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ONTINUI-TY
Mrs. Josephine Wood
250 Baxter St.
Athens Ga.
ianwati.13,. 1939
Grace McCune
A VISIT WITH AUNT JOE
It was in a heavy downpour of rain, and on Friday,
"the thirteenth," that I started out for an interview
with Mrs.
and contrary to all of the old supersti-
tious beliefs, that Friday the thirteenth is an unlucky
day, I caught a ride, right to the houSe. But as the car
turned off the pavement of LumPkin Street, and I looked
at the long, 61d red hill, -that is aant-Street, I held
-my breath and wondered if I was' lucky lucky after all.
My friend laughed at me, and said, "I have made it
over .iorse looking places than this, and she made it again,
after a little slipping and slidLng we were there. Step-
ping oOt of the car, 0 foot slid into a mud hole that
filled my shoe with muddy water, but I felt lucky at
that. Thanking my friend for the ride, I steloid on the
sidewalk and mired in the soft mud, walking up the steps,
I found water standing in the walk, seeing no way around
it, I went through it, and at least washed the mud off
of my shoes.
As I reached the porch, the door was opened by Mrs.
-1ii
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daughter, and she said, "'come right in to the fire,
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tftgra" 41111, were living between here and Barnett Shoals
and about two miles from Whitehall. When I was still
very small, my daddy moved to Whitehall, but it was
called Georgia Factory then, and about the first thing
that I can remember that would be important is when
Sherman came through Georgia.
"We were living at eorgia Factory then, and it was
not like it is now. Every house and lot was fenced off
to itself. The White's had their home there also at that
time. All the men that were not too old to go was in the
war, except the White's, they were at home. Everyone was
soared when they heard the Yankee's were coming, and
people buried everything they could.
"The Yankees came through Franklin and Hart County,
just tore up everything as they came through, took all
the stook, cows, horses, mules and killed the hogs in the
pens, and carried them along for the yankee soldiers to
eat, went through houses also, took anything they wanted
especially everything they had to eat, and what they
didn't want, they tore it up so badly that the people
could not use it any mare.
"My grandfather lived on Mr. Mauldin's place near
Lavonia, Ga. and the yankees came by their place. Mr.
Mauldin got all his provisions and other things buried
before they got there. He took up the floor of his
kitchen and buried his things _there But my grandfather
was not so lucky, as they caught him -while he was trying
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to hide his provisions. Them yankees took every bite they
had to eat. Grandmother got down on her knees, prayed and
begged them to leave her just enough of syrup and bread
for her children's breakfast, but they_wouldn't do even
that, just poured the syrup out on: the ground, and left
them without anything to eat.
"At that time Augusta was the nearest place that you
could buy anything, and it was a five day's trip from Grand-
father's to Augusta in a wagon, and that was the only way
people traveled then. One of my aunts had raised a little
heifer, and she cried and begged,them not to. take her calf,
but to leave her just that one thing, but it was carried
off with the rest of the stock. They also killed their
hogs and carried them off. After the Yankees left, Mr.
Mauldin came down to Grandfathers, and told him that he
would let him have enough to eat to last him until he
could get to Augusta and buy something to eat.
"When they got near Georgia Factory, the people were
so scared they didn't know what to do, for there was no
one there except women and children, and they were work-
ing in the mill to make a living for the men were fighting.
All of the White's left and came to Athens to hide, except
old man White's oldest son, Jim, he stayed hid out down
on the river in an old hollow tree, with some blankets to
sleep on.
There. was just one old man, Mr. Connelly, who was so
old that he couldn't hardly get about left to look out
for all the women and children. I was just about four
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years old at that time and I guess I was scared so bad, is why
I remembered so well. We children climbed up on the gate
post to watch as the long line of yankees could be seen
coming down the long hill. They said there were four hund-
red yankees in that company.
"They were searching the houses as they came to them,
said they were hunting.for all the men, six and that they
were going to kill all the rich folks. They just went
through everything in the houses. Then they went to the
mill, said they were going to burn it up. The women got
down on their knees and begged them not to burn up the
mill, for that was the only way they had to make a living
for their children.
