THE YANKEES COME



And to add to her problems, the Yankees were coming through the country destroying and taking anything they could. On several occasions they forced themselves into Grandma's house. I've heard my mother tell of Grandmother being awakened at night and could hear them in the kitchen. There they would eat everything they could find and then tear up things in general; throw eggs and food on the walls. One trip they made, they threw honey on the walls and ceiling of the kitchen.

Grandmother owned a cow and calf, but the calf disappeared. She and the children looked the place over, but failed to find the calf. Little Susan, the eight year old girl, didn't give up the search. The Yankees had pitched camp a short distance from the house and Susan slipped down to the camp still looking for the lost calf. she raised a cloth and peeped under it. they had butchered the calf and had it covered up.

She ran back to the house calling out, "I've found the spotted calf !"

After that, anytime she was seen by any of the men, they would call out, "Here's your spotted calf."

Anything they could use in any way, they wouldn't fail to find it. They had stolen all of Grandmother's chickens, only one old rooster left. One day they came to raid the place and in trying to catch the rooster, they chased him in the house and caught him under the bed.




Mama and the Civil War Hiding the Horse