Читать книгу Return to Tinnin - Jasper S. Lee - Страница 5

"Preacher Hoyle, so good to have you here with us for dinner on this glorious Easter Sunday. You certainly had a powerful message at Mason Chapel this morning about principles of salvation and human love. It was the perfect message for this 1863 Easter. I am sure glad you didn't preach about saving souls from eternal life in the hot fires of hell. Some folks in the congregation sure needed to hear about salvation and love. I was one of them," stated Pa George Shepard.

Ma (George's wife, Sarah) spoke: "Preacher, you are amazing and a real blessing in our community. Here, have another piece of chicken. There are still some 'good' pieces left: a couple of breasts and thighs and a wishbone. The children have plenty on another plate (wings, necks, backs, gizzards, hearts, and feet). I dressed three broilers yesterday. You know, it takes a good bit to feed a family of this size." So goes southern dinner-cooking with the Shepard family, Easter Sunday 1863, on a Tinnin, Mississippi, farm.

Pa spoke up, "You know, Preacher, I am very concerned about this war. I hear that more troops are heading toward Vicksburg for a big battle. They might come through here. Many men have all ready died or been seriously hurt. We have lost so much property to the destructive troops as they moved through. Why can't we get along in harmony?" With that, Preacher Hoyle responded, "I agree. We need peace and to learn how to get along with each other."

As Ma started passing the plate of remaining fried chicken, the sounds of a horse's hooves could be heard rapidly coming down the long hill moving toward the house. Pa went to the porch on the front of the house. It faced the dirt trail, where dust was in the air from the hooves. The rider, somewhat out of breath, shouted to Pa George that the "Union troops are on the way and will be here tomorrow. The company is about 100 soldiers. And, there may be more." Afterward, the horse and rider sped back up the hill, kicking up even more dust. As many people as possible in the Tinnin community were going to be alerted about the future arrival of the soldiers, and precautions taken to assure safety of families and their property. After all, they had already had Confederate and Union forces to come through, and both were about equally abusive.

George knew some of what had to be done, but he didn't know that his oldest daughter, Ellen, had come to the porch behind him. Ellen, trembling and with tears in her eyes, said, "Pa, what are we going to do? The presence of troops scares me. You know, I am 15 years old. Do you think one of them will take advantage of me? I want to save my 'specialness' until my wedding night; that is important to me and what I have been taught as being right. And, Pa, some men at the Ratliff Store are already looking at me with a gleam in their eyes. You and Ma were married when she was 14, and I was born when she was 15. So..."

Pa replied to Ellen, "Not in my presence will any soldier lay an eye on you. I will shoot straight into the face of anyone who does so in a lustful way." That soothed Ellen a bit, but she knew each soldier had a gun better than Pa's rarely used old double barrel. Pa further said, "Don't let any of those scums at the Ratliff Store touch you either. I will speak to your Grandfather Ratliff about this."

Pa went back to the dining table with Preacher Hoyle, Ma, and Ma's parents, Zachariah and Susan Tinnin Ratliff. Sarah had invited her parents to join them for an Easter meal with the preacher. Ellen went back to the children's table with her seven siblings. (As the oldest child, Ellen was the unofficial leader of the children's table.) Pa announced what the rider had said. "And," he continued, "we just had a Union field artillery company here two weeks ago. They discarded bullets and one cannon ball. Why again?"

Preacher Hoyle immediately said, "I've got to go. It takes at least 15 minutes on horseback to get back to my home in Clinton. I hope I don't run into the soldiers on the way." He grabbed his worn Bible, ran outside, unhitched his horse, and jumped on its back. The horse went up the hill trail faster than the messenger who had brought the word.

Ma was disappointed that Preacher Hoyle left so quickly. "You know," Ma said, "he didn't even say thank you, have a prayer, or anything. He ran."

Pa lamented, "Kind of like preachers around here. You know, a war is going on. If a preacher can't save himself, how can he save the souls of others? He would have been safer if he had stayed here with us until the soldiers passed through. I am sure he was concerned about his family and friends."

And, Ma was also disappointed that she had put so much work into the meal, including the lemon cake that had not been sliced for serving. She had spent Saturday butchering three fine young chickens and hours preparing the meal. Of course, Ellen and others of the older Shepard children had helped some with the collard greens, corn bread, and other fixin's. Unfortunately, they would not see Preacher Hoyle again.

Ma saved the leftover fried chicken in the pie safe over night. Not much there but a neck, back, wing, heart, and half-gizzard. The preacher and the Ratliff and Shepard families had eaten the wishbone, breast pieces, thighs, drumsticks, and the like. Ma had a thought in her mind about hunger among the soldiers, however. She thought they would be hungry and looking for food. That was true with the Confederates who came through a couple of weeks ago. Anyway, since camp cooking wasn't that good, they would especially like to get home cooked food. The lemon cake will make a few really happy.

