"Well, you've freed the Negroes; now what are you going to do with them."
They said, "Oh d----n the Niggers. I say kill 'em; they have been the cause
of all this trouble." We had to walk home from Charlotte, sixty miles, and
got home June 20th, very thankful that I was so fortunate to come back
sound and well, while so many of my comrades had fallen by the wayside or
were broken and maimed for life.

THE INVASION OF HOME LAND AFTER LEE'S SURRENDER.

Our section was never visited by an hostile army until some regiments of
General Stoneman's cavalry passed from Rutherfordton to Lincolnton and
back. They marauded the country in quest of horses and provisions. They
scattered away from the main road and two came to my father's home. One
held the horses and the other came in the house and said he wanted to
search the house for arms, and soon went through bureaus, chests, etc. My
mother's big, red chest had a double till in it with $10,000 of
Confederate bonds and money in the lower till. The chest was full of bed
clothes, and he felt under them, but did not find the Confederate money.
Finding no valuables, the only thing he took from the house was the flint
out of an old squirrel rifle.

A FAITHFUL NEGRO SERVANT.

All our good Negroes were true and faithful in helping to hide horses and
other valuable property, but some mean Negroes would tell them where
things were hidden, etc. My aunt, Mrs. Cabaniss, lived on the public road,
and as Stoneman's men passed down they took a good mare out of the plow
and carried it away. She only had two horses--the other was a blind mare.
A week later they returned, going back towards Rutherfordton, followed by
a drove of Negroes on foot. As they were passing Mrs. Cabaniss' a Negro
saw her blind mare in the lot, bridled and rode it away. Her faithful old
colored servant, Edmond, saw the Negro riding the blind mare away, ran
after them, appealing to the officers that they had taken the last horse
and we will all perish. The officer told him to get his mare. He then
procured a heavy stick and ran up beside the Negro and knocked him off,
the troopers laughing and cheering him. He rode the blind mare back, and
saved one horse to plow. Edmond remained faithful and stayed with his old
miss as long as she lived, and he retained the confidence and good will of
all the white people as long as he lived.

While Stoneman's troopers were raiding our section some of them called on
Richard Smith, of