Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 34.djvu/125

 Townsend's Diary January-May, 1865. 117

ing six of our party struck out and followed the path along the creek, until it carried us into a thick undergrowth of ivy laurel, etc., whose almost impenetrable thickness offered quite a bar to our further advance. We at length found a log across the creek, and came to a path which led us along a more pleasant road than the one we had just left. Here we witnessed the novel and painful sight of a beautiful young girl and a boy acting as horses to a plough in the field; their horses had been taken by the Yankees. We followed this path for about two miles, sometimes going through a low valley, then again ascending the steep sides of a mountain, then again following the bed of some dried-up stream. We reached Mr. Ross's at length, and found to our dismay that we could obtain no breakfast there, as his cook was sick, and they had no fire at which we could cook anything. However, she very kindly gave us some meal and directed us to another house at which we could have it cooked. We travelled on to that point and found a very kind widow, Mrs. Philpost, who cooked our meal and meat for us, and added something from her own store. She was a very hospi- table old lady and seemed to feel a peculiar consideration for soldiers, having lost her husband by the war. After breakfast, we were ferried across the river by the son of the old lady, to whom we paid $12.00. Taking the road to Penn's Store, we travelled it for about six miles, when we stopped at a house at the forks of the road and obtained our dinner. After that rest, reached Penn's Store by six o'clock, where we were received with much greater hospitality than ever before on the route. Mr. Zentmeyer, one of the firm, took eight of us into his house, and would have taken us all, but Mrs. Penn declared she must be allowed to accommodate some of the party. Four of the party therefore stayed at her house, where they were treated as if they were her own children. At Mr. Zent- meyer's, the household seemed to vie with the other as to who should treat us with the greatest consideration and kindness.

23d. Leaving Mr. Zentmeyer's quite early this morning we struck out for Mr. Edward Tatum's from whom we were to obtain direction for our further route. On our way we crossed the North Branch of the Mayo river and passing over the hill struck through the woods by a path, which we thought agreed with the directions of Mr. Zentmeyer; after following this path for a short distance we met a gentleman who informed us we were going directly away from the point to which we were aiming. As he was going in that