Chronological History of the American Civil War

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Hart, once in one of his raids, had my father arrested and searched our house five times in one day. They kept him up town all day and when he came home he was so exhausted he could not get up our long steps. He could only say, “My daughter what happened.” “We are all right dear Pa. Thank God.” “But I can stay no longer. I will move to one of the British Islands. I have saved enough to live on and it is in England --- will you go?” “No Pa, I can’t leave this country as long as my husband is here. I will stay and take care of your home.” Luckily peace came the next week. Gallant Lee saw there was no other way but to surrender --- splendid Grant met him as a gentleman should --- greatly to the disgust of Northern Republicans who wanted Lee humiliated. Well, after I had been home over a year, I so wanted to see my husband that again I started out this time taking Knox and Clara, my sister. Marsh was crazy for us and rode on horseback 30 miles from Mississippi --- spent one day at home and we started that same evening in my barouche --- got as far as Mr. Grey’s 10 miles from Bolivar --- heard Federals were coming near us --- got up at ten o’clock at night and took up our weary journey. There had been a small fight a near Bolivar --- the wounded men and horses came straggling along. Captain Wheeler drove my carriage, my husband mounting a horse and riding it in front of us with a handkerchief pinned to his back to show us the way in the dreary darkness. Men walked on both sides of our carriage to keep it from turning over as there were no roads one could use. We jogged on --- so tired. Knox, 5 years old, said, “Mama, let’s go back to Grand Pa’s. I’m so tired of Mississippi.” We reached Ripley and a niece of Mr. Pitzer Miller sent for us to come to her home. We spent the night with her and never was hospitality more appreciated. The next day we took up our march for Aberdeen, Mississippi where my husband was the Commander of the Post. The good Hatch’s took us in to their comfortable home. I spent some time there. Clara stopped at Okolona with Cousin Annie David and met Maj. Allison --- he then of Forrest’s staff --- their courtship followed and subsequent marriage. Near Aberdeen lived an aunt of my husband --- Aunt Willis --- although she did not find him some months --- having heard he was killed at Shiloh. Strange to say her name was Evalina Wood --- my name. She lived between Aberdeen and Columbus on a splendid farm with every comfort. Her sons on either side of her. Five artesian wells they both had and were in good circumstances. She took me out to her home and was so good to me and Knox. She lived about 12 or 15 miles from Aberdeen --- such a fine old lady (a sister of Marsh’s grandmother who’s name was Mary Wood --- she married Joseph Wilson, a Chief Justice of North Carolina.) After a while we wanted to return to Tennessee. Clara sold Pa’s Negro man --- our four Negroes had been scattered everywhere working fortifications for the South. These Negroes came from Tunica County, Mississippi where my father had a large plantation.) We bought a mule and took a horse we used which belonged to a lady near Hickory Valley who wanted him back. Jim Fleming undertook to drive us back. We had a wagon and driver with a few bales of cotton sending up to exchange for sugar, a Negro woman in a spring wagon trying to get to Memphis and a sick soldier on horseback, this was our cavalcade. We would travel as far as we could each day then try to find someplace we could get accommodations and sleep. We would buy fresh corn or roasting ears as we traveled on and the Negro woman would fry our meat and corn is a skillet she had and make us coffee and bread --- we are paying her expenses. I walked half the way home I am sure for we had to go around risen waters and found it many miles out of the way, when we reached McNairy it was such a mean Union county we were certainly alarmed.