The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-09-13

1A1 ~ "a Icoh VI
her presence, the white table was COW
eTed with snow white dimity. the four
had a muslin curtain,
her wrapper and slippers were near,
and on a stand by the bed. there her
Bible and Hymnal. Many a
peasant hour spent with her there.
her sweet individuality pervading
every pace. She had nothing left
put her prayers, which were offered
70 COD three times a day. and always
IN the cleaning. We had constant
communication with Raleigh, the news
OF terrible battles in which our near
est and dearest were either wounded
or killed, kept US very unhappy-it
was hard to get provisions. everything
that could be spared was sent to the
army. Both your Grandmothers were
kept busy knitting socks for the sol
dlers' we cut up carpets for blankets,
and sent blankets also. and used
comfortables in their place; boxes
went off every day filed with neces-
sary things for our boys.
l made a good deal of money, of
which [ was very proud. l had sew
eral suits of brown wooden goods for
gentlemenS wear made in my own
loom. l had a present of a number
of bolts of yellow homespun from the
Rockfsh factory, which l exchanged
to great advantage. | mad neckties
and other fancy things and sold them,
and often had several thousand dol
lars Of Confederate money in my
purse. | cut up a Marshal sash and
made money out OF that. [ a a shoe
last and made my little daughter
many pairs of shoes out Of goat skin,
bound with ribbon. One night, we
had quite an experience in our u
try home. My Mother came from her
room above and said there were
ct r9 DSh nOiSpc in the ward tho ne
groes were singing Hurrah, Hurrah,
We are free, We are free. We sprans
out of bed very much frightened
dressed ourselves, mad a fire in the
huge chimney place and anxiOusly
waited for what was to come. We
peeped out of the narrow window, and
there ure enough were many negroes
singing and dancing around the fire,
with every demonstration of JOY, and
every little while we heard the fife
and drum. Our feelings cannot be
described. l looked at my daughter
sleeping SO peacefully in her crib and
thought hat before morning the last
Of my race would be swept away; a
my patient invalid Mother, what q
death for her to die, and perhaps that
very night, none Of US would be let
to tell the tale-and so the night OF
horror wore on-and the mOrnins
dawned peaceful and bright with n6
evidence or the mortal agony we ndt
endured. We found that the negroe:
were having an unusual time witt
some of the neighbOring people anc
the supposed drum and fife was The
creaking Of the we'll bucket. We haC
plenty Of company in our refuge
home, friends would find us out; tn
conversation was of the war and its
consequences, and our most requiem
visitor was Fred, or Freddie, as every
member of his family called him. He
was your Fathers youngest brother
and a lovely intelligent lad of 10; his
gr eatest ~acreatiOn was to play back
CANNON with Mama, he had beer
sent to Col. TeE's school at Hills
bero and the hare barracks life wa:
too much for his dencate constltuton
he needed remedies which could no
be had in the Confederacy for we Were
strongly blockaded then. He the1
went to Chapel Hill, the last of elgh
brothers who had graduated there
with distinction. His health fallet
rapidly, but SO anxious was he t.
continue that none realiZed his con
ditiOn until his friend wrote of it. h
came home and continued lessons I'm
der dear old Doctor Mason, 1t wa
then we saw 50 much of him. wa
seemed to derange every part OF SO
ciety, death and arnag in the army
sickness and losses at home.