Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1913-11-21

~ 49, - tffttAAt va NNsN ~
were Irishmen, but when the wa
! started they either joined the army O
later along conscripted, their places be
ing taken by slaves. their masters hin
} ing them to the railroad company an
, drawing their pay, which was general
more than they could carr on the farm
The war time section banda at Shu
qualak (negroesl were, as | now remem
Der, as follows: Abe and Toney Nc
Neese. owned by s. C. MeNeese; squir'
Beasley, owned by the widow Beasley
John and Cephus WIngate, owned b.
I. W. C. Wingate. and Ennels Lagrone
(extra). owned by VIM. Lagrone. with
Mr.. L. D. Belk, as | have stated before
as section master.
Along towards the last Of the wal
when facilities for obtaining sufficient
road tools by the railroad companies to
supply the section crews with, | remem-
Der that the yellow top weeds and bull
grass grew to such a height along the
road bed and between the cross ties as
to make it difficult to see the rails and
that in the summer time there was no
walking on the cross ties for the reason
that they were difficult to see-more-
over. the weeds and grass were greasy
from having come in constant contact
with the greasy boxes and journals of
the engine and cars.
The speed limit along at the last of
the war was ten miles per hour and this
was often never reached, as the high
weeds and the ever and anon sunken in
track made it most difficult to travel
with a heavy load, and these heavy
loads generally were soldiers being
transported in one direction or another.
In those days stock cars had no GOV.
RS. They were built upon the same
rider OF the present day cars, but with
out roofs, and have often seer whole
loads of cavalry horses being
transported in these cars with the com
anIes or regiments they belonged to
70 loving IN second. third and fourth
'ctlons loaded on freight cars, for sol
''ers were never allowed to ride in pas.
enger coaches.
However, there was one thing that
10 one living during the war ever saw
1t matters not how the fate of battle
'as going at the 'front.' and that is a
OF Confederate soldiers that failed
give the 'ieafening Confederate veil ,
they came into and pulled out from
very town en- route. and if the train .
.opped they would play some ludicrous 4
or get off some Imaginable Joke !
BON every denizen gathered about the !.
ain, one of whi,h | shall always re. /,
ember, viz: A train of Louisiana SOL
ers stopped at S%huqualak, and an OLD ;
'ckwoods, hayseed of a looking fellow !
opened to be in town that day, wear 4
. an old, antediluvian hat about four >
mes too large for him, and one of the :,
'dlers espying him, yelled out, mis-. -
r, you fellow with the long hair and |.
< hat on standin' out thar, Jest come -
wn out'n that thar hat, fer we all
'ow you're up thar fer we kin see yer :,
IS er weighing and following which g
ere was such a yell, all the soldiers q
arlng 1t and joining in, as was never :,
fore heard at Shuqualak or anv where I
&c, and the man to whom the remarks !.
ere addressed was about the worst :,
npped out specimen of humanity that a
e could imagine. :.
AS an evidence of how the war told 81
on the male population along towards
last, 1t fellto my lot along in 1864 to y
We to carry the mail to Kosciusko in \
place of the regular mail rider that 6,
father had employed, he being sick, ~
q on the whole trip of 100 miles :,
olng and coming) | never met but :,
o grown men and they were above I,
ity years of age. =,
Just before this trip the Governor !,
q made a call for all male persons be u
zen l6 and 60 years of age to arm
emselves with shotguns and report at ,
ckson Tor state guard duty, and no
'nder the lonesome ride to Kosciusko
at made, and this Notwithstanding 5
e several towns that l had to pass,
:: Summerville, Fearn Springs, Louis b
lie, Fort Growl ard Noxapater.
Along then there were no new bridges 81
lit when the old ones washed awav
q remember how often the mail T
|er IN rainy weather would be DELAYED
a t~reacherous stream beyond Fearn
rings by the name of Nanawarior. u
veral times he braved the surping
tiers, by swimming his horse and S.
&c or twice came heal losing his life -
the attempt. l
have seen old Col. Haynes, the war b
postmaster, many a time during
war sit in the post office under the 81
htof homemade tallow candle, wait T.
for the mail rider on the ''long
tie as it was then known to be as b
e as loo O'Clock at night.
j. j. HAYNIE.