The Chapel Hill weekly., 1957-09-20
A Charming BOOK

tern" published b. the University q
North Carolina Press, give picture Of
d curly haired child Of three years,
seated on d huge horse with d solder
holding her steady by one foot. The
place was Chapel Hill The time was
the spring Of 1865, just after the Civil
War had ended with the surrender q
General Joseph L. Johnston u Gen
eral W T. Sherman al Durham's s Sta
ton few miles away. The soldier was
q trooper Of Shermans g who had been
placed as q guard over the Phillips
home (the Presbyterian parsonage Of
today TO protect it from looting The
child was Lucy Phillips who, now al the
age Of 95tzz, is telling the story Of her
life
(The title Of the book is taken from
this little poem by Amy, Lowell: u
walk down the garden paths -. And all
the daffodils j.. Are blowing, and the
bright blue squills -. walk down the
patterned garden-paths . e.. In my stiff,
brocaded gown . With my powdered
hair and Jewelled fan e.. too am q rare
g. j.. Pattern. As ! wander down T'he
garden-paths"
The President Of the University,
David L. Swain, had gone to Raleigh
10 ask General Sherman for protection
for the University buildings and the
homes Of the faculty. Lucy's father,
Charles Phillips, professor Of mathe-
mates, had been left in command here
and had gone out on the Raleigh road
to meet the brigade Of troops that had
been detached from the main body TO
Chapel Hill.
Our guard was farm boy from
Michigan named Tenny," writes Mrs.
Russell. He, had big roam horse
named Bob. Many d ride my sister Mary
and enjoyed on Bob up and down the
lane between rows Of damson plum
trees. Ny grandmother was III at the
time and young Tenny would lift her
in his strong arms when she needed
change Of position. We children cried
when he and Bob left US, and he and
my father corresponded for many
years
There are other incidents Of the Oc-
cupation Of Chapel Hill by Shermans
troops Tents shone and campfires
CLEANED all through Battle Park and
the campus. Horses were stabbed where
the audience now sits IN the Playmak-
ers Theatre. 80. One day General Van
Buskirk carried me to his tent in the
grove behind the house. A group Of
officers were seated around table
and ! was passed from hand 10 hand
like plate Of hot biscuits. ] was not
at all afraid but my nurse, Liza, hoy
cred anxously in the door Of the tent
A soldier detailed 10 escort US home
asked my mothers permission to dig
some horseradIsh out Of the garden
She went with him to the garden to
help him get it. ! trotted along TO watch
the digging. Mother WINGED at every
stroke of the mattock, for under that
horseradish was buried the family sill
yer. However, the soldier found only
the pungent herb.
"Blue-coated soldiers rOamed through
our usually quiet streets, while we chill
dren enjoyed the prancing horses and
the excitement and confusion"
Lucy's father and her grandfather,
James Phillips, also a member of the
University faculty, feeling sure there
were no astronomers in the Northern
army, hid their watches in telescope
in a building on the campus. A soldier
promptly found them. Later they were
returned to their owners through the
kindly offices of General Sherman.
The next chapter ("My Anteced-
ents'O tells Of the Phillips and Battle