Page 176 - Arkansas Confederate Women

THE WILLIAMSON FAMILY OF ALABAMA.

By Mrs. Cora Williamson Rodgers, of Nashville.

My father, Capt. Samuel Zachariah Williamson and his

wife, Mary H. Ellis Williamson, were but recently married,

when my father was called to the front. He soon became Cap-

tain of 2nd Mississippi Partizans, serving till the close of the

war, leaving my mother and her twin babies, and a small son

of a former wife, in the care of God and the faithful slaves.
The negroes made the crop and protected the little family as

best they could.

My mother had mortal fear of the enemy, who robbed, pil-

laged and destroyed every available thing. At one time they
carried off all the provisions on the place, 'and when she told
them there was nothing left for them to eat, one of the inso-
lent creatures turned and threw her a package and told her she
could keep that. It proved to be a bundle of spice, which is
good in its place but a poor substitute for bread. They drove

my father's handsome carriage and high-bred horses to the

door and loaded it with books from a splendid library. These
they had no use for, but scattered and destroyed them most wan-

tonly. Years afterwards my father had a letter from someone

saying, "he had found his name in a book on the parlor table
in the house of a man living in Michigan. It was never re-
covered however. Their jewelry and silverware was sent down
to a friend's in the river bottom, who kept them until the ter-

rible days were over. But my mothers fine dresses and in fact,

everything else were carried away by raiders and thieves.

Once my father, on arriving home from the battles, heard
of a woman who had some smuggled coffee in the neighborhood.
He remounted his horse and rode for hours to overtake her and

buy some, even a little, for be it remembered, that coffee, su-
gar, provisions and medicines were not allowed by the Yan-
kees to be sold to Southerners, who had possession of Memphis,