Page 135 - Arkansas Confederate Women

116 CONFEDERATE WOMEN OF ARKANSAS

on and there was nothing more to distress them except the dread
of being captured, and with them the dispatch. Weary and worn
out from riding so far, they reached Gray's home some time
before daylight. The dispatch was turned over to Mr. Gray
and reached Gen. McEae safely.

HELD AS SPY.

In 1864 my mother was taken prisoner, suspected of being

a Confederate spy. She was at her uncle's (Col. J A. Lindsay),
and was getting on her horse to go home (Clover Bend), a dis-
tance of six miles, when two men rode up, one on each side,
and told her to consider herself under arrest. She asked why
she, was arrested and was told that she was too far from home
and it was suspected that she was in search of information for
the Southern army. She told them that she was looking for her
brother's horse, that the Yankees had stolen and had heard that
it had been seen near Lindsay's and she had come to see about
it, but of course this had no weight with them. By this time
she had been forced. to ride into line as the regiment was pass-
ing. They were going in the direction of her home, therefore,
she didn't mind so much going with them as she would had

they been going the opposite direction. When the colonel of the
regiment came up to where she was, she asked him what he

intended to do with her, and he said : "Take you to Jacksonport
and try you." She said : "There is no one at Jacksonport that

knows me at all ; at home is the place to try me where I am
known." She told him she wouldn't go to Jacksonport. He

might bind her hand and foot and take her, but she positively

would not go any other way. He then asked her if she would

take the oath not to assist the Confederacy. She said: "If
that is the only way of release I will ;" then said he "Will you
be true to the oath?" She replied: "No, sir, I would not con-

sider it worth the snap of my finger after you are out of sight."

The colonel became convinced that he could not get evidence
against her, so when they reached her home ( a very short dis-
tance) he released her.

RICH HAUL BY THIEVES.
One day some men came to Mamma's home and claimed to