“Where's your husband?” “Done killed in the wah.” “Have you no sons?” “Yes, sir; two fighting under General Lee. “And you're short of provisions?” “Very short indeed.” “Boys, leave a couple of hams, a bag of meal and some bacon with this lady.” The boys gladly complied with the instructions, and they also went down in their haversacks and contributed quite a number of rations of coffee and sugar. “Oh! that's real coffee,” exclaimed the oldest of the children, a girl of about twelve years. “I expected you would take what little we had to eat,” said the head of the family, as the tears rolled down her face. “I never thought the Yankees would be so kind to the widow of a Confederate. The Richmond papers said if you all came this way you would destroy everything; they said heaps of black things about you.” “Do you all have hams on your saddles and sacks of corn to carry along all the time?” ventured the young miss who had listened to all that had been said. “No, no; we confiscated these back at the big plantation yonder.” “Where 'bouts?” inquired the widow. “At that fine house a couple of miles north.” “Was there an old gentleman there?” “Yes; he gave us his benediction when we left, by expressing the wish that we would all come to the gallows.” “And these hams and other things came from his plantation?” “Yes.” “I declare, 'vengeance is mine, saith the Lord.' Yesterday I called there and asked the colonel--they all call him colonel--to help me along by letting me have a little meal and bacon. I promised to pay him back when we gather our crap, by and by.” “He assisted you, of course?” “No, indeed. He said he could not afford to distribute his provisions among other people who had no claims on him. He refused to let me have a pound of meat, or a quart of meal.” “He knows your husband was killed fighting for the Confederacy--and that you have two sons in Lee's army?” “To be sure he does; he urged them to go into the army, to hurl back the invaders; but he now says I must look to the Government at Richmond for help. I'm thankful for what you all have done for us. It's a right smart help. But I believe the colonel would come down here and take the provisions away from us, if he knew you all had left them here.” “Let's go back and take what's left at his plantation and burn him out,” exclaimed one of the troopers. “No; not this time,” said the sergeant. “But we shall probably come this way again, and then we can pay our compliments to the old skinflint.” “Do you think the wah's coming to an end soon?” the woman asked as we were about to move forward. “I hope so,” replied the sergeant. “I think this campaign will wind it up.” “Who's going to whip?” “We are.”