Peace Society
Sergeant
- Joined
- Jun 25, 2019
- Location
- Ark Mo line
from: Carroll County Historical Quarterly
published by the Carroll County Historical Society (Carroll County, Arkansas)
(posted with permission)
Vol. II, No. 3 June 1957
Pg.1 Stories of the Civil War and Early Carroll Co.
By Nora L. Davis Standlee
The people of southern Carroll Co suffered during the war as did every one and had their share of what was known as bush whackers. Frequently the women had to defend their homes and children against these outlaws. In many cases women whose husbands were away in the army would move in with a friend so as to better protect their children and in other ways help each other. Such was the case of my grandmother who had a friend, Mrs. Ailsie Holland, with her. One morning the women got news that bush whackers were in the vicinity so they prepared for them. Grandmother put a long knife in the sleeve of her linsey dress and Ailsie gathered a heap of stones and piled them on the hearth of the fire place.
No sooner than the children were all safely in the house, they heard the tramp of horses’ hoofs and the renegades arrived. They came blustering in and demanded food, money and anything of value in the house. One ruffian noticed the pile of stones on the hearth and asked what they were there for; aunt Ailsie replied “those are secesh biscuits; have one” she then proceeded to pounce the rocks on the fellow and his companions which threw the room into confusion. A large bag of dried apples was hidden under a bed and was picked up by one of the men but my grandmother drew the trusty knife from her sleeve and ripped the bag open at the same time wrenching it from the thief and flinging it around the room in such a way the fruit was scattered over the floor. The infuriated man then grabbed up her 2 year old son who was whimpering in fright and demanded “effen you don’t tell us whare any money you have is, I’ll burn the feet offen this young’un”. As he went toward the fire place with the child grandmother again resorted to her knife. She dashed at him with the knife poised at his chest and the coward dropped the child and the whole band hurriedly departed taking with them only bruises from the “secesh biscuits” and scratches of the angry women.
published by the Carroll County Historical Society (Carroll County, Arkansas)
(posted with permission)
Vol. II, No. 3 June 1957
Pg.1 Stories of the Civil War and Early Carroll Co.
By Nora L. Davis Standlee
The people of southern Carroll Co suffered during the war as did every one and had their share of what was known as bush whackers. Frequently the women had to defend their homes and children against these outlaws. In many cases women whose husbands were away in the army would move in with a friend so as to better protect their children and in other ways help each other. Such was the case of my grandmother who had a friend, Mrs. Ailsie Holland, with her. One morning the women got news that bush whackers were in the vicinity so they prepared for them. Grandmother put a long knife in the sleeve of her linsey dress and Ailsie gathered a heap of stones and piled them on the hearth of the fire place.
No sooner than the children were all safely in the house, they heard the tramp of horses’ hoofs and the renegades arrived. They came blustering in and demanded food, money and anything of value in the house. One ruffian noticed the pile of stones on the hearth and asked what they were there for; aunt Ailsie replied “those are secesh biscuits; have one” she then proceeded to pounce the rocks on the fellow and his companions which threw the room into confusion. A large bag of dried apples was hidden under a bed and was picked up by one of the men but my grandmother drew the trusty knife from her sleeve and ripped the bag open at the same time wrenching it from the thief and flinging it around the room in such a way the fruit was scattered over the floor. The infuriated man then grabbed up her 2 year old son who was whimpering in fright and demanded “effen you don’t tell us whare any money you have is, I’ll burn the feet offen this young’un”. As he went toward the fire place with the child grandmother again resorted to her knife. She dashed at him with the knife poised at his chest and the coward dropped the child and the whole band hurriedly departed taking with them only bruises from the “secesh biscuits” and scratches of the angry women.