"At first the soldiers would not listen to the women.
Then they went into the mill, got all the cloth and thread,
-ven tore the cloth off of the looms. Then they divided
it among the 7:omen, and told them that they would kill them
if they gave any of it back to the Whites. I guess you
know that Whites run the mill at that time. Next, they
went to the company store. Of course, it was locked up.
They just busted out the doors and windows, went in, and
brought out everything that was in it, piled it all up
in front of the store. They then called all of the mmen
on the pLce, divided all the stuff up among them, made
them hold out their aprons and poured syrup in them. One
woman asked them to let her get a pan to put the syrup
in, but they told her to take that way or not: at all.
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"They stayed around there for several days, hunting
for the Whites, and the old man Connelly was sliping some-
thing to eat to Jim White in the old hollow tree when he
could. When they left, people did not see anything of them
for about a week, and everyone just knew they were gone.
Jim _White came up to the Connelly's one day to get him
something to eat, and just as soon ad he got in the house,
someone run to the door and said, the Yankees are coming.
Mr. White was scared so bad, he didn't know what to do,
because he knew they would kill him if they found him.
A
Mrs. Connelly had more mind about her than anyone else
for she pulled the covers off the bed, and made him get
between the feather bed and mattress.
The Yankees were searching the houses again and *hen
some of them got to her house, she was very busy making
the bed. They asked her if any of the Whites were hid
around there anywhere, and being a very ttuthful woman,
she would not tell a story about it, but she didn't say
there was either. She just told them that they could
searchi,the place and see if they could find .anything.
She told them t look upstairs, and in the kitchen, talk-
ing all the time to keep them from looking at the bed,
finally tucking the cover around tight, she carried them
out to search the smokehouse. After she got them out of
the house, Mr. Connelly raised one .corner of the cover a
little so that Mr. White would not smother. But them
Yankees stayed around there so long that he was almost
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dead. They just tore up the Vhite home, even took the
girls dresses out and gave them to the mill women, but
after they left that time, they never came back any more.
"Times were sure different in them days from what
they are today. Nhy, I never got to go to school much,
ss the only time we went to school was when all the work
in the field was done, and then we would have to walk two
or three miles. And had to stay all day then. I remember
one time when I was seven, we had a celebration at the
Old Standing Methodist Chur3h. They used it for a school
during the week, and church on Sunday. But this was a
school celebration, people call them entertainments now.
The children all had to recite. They were marched inside
the church. The people were all on the outside under the
trees where seats or benches had been fixed for them to
sit on. The children would come out one at a time to
say their piece. Vhen it came time for me to go out I
was just scared so bad, that I was shaking all over, and
it wasn't much that I had to say, let me see, I believe
I can even say that now. The name of it was 'I am five
years old Today' and went like this:
'One I was a very little child
And months have passed since then
I am bigger and have taller grown
I am five years old today.
'At first I could not talk or walk
But now I can talk and walk about
Can eat, run and plv all day long
For I am five years old today.
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Not much to get scared about was it, but I sure had stage
fright then, only we didn't know what that was, and be-
cause I said I was five Imasadmaxxxxxxx years old, every
one thought I was five instead of seven.
"But them school celebration was big days, everybody
went, because they didn't have many places to go then.
They would always have dinner on the ground, and you know
right there in that old church was the ft-st preaching I
ever remember hearing. The old Preacher, Ellison Stone,
was the preachek, but I still think they were good old days.
"I went to school at the paper mill and then at
Princeton also. It was there at Princeton that we hated
to go so bad, for we had a man teacher, Mr. Marion Duna-
way and he was the meanest man I ever saw, none of the
children liked him. He didn't have but one arm, but he
sure would whip the little children. The big boys that
he was afraid of, he would make them stand in front of
the classes, on one foot. The spring where we got water
was a pretty good distanceefrom the school, or rather
church, for he taught school in the church. And he would
not let us get a drink of water, even at dinner time,
we were not allowed to leave the school grounds unless
we lived near enough to go home for dinner.
