Farmers who worked wen' “poo-ah white
trash” in those days ol easy imlolence. But
“Colonel” John thrived lor all that and never
a home in all tlu* broad valley was happier
than that in the little cove under tl»e shadow
oi Monte .Sano,
News travels slow' in the count);. lu those
days few new spapers found their wav into the
. Teuii; s.sce \ aTey of Al;dL>:iTr»'-* :imi (he fit" i.
. alit,,-.- uF _ -;i h’oit *'a. pic: too nti’tiwhy*
to alfe.'t th? I raiiquilily of tho people l>y the
great river. Thon came the iraiitic cult for
troops by tho government nt Montgomery, and
the great valley was al lasi nw'akencd to tho
horrors of war. A recruiting oaice v.;■ . opened
al Huntsville, ten mile ; away, mi the other
side, of Monte Sano, ami husbands nml fathers
and son- left their homes and people and wont
away io the war. alley
was desolate. The nugroeswent Hocking north
ward in search ol the. army of emnm ioation,
and the cotton was left in the hoi 1 to .poil.
Then; came a time, when even food w as s« a roe,
ami beef was worth its weight in the di.non*
new scrip the confederate goveinmunt had
issued.
“I'olohol’' John fart'd worse than many,
although lor month-, alter the boys of the lower
volley had gone away into Tcmu" -u. hi • <n
yielded to the wish ol the old folks and Uoyeit
at. home. The time came, howe.-u-r, wju n
honor compelled them logo, and they went;
but llie eyes of the aged mother were wot with
tears, ami tho f;u:e of the white-haired
“Colonel” John strangely old, wh n they
b.-ule their boys good-bye.
