- Sallie had stories written by her Mother about live during the civilwar.
During the War
When the war commenced my home was in Richmond. In 1862 I received aletter from my brother, who was in the Army, requesting me to go to hisfarm in Appomattox County, my old home, and take care of his property tothe best of my ability.
My husband, whose heath unfitted him for active service in the field,remained in Richmond watching for and availing himself of everyopportunity to do what he could for the cause. Frequently it was hisprivilege to help take care of the sick and wounded soldiers, andsometimes he was called into active service where there was any fightingaround Richmond.
When I reached Appomattox I found there was no white men on the farm,and the negroes, without any recognized head, were doing little tosupport themselves, and were very improvident. It would be hard foranyone who never had any experience with the slaves to realize what aresponsibility it was to own and care for them. They knew very well whenI assumed control of my brother's farm that I was inexperienced in mynew position, and they were inclined to take advantage of my ignorance;but they were generally faithful and recognized my authority.
There was one old man, 'Uncle Tom', who had charge of the sheep, and hedid not like for anyone to infringe upon his rights. When I wanted alamb or mutton killed, he was apt to rebel, I was expecting some friendsto dinner one day and ordered him to kill a lamb. He obeyed my order,but when the cook saw the lamb she said it was not fit to eat. I sentfor Uncle Tom and reproached him for his bad conduct but he only said,'Well, it was going to die anyway, and I thought I might as well killit, so I had to appeal to Jim, the head man. Jim was the carriagedriver, and I had noticed that when he drove us to church he never wentinto the house, though there were seats for the negroes. I spoke to himabout it, and his reply was that he had been told that at judgment dayhe would be responsible for every sermon he had heard, so he thought hewould hear as few as possible.
We had to submit to many privations in those days. Sugar and coffee werevery scarce, and many substitutes were used for them, such as sorghum,parched wheat, sassafras, etc.
I used these things, though my husband kept me supplied with the realarticles, but I kept them locked up, to be used in case of sickness inmy own family and among my neighbors.
My husband would frequently buy large bales of scraps from thegovernment that were left in cutting out the soldiers clothes. SometimesI would get pieces large enough to make the boys suits of clothing byusing different colors and having them dyed. Some of my neighbors wouldutilize the smaller pieces in making slippers and caps, and the smallestwere woven into carpets.
Our over-seer was in the army but his family was still on the farm andhis wife would do the spinning and weaving. I had goods woven for mylittle girls dress, and we thought they were beautiful, with theirbright colors. I remember a dress that I had woven of brown wool mixedwith white. I trimmed it with bands of silk and thought it was a verystylish dress. It was my custom every Spring and Fall to take thechildren to a shoemaker and have their measures taken and shoes made forthem. The shoemaker lived ten miles from us, and this trip was lookedforward to as one of the greatest pleasures the children had.
Our church privileges were very much diminished; nearly all theministers being in the army.
There was a Baptist church about two miles from us, at which there waspreaching, but there was no Sunday School, and no men to have one; so I,with several other ladies, determined that we would have one without themen. A day was appointed to begin, but when we arrived at the church wefound very few children there and we were not long in ascertaining thecause of their absence; many of the people were poor, and by reason ofthe war, their children were without hats and shoes, they had nocarriages and were too proud to allow them to go to Sunday Schoolwithout these things. I thought I would see what the force of examplewould do, and the next Sunday, my children went barefoot and wore sunbonnets and rode in the oxcart, while I and the governess went in abuggy. My nephew and niece from Big Lick who were with us went as mychildren did and they all enjoyed it very much. It had a happy effect,and very soon we had a flourishing school.
