r children when they left. He was a
preacher all right, cause I heard him time and again, but all the same
he was the biggest liar in Tennessee at that time, and that's a great
record for any man. Major, if half he said about you and your place is
true, you ought to be President. You must have owned all the niggers in
Georgia, and your home must be spread over all three of them counties he
has been looking for ever since freedom. About that Lightning colt--he
certainly looks it. Eneas slipped him into a free-for-all up here and
him and a strange white man about busted the county. I offered him $500
for the colt, but he said your price was $20,000. Considering you had
never seen him, I thought that a little high and him and me didn't
trade. Next day he was gone. Oh, you Eneas! Say, Major, if he ever gets
back, and he will, for you can't lose that kind of man for good, better
nail down everything movable--including them twelve fountains.

Yours,
Tom Johnson.

P. S.--I say; twelve fountains!

P. S. S.--Forty-four rooms! Gosh! is the Legion still with you?

* * * * *

Washington County, N. C., Oct. 20, 1872.

Maj. George E. Tommey, Louisville, Ga.

My Dear Major: Your old negro has been on my plantation for about a
year farming and preaching and romancing. He came straight through
Tennessee and North Carolina, touching Sparta, Louisville, Washington
and Jefferson Counties in the former, and the towns of Jefferson, Sparta
and Macon in this State before he found me. I am affectionately known
all over this section of the State as "Major Tommy," and as the old
negro was looking for "Major Tommey," somebody put him on my trail. He
soon had me treed, but was greatly disappointed when he saw me. However,
that did not keep him from paying me a year's visit. Eneas is a queer
character--wisdom of the serpent and simplicity of a child. His story,
probably growing with age like the stories of some of our veterans, has
beguiled many a lonely hour for me, but not until I read your letter in
the _Richmond Dispatch_ did I give him credit for many facts in it. The
young race horse is certainly a fine animal and should you decide to
sell him I trust you will give me the refusal. Eneas won several purses
up here in local races. It seems he has a new name for his horse
everywhere he goes. He says it k