Uncle Asa had gone up into Tennessee on one of his business expeditions that he and Tadpole seem to have going all the time. This left Ma, her sister Cora, come up from Alabama a few weeks earlier, Tadpole, and his mean ole wife Ruth, and her cousin, Laura, visiting us from the north, and me. We weren�t too concerned with the absence of Uncle, until the armies in the area started congregating on a bigger scale, and soon we came to worry that it weren�t a good thing for this many soldiers, flying the two different flags, to be so close in proximity to each other. And it appeared we were pretty near in the middle. We went about our daily business, as best we could manage, and waited for the promised return of Uncle Asa, who was now a week late of when he said to look for him to come home. In the mean time, Ma�s sister from way down in the capital of Milledgeville, Aunt Anne, had come to fetch those of us willing to go. I for one was not opposed to the idea, and had managed to convince Ma that it would be best to leave out without Uncle Asa. Tadpole, however, balked. He thought we should stay, at least a couple more days, and he promised that in the mean time of waiting, he would try to find us a wagon to substitute for the one we had that was with Uncle Asa. Given the many ideas from Tadpole that I had been witness to for all my life, I was inclined to think that he had other reasons, and figured a profit on his part was at the root. It was too difficult to argue with Ma, who is ever so blind to Tadpole�s scheming ways. Aunt Anne and I were adamant though, and never let Ma have much relief that we will be leaving in a day or two. Finally she began the laborious task of going through household belongings, deciding what to take. Aunt Cora and I went through the boxes when Ma was not looking and weeded out items that were of no consequence to our survival after leaving home. This was found out later, and bickering started as we all had differing ideas of what was important in our journey south.

Tadpole walked the fair distance to town where he looked to find us another wagon to be bought with some money his cousin-in-law had brought down from Illinois. He had no such luck in this endeavor, but did come back to tell us that he saw town folk rushing about in haste to depart for some place else and on top of this plenty of soldiers. Ma became agitated at this news and proclaimed that indeed, we would all leave the next day, whether Uncle Asa had returned or not. Later in the day we heard what Tadpole told us was cannon fire. We assumed this indicated some sort of battle going on, but heard no news to declare it so. The neighbor lady who had traveled with Aunt Anne all the way from Milledgeville was desperate to know of what news from the armies and any battles being fought in Virginia, for her beau was thought to be up in that part of the country. It was a pitiful sight, her struggle to remain strong. It gave way to frequent tears and bemoaning what was to become of us all. Ma couldn�t help to wonder at her sister�s notion to bring such a stricken soul this far away from her home. The German gal, Frauline Rhinehart, walked the mile or so distance from her home to come down to our farm after the cannon fire had started. She wondered what we knew, and had with her some newspapers and letters from acquaintances up north. This she gave to our schoolteacher who read the accounts to us. It shed no light on our current circumstance, and only made Miss Krista more distraught. Ma and her sisters discussed the mode of transportation to safety, given that a wagon could not be found. They came to no conclusion that was agreeable to all. As it became more apparent that we would be walking out of Walker County, our possessions to accompany us became more meager. Ma chose to take with her letters, land deed, locks of hair and the family bible. Of my possessions, none were more important to me as the other things of Ma�s that she had to leave behind. So I carried her china soup tureen, silver candelabra, which was broken by Tadpole before nightfall, and the portraits of her grandparents that have always hung over her spinning wheel. The spinning wheel could not be taken, unless a dray, cart, wagon, something other than our backs could be had. A solemn mood we all suffered.

I heard the pounding of hooves later in the day, and came into the yard to see a cavalry fellow, riding up to our home site. He is known to us, and told what news he had and made no hiding of the fact that he thought we should leave as soon as possible. He stayed only a short while, as he had only ridden ahead of the others in his group, and they were now coming up the road. Once arrived they watered their horses and filled their canteens, one spoke with Ma, then they all departed. We shall remember them in our prayers, for what sights they must see in these uncertain times. As dark drew on us, we were called upon by what we thought were strangers, until they came closer to us and we saw that one was Ma�s younger brother, Samuel. As with every soldier, they were hungry, and we fed them heartily. Their advice was like that of the cavalry soldier, and we became determined that we would leave in the morning.

The morning greeted us in a frightful way. Before light came to the eastern sky, some of us were up to ready for the busy day. Out of the darkness and into the camp came a lone soldier. Deserted from his command, scared and weary, looking for something to eat, and holding a knife close by. We were scared, as a man desperate enough to approach a household this early, and come to us in such a cautious manner, made us think we should be on our guard. He ate a little food and then ran from the firelight, disappearing in the darkness. I was thankful this man visited us at dawn, for it would have made for a long night had he come earlier. This settled the business of leaving though, for it is one thing to face an army, or even a regiment, but one man is to be fearful of. Not long after sun-up we had word that Uncle Asa was arriving, still with the wagon and mule. We toted belongings out of the cabin and set them out in the yard, ready to be loaded. At length, he arrived, and Tadpole carefully packed the wagon so as to make the load easier to pull. In the distance we could hear the roll of a drum, and we began the long journey of leaving home.