In the Spring of 1864, I heard that General Sheridan with a considerablearmy had crossed James River at Bent Creek, about fifteen miles from us,and was marching toward Appomattox Court House. No one who has not had asimilar experience can imagine my feelings. With no one to advise me Ifelt helpless. All was excitement and confusion. But with little time toconsider what was to be done I decided to send my oldest boy with hissisters and governess and the 'black mammy' to the house of a neighborwho lived in a very secluded place. After they had gone I was verymiserable about them, and after a sleepless night I sent for them,determined that whatever happened, I would have my little ones with me.It proved to be a false alarm. The bridge over the river at Bent Creekwas burned and they did not cross.
My brother would sometimes get a furlough and come home, and having'Uncle Henry' at home was always a cause of great rejoicing with thechildren. He would have his young friends invited and have a big party.It seems strange in looking back that anyone could have felt likeindulging in anything of the sort, yet we often had dinner parties andother pleasures, though out hearts were burdened with care comparativelythrown off, the young people seemed to enjoy themselves with a zest andabandon felt under more favorable circumstances.
These were times of sacrifice and suffering, but sadder days werecoming. The terrible Spring of 1865 was approaching. The Winter hadpassed in unspeakable hardship and in April our lines around Petersburgwere broken and the retreat of General Lee's army commenced. In a fewdays many Confederate soldiers began to pass my house. They were nearlystarved, and it was inexpressibly sad to hear their tales of sufferingand to see the eagerness with which they devoured their food. Forseveral days I kept women cooking for them. I remained in the diningroom and waited on them, giving each one a lunch to take away. At nightthe house was filled with them, many sleeping on the floor.
The Rev. Dr. Lacy passed one night with us and held family worship. Hisprayers were very comforting and were a great help to us.
When he left I gave him my watch and some other articles of value tokeep for me, but he was not gone far and when he came back and returnedthem, saying he thought they would be safer with me. The children buriedsome silver and jewelry in the woods, and some they hid in a barrel ofpeas in the pantry. Saturday night, April 8th, my brother, Captain W. H.Trent, and Captain Kindred, who had married my niece at Big Lick, cameto my house, but we did not think it was safe for them to stay all nightthere because the Yankees were so near, and they returned to theirrespective commands. This seemed to be the most trying hour of my life,my husband away, and I, with my little children, left alone to face aruthless army of soldiers. I took my burden to my Heavenly Father andreceived strength and courage to pass through the terrible ordeal beforeme.
The 9th of April brought with it the sound of artillery and musketry,but it was of short duration. That day General Lee was compelled tosurrender. At first I refused to believe it, but it was only too true,and I bowed in humble submission to the will of my Heavenly Father.
Soon the stragglers from the Northern Army began to arrive. First came aman with an artificial leg, dressed in Gray. He begged me to hide himfrom the Yankees, but I refused, telling him it would be unsafe for bothhimself and my family. He became very angry and spoke very roughly tome, and I told him I believed he was a Yankee. I afterwards found thathe was a Yankee spy. In a short time a drunken Yankee rode up; my seconddaughter, a very timid child, was in the yard, and he cursed her andasked where the rebels were hid. She answered that there were nonethere, and I then met him and told him the same thing. He went away butsoon returned. I sent my little girls to their room; he searched thehouse, and when he saw the children, he cursed them and pointed hispistol at them. It was the first time they had ever heard such an oath,and that frightened them as much as the pistol did. Upon reaching thehouse, he told me that I had a watch, and he intended to have it, I didnot deny having one, but tried to evade him. My oldest son, twelve yearsold was standing by and said, 'O!, my dear Mother, how can I see youtreated so.' The Yankee soldier turned his pistol toward him and said,'Another word, and I'll blow your brains out.' He then took me by theshoulder, and with his pistol in my face said if I did not get the watchhe would tear my clothes from me and kill me. I told him if he wouldremain outside in the porch I would get it. He started to follow me,but I told him if he did I would not get the watch. I went to my roomand fastened the door. The watch, with fifty dollars in gold, was in abag tied around my waist. I cut the bag, threw the money under the bed,and went out and gave him the watch. It had been a wedding present frommy Mother to my oldest sister, and had been worn by my youngest sister,all of whom are dead.
