Page 64 - Arkansas Confederate Women

Women Plowing in the Field 57

the cannons roar and the small arms crackle, as a skirmish or

battle began. My husband was in a distant command, and under
all the sad circumstances that surrounded my life I sometimes
wished that the battle roar that fell upon my ears was the death

knell of the war.

NOW 73 YEARS OLD.
I am now 73 years old and have been for many years a resi-

dent of Arkansas. The Confederate Pension Board of the State

upon a consideration of the changed circumstances of my life

and perhaps the fidelity with which I have tried to uphold the

character of a Southern woman, granted me a pension in 1904, of

$48. I appreciate the kindness of the Pension Board. It makes

an old woman feel good to know that her husband's army life
and her own sacrifices during the Civil war are not forgotten.

GRAND ROUNDS.

There happened to be on post one night in Arkansas a

Frenchman by the name of Victor Pedron, as gallant a Confed-
erate as ever shouldered a musket. lie was on the second relief
and toward the close of his tour was getting tired and sleepy,
when to his great joy, he saw a body of men approaching, which
he did not doubt was the third relief. "Who comes dere?" he
called. "Grand rounds/' was the reply. "Begar, I thought it
was ze tird relief," returned the disappointed sentinel, and then

nothing further being said, the group advanced, rousing the

weary sentinel again: "Who comes dere?" Again was repeated,
"Grand rounds." But this time the irritated man could not con-

tain himself and half asleep shouted: "Oh, go vay wid your
grand rounds. I have ze grand sommeil."