Page 181 - Arkansas Confederate Women
P. 181
156 Confederate Women of Arkansas
back because she was unwilling or unable to satisfy their de-
mands. The mental horrors and apprehensions which such
outrages created in every woman's mind that heard of them were
among our most dreaded trials in those times.
FEDERAL SCOUTS EAT LAST MORSEL.
Many a time these raiders would dash up to my house,
search under the beds and in every closet and place where I
l;ried to hide bread and meat for myself and little ones, and
l;hen compel me with oaths and indecent language to prepare a
lavish meal out of my very scanty food. I thought in those
days that I could never bring myself to look upon a Federal sol-
dier with anything but disgust and hatred, as the cruelties of
the Thirteenth Kansas, who wore that blue, were villainous.
HUSBAND REPORTED KILLED.
My husband got a brief furlough one time and made his
way home. A scouting party of the Thirteenth Kansas rushed
upon my house and told me that they had killed him in the
woods near by. The horrors of those hours will never be for-
gotten. About 9 o'clock that night I heard the sound of my
husband's voice in the chimney corner outside, asking me to
bring him something to eat. He was afraid to enter the house,
us the scouts were camped a half mile away and some might be
watching. Some time previously I had hidden a little corn,
wheat and meat on a bluff, but the scouting thieves found my
ntore, but before they could take it all away 1 managed a day or
I wo before the last raid to bring some of it home. The Thir-
teenth Kansas now came and took everything except a small
piece of meat. After their departure I picked up a peck of
ยป^orn from the floor, which they had spilled and tramped over.
RODE 40 MILES TO VISIT HUSBAND.
Through one of those circumstances that frequently befell
the Southern soldier and family within the enemy's lines,
my husband was captured. From a reliable source I learned
that he was in the guard house at Van Buren, 40 miles away.
I saddled my poor old pony, and, placing my babe in my lap,
started on the journey, as I could not rest after hearing the
