Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1913-12-25
UNCLE TOMS LETTER

%A%S% A~-SS
Just little story. When l was a
boy about twelve years old the old
people got very enthusiastic shout our
education. There were some eighteen
or twenty children in the community
who had to go at least four miles to
school. My father was sort of a
leader among the people and he got
them stirred up considerably about
building a school house for the child
ren. Uncle LeuZy Peeler had three
boys and one girl be wanted to send TO
school, so be volunteered to furnish
the boards to cover the seboolhouse,
and father, not to be outdone, said
could help Mr.. Peeler saw the timber.
So one morning, | and Mr.. Peeler
went down to the white oak slash,
hunting board tree, and we found
one. as pretty tree as ole could Wish.
While Mr.. Peeler was fixing to cut it
down, spied about as large horn
cts nest as ever saw. said, "Oh,
Mr.. Peeler, look here" and pointed
at the nest. lie was a clever old
| Dutchman AMI always called me Tom
mie. and in addition to his other good
qualities, kept five or six bounds My
father kept about the same number
and, of course the dogs were with ne.
He mid, "Hold on. Tommie, and
we'll des have some fun" So he call
ed all the dogs up around the bush and
| sicked the dogs until they all saw the
nest and got to jumping and barking
| at it
"Now, Tommie,'' he said, 'you
des go and hide and I'll cut the bush
down" hid, and Mr.. Peeler was 80
intent in having fun he forgot, think,
his own danger and cut the bush
down at one lick. II ever you saw a
lot of mad hornets they were the
maddest The dogs. of course. cover
ed the nest and the hornets covered
the dogs Mr.. Peeler started to run
and bush tripped him up and down
he came his hat fell off and looked to
me like a perfect sluice of hornets
we're taking aim ut his bald mead and
hit him kerzip. .&..s
Finally. his speech came to him
and he began to yell, "Big gone,
d it, I des say big gone" and the
hornets seemed to answer by FASTING
him one, kerzip. He ran pretty clos'
to where l was and hollered to me anf
said. "Tommie, dis is hi" Well,
couldn't keep from laughing.
Finally he ran and hid under SOM
bushes, aud the dogs struck bee LIN
for home. While Mr. Peeler cusset
the hornets and himself and. the dogs
. laughed until my sides ached for
week w. ,.. ,ss..,
Mr.. Peeler. poor fellow, begged AM
: persuaded me not to tell father, sal
> be s.des didn't want him to. know
. what a fool he VAS That has bee
9 Eover fifty years ago and i laugh abou
it until now. ,...en.
"a I,neyer saw the like before or since
. I, tell yon. boys, that old mans bal
- bead was a target for those hornets
q and you may imagine what head b
u had for can't do justice in descrit
" ing it. .... ...'-..- ...,.
10 Well, all who have read my story ]
NJ these diggins beg for another. Wei
U will tell you some time about cal
J, turing a lot of Yankees at party or
=, =, night. You may ask. "Did soldiers
:, . to parties" Certainly, was at
= big party the night the Murfreesbol
. battle began, SO you see, young folk
10 it wasn't quite all fight ing and no fu
., and the soldier that to lis you sue
~ gloomy tales didn't hunt for the brigl
~ side at all. A soldier bad about
I" good a time as anybody else had. Y
" seen life in peace and ia war and II
had about as much anxiety here
Tracy City as ever had in life. II
a. heard our people complain about hal
:, times. I don't think they ever ht
ne any real hard knocks like the poop
in had in the COS, when both armi
b. we're surging back and forth aero
y; Tennessee. 1t was to them like She
man said it was, hell. The priva
oa citizens saw more trouble and mo
en- hell than the soldiers did on eth
We side. Many of their homes we
y. burned, stock taken aud they we
-. left to starve, but none did; yet it W
~ mighty hard times. The ones th
al suffered most were the citizens. MI
er Emma Knox risked her life and FIRE
1t. dom for half dozen rebel scout
aud she was not the only one. M
Id Martha Petty took wounded ret
ey soldier and cared for and conceal'
We him until he was able to return
ey his command. Do you reckon tt
70. fair and beautiful young lady had
anxiety abont the trust under
care Certainly she did. yet her
deity aud integrity never wavered
the least. Surrounded by horde
enemies she seemed to have no fe'
although in the town of Murfreesboi
and history tells you how many Van
ees were stationed there. Miss Mart