He was alive and married with five children at the time of his mother's autobiography before her death in 1882. ®1893 "I took my boy to Roswell, Cobb Co. (where was a fine school) to be educated and remained there three years." ®1893

by a lady 80 years of age
Mrs. Emma Eve Smith (1798 - 1882)
copied by Mrs. Mary E. Miller Eve 1907
transcribed by Patricia E. Kruger 1994

"My son has five children all nearly grown. He has a very comfortable house and a large plantation. As the Northern Army paid us a visit in passing through Georgia, I must attempt to describe it. On this afternoon on the sixth of December while we were at dinner, we heard a whooping like the Indians and a large body of Federal cavalry entered the yard, tearing down the fence. I had been instructed to meet them and to throw ourselves upon the protection of the commanding officer. I therefore walked forward and asked who was the commander and what they wanted. The reply was "we will soon show you what we want" while I was pushed to the wall with a sword. My housekeeper was a spirited colored girl named Mary who now came forward and offered to unlock the doors, drawers ,etc. They did not wait for her to do so, but entering my room, drew out the drawers and pulled out the clothes. When I saw my new silk dress appropriated, I asked "what do you want with that, it will be of no use to you" The reply was I want it for myself." Oh well, I said, if that is the case, as it will not fit you, let me call my seamstress and have it altered. For if you are a man,which I doubt, the dress will need some alterations.
He then drew out some other piece of clothing and asked "grandma what is this?" "Don't you call me grandma said I or I'll slap your face. I thank God not a drop of my blood runs in your veins". The man called out from my window. Come up here, Colonel. Here is the spunkiest old rebel you ever saw. The Colonel came up and took the silk dress himself. By this time the infantry had filled the house and place and were making havoc of every thing. My daughter and the governess sat on their trunks to save their clothing while I followed them round to rescue what I could. Everything in the house was either destroyed or taken off. My caps and nice muslins were put into the duck trough and molasses poured over them. The bags of peas were emptied on the ground and a hogshead of syrup poured over them. Barrels of sugar were taken or wasted. Twenty-five banks of potatoes each containing thirty bushels soon disappeared Three thousand bushels of corn were hauled off by them and the corn crib left entirely empty. All the fodder and hay, every horse, many cows and sheep and all the poultry were taken. For three days an army of many thousands camped within sight of our house and during that time some of them were always within its walls.
Our servants were most faithful to us. The girl Mary was as indignant as we were at their conduct. A rope was put round her neck to make her tell where our silver was secreted, but she would not. Jenny, the nurse was equally true. She could not excuse the liberties they took with her clothes and the pocketing of her fifteen dollars. She came up to me and said "Cuss um misses, cuss um". Of all my treasures my books were the dearest. These were in a basement room and were thrown on the floor and the horses kept in this room trampled them under foot. My family Bible was carried to a pond and thrown in. Of bedding, I lost thirty quilts, every sheet, pillow case and blanket. The china was willfully smashed to pieces. There were dark scenes during those three days. We had not one thing left to eat. The children were crying for bread. The food prepared for the baby was dashed from the nurse's hand before it reached him. After promising me that they would not burn the barn, I found them lighting some fodder for that purpose and the officer who made me the promise handing out the match. The rice, wheat, cotton and cotton gin were all in this barn and all were burned to the ground. My son, who was in Forest's army stole home in the night as he saw the smoke and feared it was his dwelling. We hurried him off for fear he might be made a prisoner. I then went to bed in despair for the first time. I thought God had forgotten me. "Never have I seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread" are His words, but here was I though a miserable sinner myself, a child of a righteous man and woman and we were starving.
Not long did I suffer these horrors for soon a shout met my ear, Uncle Paul is coming". Sure enough my dear brother hearing of our distress through a courier had packed a buggy with every necessary for our immediate wants and in a circuitous route had reached us safely at the risk of his life. He made arrangements for our immediate departure for Augusta and picking up some stray horses left by the Federals we were soon on the road.
All we had eaten till brother came was some corn left by the horses in the woods which we washed, beat up and boiled and a peck of meal sent by a neighbor. One of the cavalry officers was kind to us, seeing our distress he gave me a pair of ducks which we killed and ate in the night. Not only was this man kind to me, but through the intervention of friends we were sent back to our home in six months, on the wagons of the federal army, free of charge.
My son was now at home and we had to commence life anew. As all the railroads were destroyed he drove a wagon with merchandise between Augusta and Savannah. Our struggles were very great. I sold every thing I could, to feed my children and negroes, one table cloth for one thousand dollars, a cologne bottle for fifty dollars and seven wax candles for seventy five, fifty of which went for one bushel of meal.
Mary, the colored girl, was a good seamstress and took in sewing and I gave her half of what she made. After she was free she brought me two half dollars in silver her first earnings. I told her to take them as she was now free and they were hers. She burst into tears and said "Mistress are you going to throw me away"? At night I found she had placed the money under my pillow.
We had to do our own work for some time. All the negroes left the country and crowded into the cities. I did the cooking for the family and Susie the washing and we all worked in the garden. Gradually things have become better but even now we have great difficulty in make the negroes keep their contracts.
On one occasion my son's overseer complained that he could not finish a piece of work because "old Ned" said he would not work on Saturday. Oswell went to the field and the following conversation occurred. "Well, Ned, I hear that you say, you won't work to day." "Yes sir, I want Saturday for myself" But Ned, have you not heard of the Civil Rights Bill" "Yes Sir. I hear all the time bout this Shibble rights, Shibble rights, but I don't exactly know what it means". Well, Ned, it means you must do exactly like a white man, If the white man works on Saturday you must do the same. "Oh well, replied Ned, if that the meaning of Shibble rights, I spose I blige to work".
The negroes frequently had a large sum of money at the end of the year when it was not given out by the month. One of our hands went to Savannah at Christmas with fifty dollars and came back with five umbrellas, long earrings and a breast pin for his wife, and a guitar. For his boys he bought red top boots. His wife said, "He had bought her a fiddle, but the fool nigger had forgotten to bring a bow for it, and had to make one". The next day while the father was working in the sun, one of the boys in his red top boots was holding an umbrella over his head. He kindly offered to lend us one when we needed it.
"The Lowest rail on top" was exemplified one day when one of my nieces' old servants brought her two pieces of pie saying "I brought you this pie some we had for dinner yesterday". This was meant in kindness, but it sounded very strange." ®1893