"One day it rained awful hard, and there was mud
holes out in the yard, and we took our tin cups and drank
water out of those mud holes. I told my father about that,
and he was so mad, he bought a bucket and dipper for me to
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carry to school, and said Mr. Dunaway had better let us
have water to drink. The next morning I carried the
bucket and dipper to school with me. He wanted to know
what I brought that thing to school for, I told him what
my fLther said, and he sent one of the older boys to the
spring for a bucket of water and we did not have any
more trouble about getting water.
"The older boys liked to worry him. One day, they
didn't know their lesson, and he put tl!M of them in a small
closet under the altp and told them they had to stay
there. Later he got une_sy about them, afraid that they
might smother, and he tri-d to get them to come out. They
refused told him they were going to stay there all night,
and let the people find them there, then they would know
what kind of man they were paying to teach school. This
scared him, for he knew that none of the children liked
him and that it would ruin him. So he begged, and plead-
ed with thel, but they worried him till time to go home
before they .ould come out. and how we kids did enjoy
seeing him beg.
"His children went to school also, and his girl
Cora and I were good friends. She was always wanting me
to ,';o home with her and spend the night. I went one time
but never wanted to go again. For he made us study until
eight o'cicok and then go to bed. He wouldn't let us play
at all. He was just as mean at home ,s he was at school.
"I tell you things and times are changed. I was
raised by candler lights for we didn't even have oil lamps
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for a long time and I bet I have made a million candles.
had molds to make them, put a string in then poured
the hot tallow on them and they were put aside to get
cold. We had homemade wooden dandles sticks to burn
the candles in. That was all the light we had for years.
"Ne burned oak and hickory wood in the fireplace,
d let me tell you something right now, that fire was
very carefully covered at night. For matches were scarce
end hard to j,et. If we went visiting and our fire went
out, then we had to borrow a little fire fr'Im our nearest
neighbor, or stakt it with Flint and gun powder. I have
watched my father start it that way many a time.
"de cooked on fireplaces too, had what we called
pot racks. They were b lilt in the fireplace and we hung
the pots on them to boil baked in ovens, and things
seemed much better then than they do now. People were
hardly ever sick. Why, I was nine years oIft before I
ever h-ard of anybody dying. Then a lit -le Negro boy
died not so far from our place. M mma told us that she
would carry us to se him, for they was going to bux/y
him down in the -round. I couldn't believe that he was
dead, and told mamam that he was just asleep. We just
couldn't believe that he was really dead, until we saw
him buried.
"I ,,,ues. I ,,as in the first cyclone that was ever
in Georgia. I was small, but was large enough to work in
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the field. e and little brother, wanted to go to see
our grandmother. I remember that it was one Saturday
morning. Mama at first said we could go. Then she said
we had better wait, as it lookqd like tic might rain.
e
went on to Adie field, and about two hours later,
the sun came out. father -came to the field and told us
that we could go,now, for they didn't think it was goini7,
to rain.
"It was about four miles to grandta.'s house and we
had to walk, part of the way was through woods, but we
were use to it and did not mind the walk. ft didn't seem
like we had got anyway until it began to turn so dark,
and the wind started bl4Wing, and Whe'n we got through
the wood we could hardlei seeah0w to walk, and the wind
was getting worse, we started to run, for we was really
f.
scared. Just as we got in sight of grandma's house it
began to pour down rain, and we was soaked tht'OUgh to
the skin, and do you know that wrad blew down most of
the trees in those woods that we had just come through.
Houses, barns, and stables were torn up all through
+hat section and a man that owned a fine traerf wood
about '_en miles square, lost every tree in it. Several
different people had been trying to buy the trilber from
him and he wouldn't sell, holdin it for more money.
Folks said that was why everyone of his trees were torn
up by the roots. It rained so hard, that two cows had
to swim acro3s the road in front of irandma's house.
It was an awful storm and people said it was the worst
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one they had ever heard of.
