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WHILE I WAS AT WILMOT'S A MAN BY THE NAME OF
FREDERICK KINLEY AND HIS WIFE ELIZABETH HOUVER KINLEY WERE
LIVING AT MARION, LINN CO, IA. IN A BRICK HOUSE NEAR WHERE THE
WATER WORKS ARE NOW. THEY HAD 2 CHILDREN LIVING. A SON OLIVER
CROMWELL 15 YRS OLD A DAUGHTER MARTISSA LEASON 13 YRS OLD. A
DAUGHTER DIED IN INFANCY THEY CALLED MARTISSA "MATTIE" SHE WAS
WISHING ALL OF THE TIME FOR A LITTLE SISTER.
FREDERICK AND (17) HIS WIFE HEARD THAT I
COULD BE ADOPTED. THEY DROVE TO WILMOT'S NOT FAR FROM THE PLACE
WHERE I WAS BORN AND DECIDED TO TAKE ME HOME WITH THEM. ALTHO
THEY SAID I WAS THE PUNIEST PALEST SICKLIEST BABY THAT THEY EVER
SAW. THEY WRAPPED ME UP AND STARTED FOR MARION WITH ME. THEY
LOOKED AT ME SEVERAL TIMES ON THE WAY HOME TO SEE IF I WAS ALIVE
THEY SAID. FOR THERE WAS NO COLOR IN MY FACE AND MY LIPS LOOKED
BLUE. THEY GOT ME HOME ALIVE.
THEIR DAUGHTER MATTIE WAS DELIGHTED TO HAVE
ME FOR HER LITTLE SISTER. THEY COULD ONLY GIVE ME A LITTLE COWS
MILK AT A TIME. BUT GRADUALLY I BEGAN TO LIVEN UP UNDER SUCH
GOOD CARE. AND GET A LITTLE PINK COLOR IN MY CHEEKS, AND GROW.
THEY USED TO HAVE A LITTLE SLEEVE THAT I WORE WHEN THEY GOT ME,
IT WAS THE LENGTH OF MY MIDDLE FINGER (WHEN I WAS A WOMAN) AND
THEY ROLLED IT UP AN INCH BECAUSE IT WAS TOO LONG. (18) AND I
WAS 7 MONTHS OLD WHEN KINLEYS TOOK ME TO RAISE. PEOPLE USED TO
CALL ME THE RUNT.
I WAS ALWAYS SMALL FOR MY AGE AND THEN UNTIL
I WAS 13 YRS OLD THEN I BEGAN TO GROW TALLER. AND WHEN I WAS 16
I WEIGHED AROUND 110 LBS AND WHEN I WAS MARRIED AT 18 YRS I
WEIGHED 115 LBS. KINLEYS SOON AFTER THEY ADOPTED ME MOVED ONTO
A FARM NEAR NEWTON, JASPER CO IOWA.
FATHER KINLEY HAD A SPLENDID FARM AND IT WAS
WELL STOCKED AND WE WERE ALL SO HAPPY AND CONTENTED. THE COUNTRY
WAS NEW THERE DID NOT SEEM TO BE ONE BUG OR WORM OR ANY
BLIGHT OR ANYTHING TO DESTROY WHAT EVER ANYONE
PLANTED. THEY SURELY HAD A RICH HARVEST OF EVERY THING THEY
RAISED WHETHER GARDEN ORCHARD OR FIELD.
ALL OF A SUDDED THE WAR CRY CAME.. EVERY
MAN THAT WAS ABLE BODIED AND CONSIDERED TO BE FIT FOR THE
SERVICE ENLISTED, LEAVING MOTHERS, WIVES, SWEET HEARTS (19)
LITTLE CHILDREN AND HOME FAR BEHIND. AT FIRST I DID NOT
UNDERSTAND IT AT ALL, FOR I WAS TOO YOUNG. BUT AS TIME ROLLED
ON I REMEMBER HOW NEW RECRUITS PASSED BY IN STAGE COACHES.
MY SISTER MATTIE WAS A GOOD SINGER. SHE
LEARNED ALL OF THE THEN NEW WAR SONGS AND SHE TAUGHT THEM TO
ME. WHEN THE SOLDIER BOYS WENT BY I WOULD SING A WAR SONG, AND
THEY CHEERED AND WAVED THEIR CAPS.
MY MOTHER AND MY SISTER WERE NOT STRONG ENUF
TO DO ALL OF THE HEAVY FARM WORK ALONE. THEY USED TO HIRE AN
ENGLISHMAN, HIS NAME WAS TOM CHARITY. HE WAS NOT MUCH OF A HAND
AND I USED TO BE AFRAID OF HIM. WHILE MOTHER AND SISTER WERE
GETTING SUPPER READY IN THE KITCHEN THEY USED THE LAMP AND THERE
WAS NO LIGHT IN THE ROOM NEXT TO THE KITCHEN. TOM WOULD GET
DOWN ON ALL FOURS AND GROWL AND MAKE FACES AND SCAMPER AFTER ME
AND I WOULD SCREAM AND ALMOST HAVE FITS. SO I DID NOT LIKE HIM
(20) THE INDIANS A FRIENDLY TRIBE THAT
FATHER USED TO SWAP CORN TO FOR VENISON OR DEER MEAT USED TO
COME A WHOLE STRING OF THEM ON THEIR PONIES AND ASK FOR FOOD AND
CORN. ONCE MY SISTER WAS GETTING THEM SOME EGGS OUT OF A BIG
STEAMER AND AN OLD INDIAN SQUAW HAD A BIG HEAVY PIECE OF CANVAS
FILLING IT WITH CORN DOWN AT THE RAIL CORN CRIB. SHE TIED THE
CORNERS OF THE CANVAS IN A HARD KNOT AND THREW THE CORN ON HER
BACK AND HOOKED THE KNOTTED CORNERS ON HER FOREHEAD AND CARRIED
THAT LOAD OF CORN OUT TO THE ROAD AND BALANCED IT ON HER PONYS
BACK. THEY STRAPPED THEIR PAPPOOSE TO A BOARD AND HUNG IT AT
THE PONYS SIDE.