This man left, and in a little while, several more came. One of them,said he had been told by the negroes that I had been badly treated bysome of the men, and offered to stay and guard us. I had no faith inhim, but dared not refuse; as he forged and order from one of hisgenerals appointing him a guard for our house, and really was a greathelp to us. He acknowledged afterwards that he came to rob, but thoughtit would be a comfortable place to stay and changed his plans. I believehe was providently sent there, as I am sure that without him we wouldhave all been killed.
The Yankees continued to come in crowds, and declared thy would shootthrough the house and burn it down, but our guard--so called, wouldmanage in some way to drive them off.
Sometimes officers would come and ask for something to eat, and theywere usually very polite. The private soldiers were afraid of them andwould do the most menial things for them.
Mr. Cunningham, our self-appointed guard, would at night, place a negroman at each corner of the yard to help him protect the place. I neverfelt that I could trust him. Some of the Yankees would send me by aservant a brass ring, or some little trifle to remember them by, or as akeepsake, as if I would ever need a reason.
These matters went on for a week or more. My husband was in Richmond atthe time of the fall, and followed the army and came home, but notthinking it best to remain there, returned to Richmond.
After the Yankees had gone, Mr. Cunningham did not seem disposed toleave. He would sometimes tell me that if any of my neighbors hadanything I wanted, I had only to tell him and it should be mine. One daya negro woman was passing the house, and he accused her of having stolenthe horse she was riding She said that her mistress had loaned it to herto go and see her sick child. I begged him to let her go, which hefinally did, but made me a present of the saddle. Of course it wasreturned to the owner after he left.
Many of my neighbors were almost reduced to starvation. I had a cousin,whose family consisted of herself, her husband and her mother, all ofthem old people. Their food was corn picked up where the Yankees fedtheir horses, washed, toasted, and ground. They were wealthy people, buttheir wealth availed nothing then.
Many people were left with a change of clothing; even their cups,plates, saucers, etc., were destroyed. My husband, not knowing what timehe might be cut off from me, had sent supplies of everything needfulduring the war, and at its close I had barrels of sugar, molasses,flour, rice, etc., besides dry good and, in fact, everything that wecould need. When I saw the distress of those around me, I realized thatI had been permitted to have much, and I felt that Providence had givenme these things to use as seemed best for others. Everything wasdivided, and it was thus my privilege to relieve a great deal ofsuffering.
In October, 1865, I returned to my home in Richmond to find my husband'sstore, with all my furniture, burned, but we were thankful our lives hadbeen spared and that we could be together again.
In 1868, my husband bought the house at Appomattox Court House in whichGeneral Lee and General Grant met and drew up and signed the articles ofcapitulation at the time of the surrender. At the time he bought it itwas owned by Major McLean, who had also owned the land in which thefirst battle of the war was fought. Strange that the first battle of warand the final surrender should both taken plan on land owned by the sameman.
After the death of my husband I sold this property to a Northern man whohad the house pulled down with a view to moving it to Washington but ithas never been moved. The bricks are still piled up in the yard, andthe woodwork can never be moved now.
I have made this brief record of a few of my experiences during the WarBetween the States because in the far future I thought it might be ofinterest to my descendants. If I could see and write as well as I didwhen I was a young woman, I would add much more, for in those war timesevery day was filled with incidents full of interest and well worthbeing remembered. But my children, grandchildren must be content withthe little I have been able to do in my old age.
The Union soldiers as a whole must not be judged by the class in theaccount just given.
Mr. Van Gilliam, who home was near Hixburg just across the line fromPrince Edward County was captured on the retreat as he stopped at hishome to get something to eat, being very hungry as were most of Lee'sarmy. He was taken to Appomattox and liberated the following day.
At Mr. Gilliam's home there was a very nice horse. The war custom, ofcourse, was for such to be confiscated by the enemy but this was left atthe home of the owner.
|
1852 - 1932 (79 years)
[1] 
