Yankees in Greene County

THE WAR COMES TO GREENE COUNTY

The War Between the States took its toll on Greene County as it did in many, many places.

Mrs. Virginia B. Willis tells of the experiences of two young ladies, Miss Mary Crawford and Miss Anna Mary Garrow, for the southern section of Alabama who planned to visit relatives in Eutaw. They took a boat to Gainesville, where the expected Colonel Crawford to have someone meet them. All moved smoothly until arriving in Gainesville and there they found no one to meet them. The more terrible still, they heard Mobile had fallen.

Two young girls cut off from their homes, one from Mobile and the other from Dallas County. How would they get to Eutaw?

At last, as they waited somewhat hopelessly at the landing, news arrived that a battle was impending near Selma, and two young Confederate surgeons had just arrived in an ambulance hurrying toward the scene of combat. They gallantly offered to escort the ladies to Eutaw, which was on the way.

Gladly, the girls accepted the invitation. They found the young men charming, and the young men seemed to have found the girls delightful. Really, it was romantic to be hurrying into battle in the company of two pretty, charming girls.

After reaching Eutaw and depositing the girls safely at the home of Colonel Crawford, the young men continued their dash to get to Selma in time for the battle.

THE HIDDEN JEWEL BOXES

One day there was a chilling cry, "The Yanks are coming! The Yanks are coming! Hide your valuables."

The girls had taken off their jewelry and had it packed away in little boxes. Now the question was where the boxes should be hidden. Realizing that there was no more time to hunt for a safe hiding place as the blue lines were already arriving over the hill, they hurriedly tossed the boxes from the upstairs window on top of the scuppernong arbor below.

The Yankee soldiers were all over the place searching every nook, corner, closet, sideboards, chimneys, and the attic. They tore up the flower gardens with the blades of their bayonets and also the ground beneath the scuppernong arbors. However, they never looked up to discover the precious little boxes of treasures!

At last, finding nothing, the Yankees left without getting any loot.

GRASSDALE

When the Yankee soldiers, on their way through Greene County, reached Grassdale, the Coleman plantation, it was a frightening experience for the two young women, sisters-in-law, and a young brother of them who had charge of the plantation at this time. They had made careful plans and with help had buried all the silver in stout metal boxes before the Yankees arrived.

The soldiers searched the yard, grove, and garden in vain for hidden valuables, then came into the house to continue that search, and to be sure there were no sick or wounded Confederate soldiers on the place. When they started to go upstairs where the baby was sleeping, Rhoda Meriwether, the baby's aunt, took her seat on the narrow stair and spread her skirts across it. She told the soldiers that no one was up there but a tiny, sleeping child, and that they could not disturb or frighten her. The soldiers ordered Rhoda to move, saying that they were going up. She looked calmly at them and said, "Only over my dead body will you go up there." Somehow she won out, and the soldiers did not go upstairs, nor did they harm her or anyone else on the place.

marched from near Spanish Fort, Alabama, April 9, 1865, northward, ultimately reaching Vicksburg, Miss, June 4, 1865. These guys captured CSA Gen. Pillow and Ala Gov A.B. Moore in the course of their march.

OR, Ser 1, Vol 49, Part 2, pp305-307

"Marched the next day (May 15th) in the direction of Greensborough, sending a detachment by way of Marion and the 2nd Illinois Cav from Greensborough to Tuscaloosa to rejoin the command at Columbus, Miss. Crossed the Black Warrior at the pontoon bridge four miles from Eutaw (this would be at Finch’s Ferry), near which place we halted for the night of the 16th (of May 1865), leaving a provost guard in the town. Marched the next day (May 17), passing near Pleasant Ridge Post-Office, across the Sipsey River. Marched the next day (May 18) a short distance beyond Pickensville..."

OR, Series 1, Vol 49, Part 1, p 307

"I observed, in marching through the country, a great difference between the conduct and feelings of the inhabitants who had before been visited by our troops and those who had to a great extent escaped the losses of the war and the ravages attending the passage of troops. In the former case we were treated with comparative respect and civility, while in the latter the people manifested the greatest hatred and defiance toward us, and had no hesitation in insulting our soldiers either by words or actions (?). They still had confidence in the success of their cause, and declared most emphatically their detestation of the Federal Government and a contempt for its authority. I met very few of either class, more particularly among the wealthy, who did not desire the triumph of the Confederacy, and submitted only to superior force. I have constantly exerted myself to maintain strict discipline in my command, and any straggling or marauding, whenever it has come to my notice, has been severely punished. Excepting in a few instance where squads of men have stolen from the column and committed depredations, the people have been respectfully treated by my troops. I found that many of the paroled soldiers of the Confederate army returning to their homes were constantly committing outrages to a greater or less extent, which acts a majority of the people were ready to attribute to the troops of my command, though a number of citizens admitted that they had suffered in this way from returning Confederates. I send, together with his report, a list of the number of animals turned over by my quartermaster to citizens who claimed them to replace others taken from them. A large majority of the animals captured on this march were brought to the column by contrabands leaving their homes. In nearly every instance of negroes coming to the column they have been mounted. Of course the animals were left in the command."

A little insight as to what conditions existed in west Alabama in May 1865, and the morale of Confederate citizens even as late as May 1865, after the surrender of Lee was generally known.