Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1913-11-07
Early RecOIIectiOns
of Old NOxubee.
oultn.n. Mis-. November 3. 1918

A"8 CuS oicSo Ot NlCkSOurB WnSt
people were refugeeing with theF ne
groet and valuables to places Of safety
to awllit the result Of the long fought
battle there, there came a family tc
ehuqualai> 4the Ball family, they hav.
Ing come fr6r1 Clinton, the family con.
sisting Of the mother, three daughters
and two sons. and while the family did
not have any negroes, they had trunks
and chests Of gold and silverware, In
cluding iewelry, and it was for the pro-
J, lection Of these valuables that caused
them to refugee. The two sons, John
and Charlie, were engaged in the pro-
visional department Of the government
Z looking after the collection Of "tax-in-
kind, provisions, and most Of the time
was spent in the saddle, (the 8, 80 as
the tax.assessor now, and they ,nt
very little Of their time at home, as
the levy for the maintenance Of the
army was one.tenth Of everything that
was raised, and in order to see to it
that the government got it's share it
\ was necessary to keep secret service
agents constantly in the field.
This family occupied the Judge Mich
olson residence, next door to Dr.. Hamil-
+ ms, then considered the most stately
! Md finest house in town, the Nicholson
family having removed to their elegant
mountain home, out near Summerville,
I where they remained until the close of
the war.
, Judge Nicholson was the father of |
tMr. Flay Nicholson. who did valiant
\ service in the Noxubee cavalry, Pin
sons regiment, and father-in-law of
DR.. P. H. Hamilton of whom have SO
often spoken in my past articles.
4 Along in 1863 when it began to look
Iapparent that the "cause" was going
ITO be lost one, soldiers commenced
k1eserting and every now and then
q 'straggling soldier" "-sometimes two
md three in a bunch-could be seen
ssing through town horseback or
bot, most always westward bound.
jcsait w'as the Mississippi river trey /
tasited to cross and Mexico their desti-
ation, (for that country afforded {
lSlace Of immunity, one day two land [
Sbg Shuquaiak IN neat, gray jeans off.
sef's frock coat uniforms, riding fine |
kbrses and with the regulation sword t
Eypd side arms in evidence, travelling t
hder guise of recruiting officers" {
hd putting their horses up at the Hay
he livery stable and themselves going
the hotel, they remained about two '
onths, ostensibly ''looking for desert s
Efs' and for others who were lodging, v
Spt really to play poker, for there was t
Kts Of going to and returning from the
&<my in those days on the part of faith v
rs Of boys who couldn't come home Fl
themselves but could be visited, the re- f
Sult being that there was no trouble for n
fhese two "ofiicers" to find material to a
Kay with, for everybody played seven s
sp and Joker then, and at the end of Fl
zaeir stay they had about all the money Il
pey could we'll carry in their pockets "
I'D saddle bags, they being card sharks, v
1t along with it about as plausible. a.
j ever gentlemen as any one would
! ire to meet. n
xThey were accomplished musicians, b
i solin, guitar and clarinet), and be- fG
use of this and etiquetical. correct W
Ering, they were made the recipients fe
smany social courtesies, several en-.
|tainments having been gwen for al
y Bir especial benefit. III
isEhey were liberal spendors and even W
little boys became attached to them, al
they seemed to have penchant for d,
q horing children, and were frequently CT
I4In with crowd of boys following al
I'm, one especially, George Haynie,
IN about thirteen years of age, who
Is not only never away from them in OF
day, (even sitting behind them in ia
Ie poker room), but insisted on sleep W
between them at night, and the at an
A:hment seemed to be mutual. 0u
Eat length, after about sixty days.
I y people of the town awoke one mi
{brning to find both gone and little re
Norge Haynie missing. and the town tn
u thrown into fever of excitement, TO-
lgssengers being dispatched on horse ba
Tx in every direction to see if they
ahId be overtaken and if George was ID;
sh them, and if 80 to try get them to
him return to his distressed parents
j kindred.
Ghe messenger sent on the Shuqua-
and Louisville road was the lucky tul
n, he, by travelling until late at night, 18t
Artaking them four miles the other ba
Il of Fearn Springs, at Cass Wester- bal
Mas, where they had stopped to stay the
night, there finding George with as
I'm, George b wing followed them pri
kinst their protest.
Sut the wild ride Of the messenger
W vo;n ono fnr tha hny aaid thaf 10f