In 1855 he in company with seven or eight families made the
move to Louisiana.He first settled on land he bought in Caddo
Parish, but Grandmother’s sister, Aunt “Liz” Crowder(?) was dissatisfied with
the tract of land he had bought for her.So, he exchanged with her and moved his family down to Belle Bower in De
Soto Parish. Mama said he only did it because she was a widow and grandmother’s
sister. (A man named Palmer had owned the land.)
Down in the Pine tree section of the state her erected a
sawmill and commissary to supply the mill hands and their families. On the
plantation they raised cotton, corn, and sugar can of which they made molasses.
The clothes for the slaves were spun and woven from cotton and until he put up
a cotton gin the seed had to be picked from the cotton by hand. The sawmill
hands were while people who owned no land or slaves. Twice a year several men
were sent to ________ where a supply of salt was gotten. They had to ____ and
strain, and purify it for table use.
He did a big business for a good many years.The “uncivil” war came on. Tow of his sons
went as soldiers and he paid a man to go besides. And he, like all loyal
Southern men, supported the South and the confederated government with all he
had. And like most of them was very much reduced financially at the close of
the war.
Mama (Sarah Elizabeth Holmes) was in school in MansfieldFemaleCollege
when he news of Uncle Miles’ death came.Her mother was already sick and she grew worse. Mama when home and soon
her mother died.
I have a little scrap of paper on which Aunt Liz Crowder
wrote that she was sending some grave wine and lemon syrup and would try to go
to see her the next day. I wonder ho so many valuable documents have be lost
and destroyed and this little scrap of paper survived after all these years.
After Grandmother’s death, Mama, being sixteen, took over
the management of the home and her younger brothers and sisters. The College
was closed and after the battle of Mansfield and
Pleasant Hill
used as a hospital for wounded and sick soldiers.
When the Battles of Mansfield and Pleasant Hill were fought, the sound of the
cannon and the vibrations of the falling trees as they were mowed down by
cannot shots could be heard down at Grandfather’s.Mama said it was a terrible two days. They
expected the Yankee Army to come upon then any hour.Grandfather gave Mama his money and the
household silver and told her to hide them.She buried them under and outhouse floor. But the Armies moved n and no
Northern solders came that way except some who came by and said they were
looking for U.S.
horses.Grandfather told them they were
welcome to look about the place.“Monarch”
a big roan horse he had traded from a Confederate soldier who had captured him
in battle was standing saddled at the gage with a big “U.S. Brand” on him.Those two soldiers passed him buy and “Monarch”
passed his days as a Southern horse.Grandfather, when the army was ten miles away had his stock driven down
into the Soccadee Bottom and there hid out, also provisions.
MansfieldCollege which had been
burned into a hospital was over flowing after those battles. And Papa, Augustus
Middleton Hill who was wounded in one leg after having two horses shot dead under
him was, with other solders, sent to Grandfather’s to recuperate. It did not
take long for Grandfather to find that Papa was one of the Hill family of Wilks
and OgelthorpeCountyGeorgia.Three of Grandfather’s aunts (Popes) had
married three Hill men, Grandpa Hill’s uncles and two Pope men had married 2
Hill girls. So he was taken right into the family.He called Mama “Cousin Lizzie” and she called
him “Cousin Gussie” and their romance began.
