Page 126 - Arkansas Confederate Women

Narrow Escape From Federal Prison 109

Had. Rowen, one of Capt. Crawford's men, said "It seems
:

a fellow by the name of Mike Curliss informed Mrs. Jane Elrod

and she sent a leter to Lieut. James notifying him. Mrs. El-

rod told me to tell you that the boots were received by Lieut.

James, and also one blanket by Col. Monroe."

She had met a scout out on the old military road nine
miles south of Benton and delivered them, the boots and the
blanket. She also told him how she had crawled under the

house, when she saw the Federals coming, and pulled the blank-

ets and boots out, and tied the boots under her hoop skirts,

which were roomy, and put one blanket under her saddle with

her old one used for a blanket, so that it could not be detected.

— —The other blankets there were three she partly spread be-

tween the quilts on a bed in a room next to the kitchen while the

Federals were ripping up the planks, and then she sat down on

Mythe gallery, seemingly a visitor for the day. sister Fannie

and I clapped our hands in delight, while my mother said seri-

ously: "Surely the workings of Providence are strange, but

altogether right."

But now our boys were gone to tell Mr. Lecroy I would be
ready by 8 o'clock that night, and he must come to the edge of

the woods, about one hundred and fifty yards from our orchard,

and get some one to help him carry my trunk to the ambulance.
All day my mother watched the street leading toward Little

Rock, ever and anon saying "Hush ! I hear horses' hoofs," but
8 o'clock came and no "Feds" had been there. Silently but
tearfully we bade each other good-bye and I was soon riding
behind a pair of strong mules toward Hempstead county, where

my husband awaited my coming with the little boys, tremulously
and. anxiously. We had gone but nine miles when the left

wheel broke down and Mr. Lecroy was forced to improvise one
by cutting a strong sapling, fastening one end to the front axle

and letting the other drag. This compelled me to sit with my
youngest child on my lap and the other holding tightly to my

dress while I leaned forward and held hard to the standard or
post on the right of the ambulance, a most cramped and misera-
ble position. Mr. Lecroy tried to cheer us all the way, but he