
socks for southern soldiers, never
showing those about her the grief oil
her heart which was her portion. Hell
sister, Mrs. Andrew Thomas. of Sunny
side plantation, displayed a like cour'
age. She had two sons who fought for
Dixie. One died in Virginia while
serving his country; the other, wound
ed at Harrisburg, died after Lees sur
render from the effect Of his wound.
The writer recalls standing one day
in the spacious kitchen at Moss Hill
watching the mistress Of the mansion
Mrs. Mary Moffett making cream
candy for a soldier boy who had been
brought to her house a few hours ear
lier The hospitals in Clinton were
overlooking, and she had opened her
doors to the wounded and now had sew
eral on her hands to care for. The de
licious cream candy was soon pre-
pared. "He begged me to make the
candy" Mrs. Moffett remarked he
has no fever and 1t cannot hurt him
Take it to him for me; / am so busy
As I took the dish she directed me
where to find him. He was such lit
tie lad, who blushed when he saw a
small girl enter his room. However
he was delighted to see the candy and
was soon eating 1t with evident relish
The next morning a again called al
Moss Hill. How is the little soldier
boy. Aunt Mary2' was my first query
He died last night, Mrs. Moffett an
EWeTed; died before the surgeon could
reach here. A severed artery became
united IN some way. Come and see
him" / stood beside her as she drew
back the sheet The fair boyish face
on which death had set its seal" was
beautiful with clustering curls of soft
dark hair and long black lashes resting
upon the still cheek. I do not know
his name" Mrs. Moffett remarked
Then bursting into tears, she cried
HE died as my dear boys did-for the
COnfederacy" Turning away / ran
from the room out into the bringht sun
shine.
In the early dawn of a may morning
May -. 1S63-the writer stood be
side her grandmother's chair, Mrs
Mary Mead. who sat at the head OF
her table in the long dining room at
Greenwood, her plantation home. The
evening of Mrs. Mead's life was draw
ing near. She had stood on the blue
at Natchez and seen coming down the
great river the first steamboat that
ever navigated the waters of the Ohio
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