Page 118 - Arkansas Confederate Women

Narrow Escape From Federal Prison 103

irately, when they put the question to Julia, one of the negro
women, she answered as I did, but when one of them asked one
of. the. little negro boys, he said "Yes, sir; we seen some back
dar," pointing to the way we came. His mother gave him a
significant look and said he didn't know what rebel meant and
that she had told him as "dey cum along dat way, dat if he

don't behave an' quit a-teasin' a coon so (a negro baby), de

woods is full of debbils dat looks like men 'an' dey take 'im

away wid 'em."

This novel explanation, to my surprise and joy, seemed

to satisfy them, though the leader looked a little incredulous.

He asked all about our journey from Benton, for our wagons
stood in front of the gate and the negroes, all but Sam, my

mother's trusty, who had saddled one of her fine horses and gone
with Lieut. James as his body servant, were huddled about me.

It took only a few hours for the bluecoats to get all the for-
age in that vicinity, and the next day at 11 o'clock found us
headed for Benton, where only a short time before we had said

good-bye and started for Texas. The Federals were very re-
spectful to me all the way, and at no time did they speak to me.
Only now and then one more humorous than the rest would
laugh at the odd conversation carried on by two negro boys

—in negro dialect simon pure.

FEDERALS ENCAMPED AT OLD HOME.

Words cannot describe my sensations when at last we drove
to my mother's home and saw artillery planted as near the

—gallery as could be, and all the fences down with tents stretch-

ed all about the yard and orchard. The large tent was occupied
by Col. Bitter of Gen. Steele's division, which now occupied

Little Bock. This transformation seemed magical to me, for
I had not heard that Gen. Steel's army was in Little Bock nor
that Col. Bitter's regiment had come to Benton to stay for an
indefinite periods. With burning cheek and flashing eye I
glanced at the tent next to the side porch, when just then a
handsome blond officer, whose epaulettes denoted the rank of

colonel came out and, seeing my indignant look and mien, which

I supposed amused him, bowed with the grace of an Apollo.