Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1940-06-20

there and said, "Most of them are a
| lot of .old coon dogs who came in
and grabbed land" He was disgust
ed too, because they did not raise
corn.
In his old letter he also tells the
folks back home about "the In
dians'' 1t seems that party Of
Indians stole his mule and his hat!
He was mad and organized party
to go after them. They exchanged
some shots and they gave up the
mule, but not the hat.
He writes Of the Indian war in
which General Lane was wounded
and ten men killed Then the Ore
gon treaty was effected and there
was no more trouble, while he was
there at least.
He closes the letter by saying
1.-The candle by which l am writing
is burned down, so l must say
| goodbye
He advised every one back in
Ohio Ito stay there!" And he
speaks so wistfully of the "old plan
tation'' on the Muskingum, that it
is not surprising that he came back.
He married again and took his lit
tie daughter to the home he estab-
! lished and started a salt works, ="
below Malta.
1t was on his regular morning
trip to this ''salt works" that Au-
relia, not quite fourteen sped down
the road to tell him about Lincoln.
When / talked to her this week
I she told me how astonished she was
that her father was sad over Lin
coins death for he had never had
! anything good to say about him. 1t
was her first lesson in the knoWl-
edge that great men loom above any
party fanaticism.
Another thrilling experience that
she remembers, as though it were
yesterday is watching the Morgan
raiders She was staying at Gays
port with her grandparents. The
steamer Dime loaded with 500
Union soldiers landed at Gaysport
and came to her grandfather's farm
They got water from the wells on
the long porch, fine wells, they
We're" she said, "cool, clear water
and the thirsty soldiers drank and
drank and filled their canteens.' .
There was a wonderful orchard
which grew near the house and
some of the soldiers started to fill
| their knapsacks with apples.
No time for apples now,' the
captain shouted, and ordered them
into battle formation right there in
the orchard.
She remembers the terror they all
felt. But the bcttle was never
fought The raiders crossed al
| Eagleport, seven miles below. But
there were two scouts appeared on
the hill back of the farm. She saw
| them plainly in their grey uniforms
on big white horses! Her voice
trembled with excitement when she
| told me.
The countryside was in turmoil
Every one piled their possessions In
wagons and the road in front OF
the farm was filled with a constant
procession of families, fleeing to the
hills. They would call and beg
them to go too, but her grandfath-
er was stubborn and did not go ana
nothing happened after all.
She remembers, also, about this
time. when Vlandingham was run
| ming for governor. Political feellnS
ran high and on q boat excursion
from McConnelsville to Beverly
where there was to be speaking,
her father joined the party and she
went along.
The Democrats wore "butternuts
as an insignia, which she forgets
the meaning of now, but on the boat
there was an awful row between a
Republican young lady and Demo
cratic ditto The Republican gal
tore the butternut off of the Demo
crat and also most Of her clothes.
Hair was pulled and both of the
| belligerents' hats fell into the river,
They took their politics straight
in those days.
Her Marriage
In July, 1868, Aurelia Scott be-