The Women of the ConfederacyUnderwood, J. L. (John Levi)
History
The Women of the Confederacy
Underwood, J. L. (John Levi)
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Anecdotes; Women -- Confederate States of America
The fearlessness of the Southern women under cannon and rifle fire
mentioned in the above incident was exhibited time and again during
the war. The women seemed to have their souls and bodies keyed up for
any and all emergencies. There may be something of an explanation in
the fact that they belonged to a race of marksmen and expected bullets
and cannon balls to hit what they were aimed to hit, and as they
didn't think anybody was trying to kill them, they apprehended no
danger.
A WOMAN'S HAIR
[Southern Soldier Stories, pages 82-84.]
About 10 o'clock in the morning the sharpshooters began. Our captain
instantly divided us into two squads, and without military formalities
said: "Now, boys, ride to the right and left and corner 'em."
That was the only command we received, but we obeyed it with a will.
The two sharpshooting citizens who were there that morning escaped on
good horses, but we captured the pickets.
Among them was a woman--a Juno in appearance, with a wealth of raven
black hair twisted carelessly into a loose knot under the jockey cap
she wore. She was mounted on a superb chestnut mare, and she knew how
to ride. She might easily have escaped, and at one time seemed to do
so, but at the critical moment she seemed to lose her head and so fell
into our hands.
When we brought her to Charlie Irving she was all smiles and
graciousness, and Charlie was all blushes.
"You'd hang me to a tree, if I were a man, I suppose," she said. "And
serve me right, too. As I'm only a woman, you'd better send me to
General Stuart, instead."
This seemed so obviously the right way out of it Charlie ordered Ham
Seay and me to escort her to Stuart's headquarters, which were under a
tree some miles in the rear.
When we got there Stuart seemed to recognize the young woman. Or
perhaps it was only his habitual and constitutional gallantry that
made him come forward with every manifestation of welcome, and himself
help her off her horse, taking her by the waist for that purpose.
Ham Seay and I, being mere privates, were ordered to another tree. But
we could not help seeing that cordial relations were quickly
established between our commander and this young woman. We saw her
presently take down her magnificent black hair and remove from it some
papers. They were not "curl papers," or that sort of stuffing which
women call "rats." Stuart was a very gallant man, and he received the
papers with much fervor. He spread them out carefully on the ground,
and seemed to be reading what was written or drawn upon them. Then he
talked long and earnestly with the young woman and seemed to be coming
to some definite sort of understanding with her. Then she dined with
him on some fried salt pork and some hopelessly indigestible fried
paste. Then he mounted her on her mare again and summoned Ham Seay and
me.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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