Page 23 - Arkansas Confederate Women

18 Confederate Women of Arkansas

the courage and heroism of the brave hearts before her, handed
the flag to the standard bearer.

Upon receiving it, he made a short chivalric reply and every
hat went up and every throat hurrahed for "the courage of our
women and the sacredness of our Cause." Then galloping from

this portentous scene, all were soon engaged in preparations for
the final parting on the morrow.

As the boat upon which the troops were to embark steamed
up to the wharf, friends and relatives crowded around our heroes
and who shall tell of the anguish that wrung those heart9
in that last parting? The picture of that boat, as she rounded
the bend in the river, the boys' caps and handkerchiefs waving,
some singing and others shouting, every attitude giving express-

sion to the depth of their emotion, still stands out in bold relief
upon memory's tablet and refuses to be effaced by the occurences
of more than forty years.

I shall not open the pages of memory that tell of the
bitterness that followed. There were no mails to bring tidings
from the loved ones, and harrowing rumors were continually
reaching us of their sufferings and privations, so that we were
forced in many ways to feel that the "horrors of war" were
upon us.

Tho' some distance from the seat of war, we were often
subjected to visits from small bodies of troops, sent on some
mission by one or other of the contending armies.

The first rumor of the enemy's coming struck terror into

Weevery heart. feared everything, but escaped, this time, with

only the loss of any and everything they could eat, wear or

carry off.

On one occasion, when our Capt. Eutherford and his men

had been giving the enemy considerable trouble, they sent a
small body of troops to surprise and capture them. Coming
up on the opposite bank of White River and finding no means
of crossing over into the town, a number of the most reckless
and daring among them doffed every article of clothing, swam
the river and with shameless effrontery, paraded our streets in