The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-09-12
UNITED DAUGHTERS
 OF THE CONFEDERACY
oneial Organ Al.sa.. Dsvisss..

visit to his home in Florence during an interregnum of Yankees, Ga rare occurrence in some of the North Ala
 bama towns). they suddenly returned.
 The young soldier was at the home of
 his relative. Colonel Collier. some dis
 tance from town and Fayette, faith
 ful and alert, undertook to warn him.
 There were generally spies and fore
 runners of the invading army ani the
 negro encountered one of these dis
 guised as a woman who questioned
 him about his errand. He replied that
 he was out looking for supplies of butter and eggs and passing on carried out his design, very secretly. as he thought; but some how it was found out and reported. and as soon as the
 enemy were in full possession they arrested and put him in prison. He
 was told that he would be hung if he did not tell where his young master
 was hiding and give other information about the family. He contended fear
 lessly that he had no Knowledge of
 The things about which they asked
 him, although they placed the rope
 around his neck several times and de-
 clared they would make an end and
 an example of him. But he survived
 to witness further humil1stions at
 their hands, as when they arrested his old master Mir. John Simpson. a promi- nent and beloved citizen of Florence.
 because of the death or disappearance of man who was visiting General Sherman, and threatened to have him dragged through the streets behind an
 army wagon if he refused to give in- formation ,coDcerning the man and what had befallen him.
 Mir. Simpson had had a stroke of paralysis and was at this time very feeble. "Sir," he replied, "I know nothing whatever of this matter. You can take my life. but you must see
 that at best have only short time to live"
 "Your lifew replied General sher-
 man (the one of incendiary fame). Your life is no more to me than that of an insect out there in the grass" And no doubt he meant it, for his whole career was marked by such in- humanities. He made the famous re- mark: war is He'll" and individual ly. he saw to it's being a very hot one. When Florence was first occupied by the Federals, their introduction to the home of Mir. Simpson was a very remarkable one. They had been pour ing into town since early morning. and | about nightfall General Steadman, | with several of his officers. rode up
 to the Simpson mansion. which truly | had an inviting aspect, and demanded | entertainment for the night. There being no appeal for the family. the officers came in and seated them- | selves around the chimney in the 1iv- ing room. Warmed by the heat of the glowing logs and undaunted by the | sullen glances of the female mem
 bers Of the household. the General opened the conversation by giving Mir.
 Simpson the cheerful information that On his way to Florence he had passed | a plantation belonging to him and had
 injured and dispoiled it perhaps to the
 amount of s1o.o0o. This delightful bit of news the family had to receive without comment; but one member. Miss Madge Simpson. a girl in her
 teens. claimed that she took the only
 revenge within her reach, which was to let the fires go out. the rooms be- come uncomfortable and have poor breakfast served fhefn next morning. the ladies absenting themselves from the table, of course.
 This was one of the loyal Southern families, whose fortunes were ruined by the war, but who never seemed to consider the proposition of protecting their wealth at the expense of their patriotism. Mir. John Simpson. the
 grand old man whom Sherman saw fit to Insult, had given much more than his wealth to the casse-the life of a son. His three sons were soldiers and
 his son-in-law, Judge R. ". Walker. was Q member of the Confederate Congress and Senate. Fayette. the good negro, has gone to his reward.
 Through ali the invasions of Yankees and offers of freedom, he remained at
 his masters siIe. He knew all the family secrets and their hiding places.
 where, of necessity their valuablss
 were kept in those uncertain times,
 but he never once betrayed them.