Page 136 - Arkansas Confederate Women

Bravery of Mrs. Clay Bobinson 117

be in search of arms. They went through everything except a
trunk which they could not open. Manama told them there was
nothing of the kind in the trunk and refused to open it, but when
one of them got an ax and threatened to burst it open (it was
a steel frame and covered with leather) she opened it rather
than have it ruined. She took the contents out, one article at
a time until she came to a sack of money (gold and silver)
which she knew was what they were after. She had not more

than got hold of it until one man grabbed it out of her hands.

It became untied and the coin was scattered over the floor. The

man raked it up in his hands. Mamma said to him, "I wouldn't

ask you for a cent of it to save your life except that five dollar

gold piece with the blue ribbon on it. It belongs to this child,

(putting her hand on her four-year-old boy, who was standing

near by, and hadn't said a word, although there were tears in

his eyes). His grandfather gave it to him the day he was a

year old." The man said, "Oh, well that will buy me a break-

fast some morning," and left the house.

When she moved the trunk she found that a quarter had

slipped under the trunk, which was the only cent on the place.

The same day three other men came to the house. One

of them asked mamma what was fastened to that cord she was

wearing around her neck. She told him it was none of his busi-

ness. He took hold of the cord and mamma picked up a ham-

mer which was lying on the stair case close by and struck him

on the head. As he dodged from the lick the cord was broken,

also the skin on her neck in more than one place. The watch

mammafell on the hearth ; got hold of it first. She wrapped

the cord around her wrist and held the watch out toward him

and said: "When you get this watch you will take it off my

dead body." She was a small woman, her average weight being

about 115 pounds, but was bravery itself. She would have

fought for the watch, because it was formerly her husband's.

It is an old gold hunting case and a good watch yet. (My hus-

band is carrying it.) The man turned and walked out. One

of the other men said: "She bluffed you, did she?" Ma said:

"and you two are no part of gentlemen or you wouldn't stand