The Mountain Girl by Emma Payne Erskine Chapter 8 Page 5

Some went with the North and some went with the South, — they didn’t keer much. The’ wa’n’t no niggahs up here to fight ovah. But them war cruel times when the bushwackers come searchin’ ‘round an’ raidin’ our homes. They were a bad lot — most of ‘em war desertahs from both ahmies. We-uns war obleeged to hide in the bresh or up the branch — anywhar we could find a place to creep into. Them were bad times fer the women an’ chillen left at home.

“Maw used to save ev’y scrap of papah she could find with printin’ on hit to larn we-uns our lettahs off’n. One time come ‘long a right decent captain and axed maw could she get he an’ his men suthin’ to eat. He had nigh about a dozen sogers with him; an’ maw,