The National tribune., 1910-03-31
AN ARMY INCIDENT.
Who Is the Man Who Acted as Guard
TO n Young Rebel Widow at Sanders
vile, Ga?

Who Is the Man Who Acted as Guard
TO Young Rebel Widow at Sanders
vile, Ga?
| Editor National Tribune: During
Sherman's march to the sea I was al
my home with my mother and baby at
Sandersville, Ga. My young husband. a
J Confederate soldier, had only recently
been killed, and 1 was left with my
baby to fight life's battles
On Nov. 25-26. 1864. the Confederates
made stand in our village against
Sherman's advance guard. / stood in
one of the front windows of my home,
and watched the skirmish between
| Wheeler'S cavalry and Sherman's men.
The lines of battle reached nearly to
my window 1 had no thought of dan
ger; was too excited watching men fall
ing and horses rushing by; one, horri-
bly, wounded, was dragging his dead
rider.
Suddenly Confederate soldier
rushed into the room and said: For
Gods sake, ladies' go into your cellar.
Don't you know these bullets will go
thru the walls? You will be killed"
For the first time realizing our dan
ger. l replied: I'VE have no cellar
Then take that poor baby, and put
him on a pillow in some of tnv PACK
| room chimneys. and you ladies stay
there. We are fighting Sherman's whole
army, and we've got to run, and that
| fast. We thought we were fighting a
skirmishing party, but it's the whole
army"
Now thoroly frightened, I begged the
soldier to stay with us.
Il would, gladly do so If could help
you, but I'd only be captured. Lock
your doors; stay in the house; if the
soldiers try to come in speak politely to
them, and ask for a guard. 1 don't
think the Yankees will harm you. Good
by. God bless you, ladies To run is
the hardest thing / ever did"
Over the fields and fences the Con-
federates went flying. The last horse
we saw leap fence was that of the
young soldier who had come to warn
us. One wave of his cap, and he was
gone like a flash.
The skirmish was now over, so / ven-
tured to window which faced two
roads leading to Milledgeville, then the
Capital of Georgia. Looking out,
screamed in terror. 1t seemed as if the
whole world was coming down upon us.
First came the soldiers, Their the wood
cutters clearing the way for the wag-
ons, men with axes, men with spades,
men with guns. Then came men driv-
ing herds-cattle, sheep, goats, hogs,
horses. Next came men on horseback,
with punches of chickens, ducks, geese,
turkeys, etc, swung across their saddles
like old-fashiOned saddlebags. Then
came the wagons. Oh the wagons
wagons from every direction. Have
they stripped the whole State?" 1 Won
dered.
/ soon saw they intended to camp in
and around our village. No wonder I
thought 1t was n world of men and
things, for Sherman's great army
stretched out over everywhere, it
seemed. The soldiers came into our
houses. The doors were locked; they
shook them. Mother went to the back
door of the hall and l to the front door
Unlocking it, l said: Please, gentle
men, you will not harm women and
children, will you?" The men fell back
to the veranda, while the one nearest
to me said: I'VE want provisions. and
fpulling out a So greenback) we will
pay you for them
mother handed him her storeroom keys,
asking him not to let the locks be brok-
en-, as we might need them afterwards,
but refusing to take his money.
Soon our storerooms were empty, and
even the meat which we had hidden in
a dug-out under one of the negro
houses, and over which a sick negro
y
and brought out to be divided before
our wistful eyes.
All day long the wagons poured into
our village from early morn till 8
o'clock that night. Our fences We're
torn down to make campfires and give
space for tents. which were pitched up
to our back dOorsteps
Early in the forenoon two officers
rang our doorbell. / answered the call.
our men destroyed the Masonic
| Temple before we could stop it, they
said. Can you direct us to some Ma
son who will care for these jewels :?
They are all we could save from the
fire"
l told them there were only two men
in our village, the pastor of one of the
churches and an old doctor, but re-
marked that l was a Master Mason's
daughter, and would take care of the
jewels and give them to the first Mason
who got home They confided them to
my care. l ripped a place in a feather
bed, and kept them safely until the sur
render, when 1 turned them over to the
Masons.
The officers said: you have a lovely
front yard. 1t is too pretty to be ruined
We will place guard over ii, and will
also give you guard to keep the SOL
diers out of your house."
thanked them, and they bade me
not to be afraid; that we should not be
harmed
A young soldier was placed as guard
at our back door. Two days passed by.
Our town looked as if a cyclone had
struck it. Dense smoke filled the air.
so thick that houses across the streets
could not be seen. In the evening of
the second day 1 sat on our -veranda
near our guard, trying to quiet my
young babe.
What is the matter with the poor
little fellow?" asked the guard.
He is hungry" l replied. II have