im, and replied to his condolences
by the sentence, "As soon as I can get a few things together, General,
you shall have Harry too." The tears came into General Polk's eyes as he
related this episode, which he ended by saying, "_How can you subdue
such a nation as this!_"

[38] "LOSSES OF WILLIAM F. RICKS.--The Yankees did not treat us very
badly as they returned from pursuing our men beyond Leighton (at least
no more than we expected); they broke down our smokehouse door and took
seven hams, went into the kitchen and helped themselves to cooking
utensils, tin ware, &c.; searched the house, but took nothing. As they
passed up the second time we were very much annoyed by them, but not
seriously injured; they took the only two mules we had, a cart, our
milch cows, and more meat. It was on their return from this trip that
our losses were so grievous. They drove their waggons up in our yard and
loaded them with the last of our meat, all of our sugar, coffee,
molasses, flour, meal, and potatoes. I went to a Lieut.-Colonel who
seemed very busy giving orders, and asked him what he expected me to do;
they had left me no provisions at all, and I had a large family, and my
husband was away from home. His reply was short and pointed--'Starve,
and be d----d, madam.' They then proceeded to the carriage-house, took a
fine new buggy that we had never used, the cushions and harness of our
carriage, then cut the carriage up and left it. They then sent about
sixty of the slyest, smoothest-fingered rogues I have ever seen in the
Federal army (all the rogues I ever did see were in that army), into the
house to search for whisky and money, while the officers remained in the
back-yard trying to hire the servants to tell them where we had money
hid. Their search proving fruitless, they loaded themselves with our
clothing, bed-clothing, &c.; broke my dishes; stole my knives and forks;
refused the keys and broke open my trunks, closets, and other doors.
Then came the worst of all--the burners, or, as they call themselves,
the 'Destroying Angels.' They burned our gin-house and press, with 125
bales of cotton, seven cribs containing 600 bolls of corn, our logs,
stables, and six stacks of fodder, a waggon, and four negro cabins, our
lumber-room, fine spinning-machine and 500 dollars' worth of thread,
axes, hoes, scythe-blades, and all other plantation implements. Then
they came with their torches to burn our house, the last remaining
building they