Yes, I was raised in the country and we have had
to car,i. and spin the thread to make our clothes. -Mama
would weave the cloth and I used to make my own stock-
ings knit cotton for summer, and for winter we had yarn
stockings, and sometimes we would dye the thread. We
used dyes made out of lo&,rks. Red oak bark and elder
made a light red. Dorwood lo,=rk and alder, made a dark
purple, almost black.
"Mens suits were
you :to. know we didn'l-
was all dose with our
nice suit of clothes,
all made out of jeans, and I -want
have no sewing machines either. It
hands. Mama could really make a
and our underwear was made out of
cloth that they called drilling. It Vas not like the
drilling you buy now, for it WES made at home.
"Church days, especially protracted meetings was
big times for country folks. Everybody went. You could
see more wagon and yes, ox carts to. Why, I have vient
to meeting mans' a time in ah old ox cart, enjoyed it to.
But I would like to see
to start out some place
go often. Why child, I
buggy until after I was
some of you young folks today have
in an ox cart, but you wouldn't
don't even remember seeing a
married.
My father moved near Watkinsiille and was running a
sawmill, and that is how I met my husband. He came to
work in the saw mill for my father and he boarded at our
house. He worked for his board and ten dollars a month.
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I knew when I learned his name that I would marry him.
At least I was pretty sure, for a friend of mine and I
had tried our fortune a short time back and that was
the name I found.
"Oh, and you want to know how we tried fortunes do
you? Well, I'll tell you, but you will laugh at it. But
I tell you right now young lady, folks didn't laugh at
things bask in them days. Anway laugh if you want tali,
here is what we did.
On the last night in April after tkax sundown, we
walked backwards to a wheat field. Then we took a white
handkerchief and threw it over our right shoulder. Of
course we left it there, but we went back in the morning
before sun up (which was the first day of May) walked
backwards, til1we reached our handkerchiefs, turned
around an picked them up. On mine was A. J. Wood. It
looked more like a worm had just woven around on the
handkerchief, but anyway the name was there and I had
never met him until he came to our house to stay, but
I married him_just_the 00441.
"Now if you will excuse me, I will go in the kitchen
and fix the cornbread for dinner. These girls of mint
are pretty good cooks, but they can't 'make my cornbread
to suit me. I know you don't mind resting a little any-
way'and I will be right back.
The baby had played until it had worn its self out
and was sleeping in Mrs. &Lk
bed. There was no-ofie
oil'. in the room and as I rested I noticed the old xi
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dresser, made of 'walnut, with itt large mirror. There was
the washstand to match it both old, but lovely and
showed that they had been well cared for. There was also
a few real old pictures oh the walls, that must have been
some of the older members of the family. At this time
the baby woke up and wanted to get up. His mother came
in just as I started to get him. She laughed and said,
"I don't expect he would have let you take him, as he
seems to afraid of strangers. But it wasn't but a few
minutes until he was in my lap playing with my pencil.
vi4,•43:4
Mrs. cams back and said, Well how,in the world
did you get tkat baby, but she was pleased that I had
as
been able to make friend with her baby max she called it.
Just as she started to talk, someone at the door called
Aunt
as she went to see who it was, her daughter,
said, "everyone calls mama Aunt e=f-; and they have called
her that for years, for mama will be 78 next month.
As Mrs.
came back in the room, she said, I
heard her telling you how old I am, but do you think
I look that old? I looked at her, still very straight,
tall and just medium weight, dressea in a neat blue house
dress, her hair and she really had plenty of that) was
between an auborn and born and there were mighty few gray
hairs in it was done up on the top of her head. She
didn't look as if she could be that old and I said so,
that she didn't look a day over fifty. This pleased her,
but she said, "Child, I have been here a long. time. Why,
I have 36 grandchildren and 30 great grandchildren so
15.
