Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 23.djvu/335

 ll.roism of a Widow.

.UK! tlu-reby compel the evacuation of the city of Atlanta. The flank movement consisted of 40,000 or 45,000 men, and was com- manded chiefly by Major-General John M. Schofield, together with General Sedgwick, who was also a corps commander, and consisted of the best lighters of the Federal army.

As the two armies confronted each other two miles to the north and northwest of Jonesboro, it so happened that the little house and farm of a poor old widow was just between the two lines of battle when the conflict opened, and having nowhere to go she was neces- sarily caught between the fire of the two commanding lines of bat- tle, which were at comparatively close range and doing fierce and deadly work. The house and home of this old lady was soon con- verted into a Federal hospital, and with the varying fortunes she was alternately within the lines of each contending army, when not between them on disputed ground. So the battle raged all day, and the wounded and dying of both armies were carried to the humble shelter of this old lady until her yard and premises were literally strewn with the dead and dying of both armies.

During the whole of this eventful day this good and brave woman, exposed as she was to the incessant showers of shot and shell from both sides, moved fearlessly about among the wounded and dying of both sides alike, and without making the slightest distinction. Finally night closed the scene with General Schofield' s army corps in possession of the ground, and when the morning dawned it found this grand old lady still at her post of duty, knowing, too, as she did, the fortunes, or rather misfortunes, of war had stripped her of the last vestige of property she had except her little tract of land which had been laid waste. Now it was that General John M. Schofield, having known of her suffering and destitute condition, sent her, under escort and arms, a large wagon-load of provisions and supplies, and caused his adjutant-general to write her a long and touching letter of thanks, and wound up the letter with a special request that she keep it till the war was over and present it to the United States Government, and they would repay all her losses.

She kept the letter, and soon after the Southern Claims Commis- sion was established she brought it to the writer, who presented her claim in due form, and she was awarded about $600 all she claimed, but not being all she lost. That letter is now on file with other proofs of the exact truth of this statement with the files of the Southern Claims Commission at Washington.

Her name was Allie McPeek, and she died several years ago.