The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-02-12
OF
A YOUTHFUL RFRFI
Dread Omens-What Boy at Home Saw III the
War-Sugar Cakes Only Christmas Presents.
The Aftermath of Appomattox

pTinE DJ mail news OF some event tina,
! 3ecply touched the family-now /, ,,a,
the destruction OF the home OF some
| relative which stood IN the path Of
| tne contending armies now the death
OF irlcnd or kinsman on the ba t,lc,icld.
! ono day remember seeing a strange
| horhen'an riding III through the park
satc. ana Oh my reaching the house
: lpuhd my mother retired 70 her room
i ana drowned In tcurs and inconsolab,o
nc courier had brought inforna Il IN
| OF Stoncwall Jackspn's death II vas
iikc inc announcement Of the loss OF
member of the family. My mothc.
| acknowledged after the war WAS over
that from the hour She heard tina,
Jackson was dead she entertained M
! ZIG hope Of Il final triumph,
| Ono or the Commences, sights on
! 'ne plantation towards the end was
the number Of army gons that came
and vent They we're gathering up
/ INC corn and forage which had been
Impressed can still hear The bitter
| complaints Of the farmers too old 70
| join the ranks a. to how these heavy
numbering vehicles cut UP tho roads
/ leading TO the railway station. M
noSish Indignation at this was aroused
~ the impressnent for tie use of no
"!mS OF the finest young mules on the
niahthu on, until only the old and
I
| ana 70 maui the wagons. But the needs
( OF the Confcderacy qulckly became
even more urgent. My iather like ali
! INC large planters about him, va rc-
/ 9u!red TO furnish a certain n,Imber ~
/ young male slaves TO complete The
| ,n'rcNchments around Richmond ana
| Petersburg. Some OF these soon rc
turned home suffering from cam,
FEVER end spread the conta gion on ~
| Piantution. There were al one tim, =
! many as thirty slaves down Win {,
Daliy NY father, who happened 10 he
OH duty. disrcgnrding the danger to
"hnch nc expose himself, v!sited the
oeosidcs OF the SIG saw tina, nurses
| were constantly on hand that tho dor.
TOT %as attentive. and that such Sim.
PIE medicines were then obtainnblc
! were provided
rs the siege OF Petersburg drew on
| me number OF desertcrs from the Con.
!, tcoerate army at that point Increased
~ number Of these made their wov
! through the country ~ yar ~ ~
piantat'on. and there in the ,hickcs,
ana most unfrcqucnted parts OF the
! WOODS found shelter in rude bowcrs
constructed or the fallen branches Of
/ trees From the beginning OF the war
noor white conscript who was IN.
iM'ilins 70 Join the ranks escaped scr.
| VICE by taking refuge in m. sau,o
srea, forest. where he remained IiIc
hunted beast until tho end Of hos
nilIies. his Family no doubt knew ali
! me time OF his whcrea bouts aud
saVcd him from partial starvation. for
/ without their aid he must have had ~
| ieiy tor subsistence on nuts, berries
och PIGS or SUCH game as lie could
| resp In tho children's different cync.
hitions into the woods in search ~
ehihluePins, the fear OF, Cage. INC
! man name, hing like a cloua ovar
ouF spirits. Sometimes when a rusflinr
among the underbrusil was heard the
ahri!i cry would De raised Cage is
coin!hs. and tho whole company of
,,', the smallest strung out be-
| 4,'nu' shouting, screaming. would nv
Gown the road like so .nanv TAM
Shantcrs pursued by the witches
reports were constantly spread tbnt
| I"se nag peen recently seen darling
J ,hloush the woods AS il The 'patter
1 Ioiiers were after him. or peerin. =,
me satyr from behind a screen Of
auseh leaves. lie was 70 US like the
! osFe IN some old German fairy toIn
VINO Hes in wal, Il, lonely spots 10
carry children off into the fastncssn.
| OF the dark forest.
nc war was almost at its closc
/ When the enemy came near my old
! iioiiic rms vas General Wilson'S da sh
~, RAD up the Richmond and Dan
/
/ Oyer the Stanton River, News Was
{ nronght By rider that a detachmen,
n"s "uVnncinS in our direction. Con-
la'erhhtlon followed There were eev
erai men in the house, ana in,mcaio,.
steps We're taken 10 prepare them fo;.
| = 1iSH' IN the woods MS their Onl,.
, ,ueahs or escape can see them now
~, .,s 81 through the grounds NUT
| lied up and with heavy overcoots ~,
! III lhcir expected bivouac under Tho
greenwood tree. The silver was horna
OH IN cart driven BY a faithful slave
70 De buried in some deem bottom ar
'he woods. AS for myself. was cn-
s si IN hiding my most valuable
piece OF property. had recenti,.
bought for fabulous sum-in5ced fo,.
q parrelful of Confederate money
ne" nat, which ] cherished with as
/ !iluch PRIDE and care as If II were !,
iunlP OF pure gold-proba bly because
it mad cost such a princely amount i,
tnat oepreciated currency. Feeling suro
~. ~ me expected invaders would seize
.al as the most allnrng object
" slght, rushed off to a great niIs
OF brush on the hillside and hid q ms
INSIDE g s my arm could reach.
! supplies Of all sorts. exccnt thnea
rioiuceh on the plantation, were now
running short: indeed. could not he
bought with wagons loads Of confcd-
! ,tte Ho1es' simply because they IN q
peeh exhausted without any means OF
| replacement. In many INSTANCES r,9
1 substitutes wero attemptcd ono sf
the usual occupations Of the children
VAS 70 accompany the old gardener
70 inc woods to dis UP the roots Of tho
| ssafras hnsh to serve for tea. Sweet
potatoes cut up like dice and roasted
nard was used for the coffee berry. I
| IenemDer that the children thought
l. F
they were reminded OF Tic romantic
1 ahifta Of "Swiss Family robinson and
Robinson Crusoc." but 10 this day r
recall how mcanly these bastard con
coctions tastcd--morc suggestive OF
Old midWivcs' cStcmporixcd medicines