The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-09-13
~RECOLLECTIONS OF OLD
TIME DIXIE
CONTINUED From Page t1tteen.)

hrough weary, dirty fellows, a1d
hungry also, every one that could fed
them; they could not stop but IN
passing, we stood at the gate n
handed them bread and ham,; they
were marching to the tune OF DlHle'
the war song hat we va'nly thougn
was to lead them to victory. Our sol
diers retreated towards Hillsboro, the
Federal soldiers pursuing. one reck-
less Confederate G '1ier from Texas
was in the rear qua d; he hred en- d
Yankee soldier, so close were the pur-
suers to the pursued. He turned and
put spurs to his horse, but unfortu-
nately, his horse stumbled, and ne was
CAPTURED. The next morning., under
a guard of soldiers, he was carried
by our home, q looked on with an
guished heart) to the grove back OF
your Grandfather's, and hung to the
limb of a hu>5 sc bah tree. under Wnlcn
your uncleS and auntS have played
in childhood. My Mother was very
i'll at that time, I had to pass to her
room through an entry that had III It
a glass door; it was a gloomy, rainy
night when the Federal troops ana
bummers entered Raleigh, it was
about midnight, and on answering a
call, l started across the entry. |
glanced towards the glass door, and
there peeping in was one OF the most
repulsive looking red-haired creatures
l ever saw. | was SO frightened |
could hardly stand, and | cant re-
member to this day which room L
reached first
We had begun to get quite COM
fortabIy fixed in our refugee home,
when Raleigh vas captured OF
course, we asked for a guard or our
Gus would ave been sacked. AS 1t
was, everything was taken that posi-
bly, could be. Our fine COW was killed
and only a steak cut from her side;
the horse also and little colt left
which we fed from a bottle, and many
other things. l held on to my garden
and gave your Father $1,000 | sold
vegetables for to return to New Bern.
Mr.. John c.. Washington, Of Kinston,
an old and influential citizen, was put
In jail, and the first thing he did after
reaching home was to secure his re-
lease. We returned home in IS and
such Misunderstanding and thankfulness
to meet after all we had gone through
SO many missing faces, so many va
cant places, so much poverty, and
hardship, yet SO many thankful heart,
that our lives were spared.
Everybody adjusted themselves TO
their changed circumstances and went
to work to repair their shattered for
tunes. The after effects were as try
ing as the war itself, the disgusting
Reconstruction period was a disgrace
to all concerned. We ubmitted to the
inevitable, the freeing Of our slaves,
the ruthless destruction of our dearly
loved plantations, the pillage Of our
homes, and then all we asked was to
be let alone and rebuild as our judg-
ment told US was for the best.
A very old lady r~efugeed from here
during the war, was far away at a
little village at the read waters OF
the Neuse. One day she was sadly
walking by the stream when she saw
a leaf borne swiftly IN its current to-
ward the home of her love. She went
to the little cottage, and wrote a long
piece of poetry abOu the incident, ]
quote a verse:
"A leaf upon the flowing tide may
pass unheeded by MY side,
So though I know it's floating free
may reach the spot so dear to me,
Securely there, without q fear of hos
tile man or winter drear,
May nestle in the silver sand thai
covers dear old Neuse's strand.
Oh, let me once again behold our
homes endeared to us of Old.
The temple consecrate to Thee where
we may breathe with spirits free,
To seek the peace for US in store and
worship there in truth once more
The old familiar paths to tread and
lay us by our sleeping dead"
Letter 10.
Dear Children: Before closing these
crude "reminiscences, I must tell you
q little of The Colonial times of gu
ancient parish and dear old town.
went to Fort BarnweI1, and In som
barrels that had been stored away ir
the garnet for many, many years,
found many old letters and interesting
documents, commissions given by Co
lonial Governors TryOn. Martin. anC
Arthur Dobbs, old wills, bills of sale
orders for goods from England every
thing in pounds, shillings INC pence;
letters from attorneys in Boston ano
hi sorts of interesting matter which
gives us an insight which could not be
obtained in any other way, Of the man
ner in which our forefathers lived
occupied their time, and finally died.
Just after our return to New Bern
We were told of a dream had by &
Maa>.1 ~~1I