'------------111111
you see I am an old woman. But you can just lay your .r
book and pencil down for dinner is just about ready. I
told her that was all right to go right on and eat her
dinner. But she said, "young lady, as long as you are
here, you are going to eat with us, that is if you think.
you can eat what we eat. Of course, we haven't got so
much, but it will keep you from getting hungry. And I
hope you want refuse to eat with me for I do like to
have company and I am am not use to anyone refussing
to eat with us. Seeing that she would be really offend
said
ed, I thanked her and/I would be glad to et with her.
We ate dinner in the kitchen. As we went through
the large dinning room to the kitchen, Mrs. Wood said,
"It is such a bad day and so cold that I thought you
might like to eat in the kitchen. Ae she opened the
door, I didn't blame her. The kitchen was small, and
a large wood range in which a big fire was going made
the room cozy and comfortable, a large cabinet, a small
square dining table and chairs lamost filled the room.
After Mrs. Weed gave thanks for the meal, she said,
"I wanted you to see the bench at the back of the table.
All my children have eat on that old bench, and it is
still a good one. Not even the back has come off and
I have raised some pretty rough boys, but it has stood
it all. It was made for my children and I would not take
anything for it.
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After we had finished the delicious dinner, and
itak
I did aft blame Mrs. WoradjOr.liking her cornbread for
I don't think I ever ate any just like it. We went
backto Mrs. 44iiils room, and she said, "I will have to
see if I can remember where I left off. I *think I was
telling you about finding out about my husband..
"But it was not very long after he came to our house
to board, before we had decided that we wanted to get
married. When he finally got up the nerve to ask mama
for me, I got scared and went to stay with Grandma for
a few days. For I knew that mama would be mad, and I
didn't want to be there. But she told us both that if
we married, we was sure going to marry at home. And
I didn't have any business getting married young as
I was, for was just fifteen.
"It was in July when I got married. Lord, but we
had a time getting married. July was the time of year
for protracted meetings in the country, and the preacher
we had engaged to marry us was called away to preach at
one of theseemeetings, and Z did not get back in time
to marry us. Some of the boys started out to hunt up
another preacher, but they didn't have any luck in
finding one. And some of them just happened to see the
old Judge Thomas, going along the road, and he was also
a Justive of Peace. They stopped him and he married us.
After we were married all of us went on to High Shoali,
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Georgia to preaching. And yes, we went in an old
two hors* wagon.
"We were living near Watkinsville when I got
married. Ana since that time I have lived mostjtale,
over Oconee County. Mr. Wood wouldn't stay on the farm,
he didn't know much about farming and he was a good car-
penter, so not long after we married we moved to Athens.
It was about this time that they finished building
the Central of Georgia railroad to Athens. The man,
I think his name was Goobsy, that had the contract to
build the railroad died before he finished it, but his
wife took it up where he left off and finished the job.
We used to go and watch them working on Sunday, for she
worked just the same on Sunday as any other day. She
wore two big pistols strapped around her waist, and she
could curse them negroes like a man made them work to.
She would try to get people to work on Sunday, the white
men wouldn't do it, and she would curse them and tell
them to get away from the place then.
"There was only one railroad here when I oame to
Athens and that was the old Ga. railroad, and it had
been here for a long, long time. Why, my father left
on the old Georgia rallr44;d when he went to the war.
All hese other railroads have come to Athens since I
(t
have. So you know I have been here a long time.
I remember the first circus that ever come here.
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It was over in East Athens near the old Georgia depot.
I know ydia have heard about the old depot, being across
the riv&r on Carrs Hill. I went to the circus, but I
haverever been in one since. I go to see the parades,
when they have them but I have never cared anything
about going in another circus.
"I used to go to faits also, when they had them
out at the old fairground. The first fairground here
that I remember anything about was between here and
Princeton. There was a wedding at the fairground. at
one of the fairs. I don't remember who the ,couple was,
i'.;ut it was called the cotton wedding. They were dreamed
in cotton. Just as itooms from the gin. The cotton
was just laid on them in layers, until their clothes were
completely covered with cotton. I guess there was about
five or six thousand people there to see that wedding.