THOSE INDIANS CAMPED DOWN EAST OF US A FEW
MILES. WE USED TO HAVE A SUGAR CAMP DOWN NEAR THE RIVER WHERE
WE TAPPED SUGAR MAPLE TREES CAUGHT SAP IN PAILS HAD A LARGE PAN
TO BOIL DOWN THE SAP AND O THE SWEET SMELL OF THAT LOVELY MAPLE
(21) SYRUP AND ALSO THE GOOD TASTE OF IT AND THE CAKES OF MAPLE
SUGAR COOLED DOWN IN 6 QT TIN PANS FINE TO EAT WITH SAUSAGE AND
BUCKWHEAT CAKES.
WELL THE INDIANS WERE FRIENDLY. WE USED TO
VISIT THEM WHEN OUR MEN WERE AT HOME TO TAKE US TO THEIR CAMP.
THEY HAD SEVERAL TENTS. IT WAS FUN TO WATCH THE INDIAN KIDS
SWIM AND PLAY. WE SAW THE SQUAWS MAKING BEAD BASKETS & SLIPPERS
AND OTHER PRETTY BEAD WORK CUSHIONS AND PURSES ETC. FANCY
COLORS. THEY USED TO ROAST MUSKRATS THO, THAT MADE ME FEEL
SICK.
OUR MEN ALL ENLISTED IN THE WAR. WE TOOK THE
WAR PAPERS AND READ OF THE BATTLES AND WHAT A HORRIBLE THING
THAT WAR CALLED THE CIVIL WAS WAS. CIVIL! IS IT CIVIL TO KILL
YOUR BROTHER? ONE DAY WHILE WE WERE VISITING AT A NEIGHBORS,
MOTHER SAW A MAN COME LIMPING DOWN THE ROAD TOWARD US DRESSED IN
THE ARMY BLUE. MOTHER THREW UP HER (22) ARMS AND SHOUTED "O
THERE CAMES FRED!" AND WE ALL WENT TO MEET HIM.
HE HAD BEEN WOUNDED IN THE LEG. HE HAD THE
RIFLE BALL WITH HIM THAT WOUNDED HIM. HE HAD LAIN IN THE
HOSPITAL UNTIL HE WAS ABLE TO COME HOME ON FURLOUGH FOR A FEW
DAYS. HE ONCE MADE A SPEECH AT OUR SCHOOL HOUSE WHILE HE WAS AT
HOME AND THE HOUSE WAS SO CROWDED WITH THE PEOPLE THAT SOME
STOOD OUTSIDE OF THE DOOR. HOW THE PEOPLE DID CHEER AND CHEER
HIM.
WE WENT HOME SO HAPPY TO HAVE HIM WITH US
BUT WHEN WE WENT BACK WE ALL CRIED BECAUSE WE FELT THAT WE MIGHT
NEVER SEE HIM AGAIN AND WE NEVER DID FOR HE WAS KILLED AT THE
BATTLE OF CHATTANOOGA NEAR LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN. A RIFLE BALL
SEVERED THE JUGLAR VEIN IN HIS NECK AND IN A SHORT TIME HIS LIFE
WAS GONE. THE BOYS ROLLED HIM IN HIS BLANKET AND BURRIED DEAR
FATHER ON THE CRUEL BATTLE FIELD.
WHILE HE WAS AT HOME ON FURLOUGH THERE WERE
SOME FRIENDLY INDIANS CAME TO (23) SEE HIM. HE HAD THEM COME IN
AND SIT DOWN TO DINNER WITH US. THEY ATE LIKE WE DID. THEY HAD
BOWLS OF WATER THO TO DRINK AND WHEN THEY GOT THRU EATING THEY
TOOK UP THEIR BOWLS AND EMPTIED THE WATER THAT WAS LEFT ONTO THE
FLOOR. I WANTED TO LAUGH BUT MOTHER MOTIONED WITH HER EYES FOR
ME NOT TO. FATHER WALKED OVER HIS FARM WHILE AT HOME
TOO, AND LOOKED IT OVER. I WENT WITH HIM. HE LEAD ME BY THE
HAND, HE PICKED SOME BIG LILLIES AND GAVE THEM TO ME AND SMILED
SO KIND. I SHALL NEVER FORGET IT. FATHER RETURNED TO THE
SERVICE.
FINALLY ONE EVENING AFTER THE DAYS WORK WAS
OVER A MAN CAME RIDING UP HORSEBACK. HE CAME IN AND SAT AT THE
END OF THE LOG FIRE PLACE. HE JUST SAT THERE AND SAID NOTHING.
FINALLY MOTHER ASKED IF HE HAD ANY NEWS. HE SAID YES, THERE HAS
BEEN AN AWFUL BATTLE, AND SAID NOTHING MORE. FINALLY MOTHER
(24) ASKED HIM IF FATHER WAS KILLED AND HE SAID YES. ABOUT THE
MIDDLE OF THE AFTERNOON THE DAY BEFORE.
I SHALL NEVER FORGET THAT NITE AS LONG AS I
LIVE. WIDOW AND ORPHANS AT THAT HOME, ALL HEART-BROKEN. WHEN
SHALL WARS END? OF WHAT USE ARE THEY? I HAVE SEEN TWO OR
RATHER SEEN THE MEN LEAVING THEIR HOMES FOR TWO WARS AND MANY
NEVER RETURNED. |
