Page 65 - Arkansas Confederate Women

SOUTHERN WOMEN WALKING FIFTY MILES TO

MILL AND CARRYING SACKS OF MEAL

BACK HOME.

By E. E. Collier, near Durdanelle.

Before the Federals occupied this country, I had accumu-

lated a large amount of corn and wheat. To show the condition

the country was in, I can truthfully say that for over two

years I never saw a man come to the mill except armed squads

of scouts, and not customers. Our customers were women alto-

gether. I have seen as many as forty-six women at the mill at

one time waiting their turns. Some came as far as thirty-five

and forty miles. Two women would get two wagon wheels, some-

times one would belong to the front and the other to the hind

part of the wagon. Then they would yoke up two yearling steers,

and put a line on each one. One woman on the right side and

the other on the left to hold the cattle in the road, and drive to

mill and back again with their load. Often they came without

any grain but none ever went away without breadstuff. Again

some would bring two or maybe three yards of home made cot-

ton cloth to pay for their meal or flour. The price was a

dollar a yard. Those who came a long distance and had to stay

all night were always taken to our house. Women came in

bunches from Dover in Pope county and crossed the Arkansas

Eiver; from Lanes Bottom; from Johnson county and from

AScott county. party of thirteen women came once from Scott

county, some fifty miles or more on foot and each one got all

she could carry on her back. Many women once in good cir-

cumstances were reduced to this extremity.