The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1922-04-12
EMMA SAMSON
BY o. G. Il.

mo one but her folks knew any
thing about this lost ford and she
would guide him to it. So many ex-
laggerated versions of this affair have
found their way into print, that l, the
author, determined to get them from
the one best able to give it-viz: En-
ma Samson (now Mrs. G. B. Johnsom
of Galloway, Texas a true statement
of the incident
Emma Samson was born at Social
Circle, Walton County Gcor.;ia in
lSi7. In 1882 her father moved from
Georgia to the home on Black Creek,
and there died in 1859. She writes:
when the war came on, there were
three children, a brother and sister
older than /. In August, 1861, my
brother enlisted in the second company
| that left Gadsdcn and joined the 10Th
Alabama Infantry.
Ny sister and lived with our mother
on the farm. We were at home the
morning Of May 2, 1868, when about
eight or nine o'clock company Of men
wearing blue uniforms and riding
mules and horses galloped past the
house toward the bridge Pretty soon
a great crowd of them came along and
some OF them stopped at the gate and
asked us to bring them some water.
Sister and took bucket of water and
gave ii to them at the gate. One Of
them asked me where my father was.
! told him he was dead. He asked me
If I had any brothers. l told him
had six. (This was mere banter; she
had one brother only.) He asked me
where they were and l said they were
in the Confederate army.
DO they think they will whip us?"
They do what do you think about
IL | think God is on our side and
We will win" You do? Well If you
had seen us whip Colonel Roddy the
other day and run him across the Ten
nessee River you would have thought
God was on the side Of the best artil-
lery."
BY this time some Of them began to
dismount and we went into the house
They came in and began to search for
side arms and saddles. They did not
find anything but side-saddle and one
of them cut the skirts off Of that. Just
then someone from the road said in a
l,,.i,N oh r>f
fire and get out of that house" The
men got the fire and started out, and an
officer put guard around the house,
saying: THE guard is for your pro-
lection" They all hurried down to
the bridge and in few minutes we
saw the smoke rising and knew they
were burning the bridge
AS our fences extended up to the
railing of the bridge. mother said:
Come with me and we will pull the
rails away so they will not be destroy
ed" AS we got to the top Of the hill
we saw that the rails were already
piled on the bridge and were on fire,
and the Yankees were in line on the
other side guarding 1T.
We turned back toward the house
and had gone but few steps before
we saw a Yankee coming at full speed,
and behind him were some more men
on horses. heard them shout, Halt
threw up his hands and handed over
his gun The officer to whom the sol
der surrendered said: Ladies, do
not be alarmed, am General Forrest /;
l and my men will protect you from
harm. He inquired, "Where are the
Yankees Mother said, They have
set the bridge on fire and are standing
in line on the other side, and If you 60
down that hill they will kill the last
one of YOU"
BY this time our men had come up,
and some went out in the field and both
sides commenced shooting. We ran to
the house and got there ahead of all.
General Forrest dashed up to the gate
and said to me: Can you tell me
where | can get across that creek?'
I told him there was an unsafe bridge
two miles further down the stream,
but that I knew of atrial about two
hundred yards above the bridge on our
farm, where our cows used to cross in
low water, and I believed he could get
his men over there, and that If he
would have my saddle put on my horse
would show him the way. He said:
There is no time to saddle n horse );