"Do you know that I have traveled in the old covered
wagons? Well, I have even if it wasn't such a long ways
off. We moved from here to Hartwell at one time, while
41;f4C
Mr. Weee did some work there, and when we come back to
see the folks, we came in an old covered wagon. Couldn't
make the trip in one day, and we camped at night. We
would bring our frying pan and something to cook along
with us and we slept in the wagon at night.
"Yes, we enjoyed it. We built a fire, cooked our
supper, of course we would always stop at some place
where we could get plenty of water. Most all the times
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then you could always find some one else camping also,
and sit around the camp fires and talk awhile then
crawl in our wagon and sleep until morning. Those
were not such bad times. We had plenty and enjoyed it,
more I think than people do now.
"Se did not have good bridges baok in those days,
and almra everytime it came a real hard rain the water
would get up and wash the bridges away. It was nothing
unusual then to start somewhere that you had to cross a
creek or river and find the bridge gone. And the Simton
Bridge was worse than any of'the others, or at least it
seemed that way.
"I started to see mama one day and she -lived at
Whitehall. I had to cross the old Simton bridge and as
usual it had washed away and they, had a ferry boat to c
carry people across the river. I had my baby with me
and some clothes for it in an old satchel. We got in the
boat alright and across the river. As we reached the
other bank the boy that was paddling the boat jumped
out and held the rope to hold the boat steady for
me to step. out.
"Just as I stood upjover the boat went and into the
river went me and my baby. I managed to hold on to
the baby but of course we were both soaked to the skin
and it was in November and cold, lord how cold it was.
I started to wade out for it was not so deep and I saw
my satchel floating down the river with my babies' clothes
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"He was watched even then, but managed to get
away. Left the mules and wagon tied In front of a
store and slipped out. It took him a long time to
get back home to his family. His wife said that he
was never the same again, and that he stayed with the
Indians so long that it was a long time before they
could get him to talk much. And that most of the time
when they talked to him, he would only give a grunt
as an answer. I tell you people had to go through many
things back in those old days.
"I don't know if you have ever heard it or not,
but when folks did die back in those times, it was not
like it is now. You coulfiatt -just call an undertaker
and turn everything over to them. But instead the
neighbors come in and did what they could. Of course,
theylimtlim embalm the corpse, but they washed and dress
it, the men had to make the coffins, and they were just
made out of plans and the women lined them with 801110
kind of cloth.
"But those dear old neighbors. They would manage
by doing eaoh other p work, so that some of them could be
with the family until itkier the fun41 at least, and
people for miles and miles away come when there was death
-r1
-MARI
or sickness in a home, and went to the funeral and b ng.
After I got older I have helped my father many a time make
a coffin when someone died.
22
They went to funerals in wagons and ox carts. The
coffin was placed in one wagon and I have even seen the
pallbearers riding on top of the coffin to the funexal.
People just had to do all kinds of ways, but Ithink
they were 'Closer to each other then than they are today,
and more ready to help each other out in any way they
could.
"I have had my good times and my troubles as every-
one has. Ve had ten children and raised nine of them
to be grown and married. I have still got seven of them
living. As I told you 36 grandchildren and .30 great
grandchildren. I hope if I live and nothing happens to
me that I can have all themtogether with me at one time
this summer and that will be at happy time for me. Mr.
ea;„
*wed has been gone a long time, but we learned from the
old days that we have to take things as the Lord sends
them to us.
"I don't think of anything else now that you would
oars to know." Realizing that she was tired and needed
to rest, I prepared to leave. Thanking her for the nice
as
story and the invitation to have dinner with her, I put
my coat and hat to leave, she said, "I have certainly
enjoyed heaving you for you have helped me pass away
a day that would have been long and lonesome. I don't.
want you to forget to come back to see me for I will
be glad for you to come at any time you can. Come some
Sunday and spend the day and you will see most of my
23.
children then. As all of them that live around here
come to see me on Sunday.
As the door closed behind we, I felt the cold
and rain again.. It was a job to walk down the old
rd l hill and I decied I would try to make my next
visit when it muud wasn't raining.