The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1910-08-26

today, is a grandson named Slower,
whom the world has seemingly COW
cred with cloak of charity, for 1t is
not generally known that he has
ways been mentally unbalanced. His
guardian for long time was one
| DR.. Wilcox, a M. e. preacher, of
Elizabethton, Tennessee, at whose
home l met him.
There is no interest whatever at
tached to the occasion other than the
fact that he was grandson of the
president. Wilcox is dead, and Andy
| Slower lives recluse in the noun
tains of East Tennessee near the
colonial home where his grandfather
died. ~
! Some years ago an organized party
| of senators and congressman con-
ceiyed the idea of building a model
city in the South They travelled well
over southern states, and finally
adopted Elizabethton, Tennessee, as
model location. Everything avail
able in the town and surrounding
country was purchased, including the
home of Johnson. In couple of
years the cooperative town company
went the way the most of them travel
failed, and | do not know what be-
came of the colonial home of the
Johnsons.
Johnson possessed considerable
native talent, will power and strength
of character, which with the help of
his wife, finally brought him to this
high station. He had toiled hard,
was exceedingly energetic, carrying
out measures with all the vigor of
his passionate nature. He cared not
how many enemies he made, or how
strenuously they opposed him. His
was to dare and do. There could be
no compromise To be endangered
and imperilled was life itself to him.
And now by the death of the kind,
gentle, loving, forgiving Lincoln, this
arrogant, hard-hearted man, was cal
led upon to assume greater RESPONSE
bilities than any president since his
predecessor.
Merciful tones were no longer
heard; in their stead rang quaking
dread throughout the entire South
Had he been a northern man, they
would have manifested a more toler-
ant spirit. for an east Tennesseean
who took up the union cause, was
| considered traitor to his country,
and was despised accordingly; hated
with all the strong nature of the
south, who will tell you to this day
that northern man who fought for
the union is all right and they respect
him; but southern man who would
take up arms against his own country
Is nothing less than a traitor indeed
1t was no trouble for the South to
believe dire calamities would follow
the surrender. To them, naturally
the north had caused their loved ones
to be slain, their homes demolished
and property confiscated. To them
TO good could ever come from the
source that had overpowered and
beaten them to the earth.
Their proud culture and aristo-
cracy was Inundated to become sub
jects of Yankee nation. They were
not in a frame of mind to form just
conclusions, that perhaps two-thirds
OF the guerillas were confederates
and these bands of predatory fighters
did practically all the damage to
property and homes, outside of the
track or sweep of the regular armies,
was not considered.
| remember the mother of the lee
turer, Bob Taylor, taking me out in
the yard of her Happy Valley" home
and showing me where she had silver
ware, clothing, provisions, and even
money buried for safety during the
war.
Pointing to certain rugged ravines
she would relate how she sent one OF
her trusted negroes with cattle tc
secrete them from guerrillas. While
she was somewhat in the track of the
armies, she was well protected from
either side. Her father and brothers
were officers and members of the
Confederate Army, while her husband
occupied like position in the North.
ern Army. Thus she had nothing to
fear from the regular soldiers, but
the guerrillas left her nothing they
could find. ...
At another time a dear old woman
of the mountains, tod me how she
had striven to keep hunger from the
door and to provide some sort OF
clothing, or at least covering for the
children. Winter was coming on; il
she could get something warm for hel