Preacher Hoyle was an itinerant minister who served at Mason Chapel, a small congregation that pretty well followed beliefs and practices of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The church met in a small frame structure with a couple of privies. It was near the clapboard schoolhouse in the Tinnin community, so the privies were also used by school children and teachers. Just like the Tinnin community, the church congregation was small--not many white folks in the community were brave enough to venture out to church, as a lot of bad stuff was going on due to war and racial tensions. The situation was far more perilous than one preacher could solve. Preacher Hoyle also served a couple of other tiny churches also within a few miles of Clinton. The schoolhouse near Mason Chapel served as a social center in the community.

On his way to Clinton, Preacher Hoyle ran into the company of soldiers (they stormed Clinton before venturing to Tinnin). The soldiers stopped him and looked him over good. They asked if he had money; and, yes, he did from his preaching that morning at Mason Chapel. A Private O'Reilly took his meager earnings and stuffed them into his pocket.

Since the preacher had a fairly good-looking horse, the soldiers decided to keep it and let the preacher go. As the preacher protested that he would have two miles to walk, they pointed guns at him and told him to get going. One soldier was heard to say, "A good horse is far more valuable than an itinerant preacher." One took the preacher's Bible out of the saddlebag and threw it at him; Preacher Hoyle picked it up as it had some sermon notes in it. Because the preacher was not accustomed to such fear and having to walk, his heart pounded so that he fell dead from heart failure. A stranger passing through found his body and alerted a local law official. This did not slow the movement of the soldiers.

At the Shepards, the children were asked to join Pa and Ma and Grandparents Ratliff at the adult table. It was already after 3:00 p.m. because dinner had been delayed until the preacher arrived. His morning sermon had lasted until 1:00 p.m., and then it took a few minutes for him to ride to the Shepard home.

Serious conversation ensued. Pa told the family what the rider had said. The girls cried; the boys were too young to be concerned. Everyone was given a responsibility in preparing for the troops. The Shepards had to protect their limited possessions; the farm hands (slaves) were already about free and not around to help. Overall, life was stressful even without the thought of soldiers coming. Farm work and life had changed so much with the abolition of slavery but it would turn out to be a good change.

Pa continued with the plan that involved hiding things deep in the forest of Shepard Hills, in the attic of the house, and in the ground. The work had to be done before dark that day, with the arrival of the soldiers the next morning. There was some fear that the soldiers would come in the darkness of night, and this was even more scary.

Everyone in the family got involved. Ellen was responsible for the draft animals, which were to be tied in thick brushy hollows in the hills. These included pairs of horses and oxen, along with a mule. She took them to an area filled with small trees, vines, and bushes.

Ellen's sisters Georgia Ann and Sarah were responsible for taking the cured meat (about 150 pounds altogether of hams and bacon sides) from the smokehouse to the attic. Several trips up the ladder were needed. A few small pieces were left in the smokehouse just in case the soldiers demanded some meat. It would be there for their taking. The ladder leading to the attic was cut into pieces and burned in the fireplace, leaving no easy way for the soldiers to get into the attic.

Ellen's sisters Mag and Rachel were responsible for burying the gunpowder in the ground near the stable in a pottery container that would keep it dry. Other small household things were tucked away in places not readily visible. Naomi and James helped with this. Since Ira was only two years old, he wasn't given a responsibility.

Ma Sarah, her mother, and daughters Ellen and Mag quickly cleaned the table and kitchen. Then, Susan and Zachariah departed for their home. It was located in the heart of Tinnin near the Ratliff Store, about a mile away.

Nothing was done to protect the loose chickens, penned pigs, and pastured cows. They would be left vulnerable to the soldiers' whims. But, Naomi, who was six years of age, asked about their dogs, Ritz and Bummer, as well as the barn cats, Oscar and Lucille. Pa said let them stay loose and that "Ritz is the best dog with some training; Bummer turned up as a stray with mange and a bad eye; that makes him kind of mean. It is hard to defend him even though he is a good watchdog, with one eye and all. As for the cats, let them continue their rat patrol of the corn crib. We don't need the rats to get our corn."

Pa had a certain confidence that he could handle the situation with the soldiers. After all, when voting was done to secede from the Union and form the Confederate States of America, Pa had voted the Union ticket. He had moved south from Indiana as a very young man in 1841, searching for opportunity. Many of his values had been shaped by his parents and others in Indiana. Of course, he had several slaves (farm hands) until they were granted their freedom in the early-to-mid 1860s. He lost a small fortune of investment when emancipation occurred. His vote on secession resulted in some people in the community never again trusting him.

He had worked hard to gain his plantation holdings of 1,200 acres (some with government grants from the Choctaw cessation). In 1857, he had built a large home for his family. Various outbuildings supported his family and plantation life. He did not want his property taken or destroyed. He wanted a good future. The future was looking promising until the U.S. Civil War began. The farm was almost in a direct line between Jackson and Vicksburg--a major route for delivery of farm products to the promising foreign markets by way of Vicksburg and its connections to ports in various countries, particularly in Europe.

Easter Sunday night, no one slept well (except baby Ira, who was still breast-fed at age 2). Through the night, there was always a listening ear for the sounds of soldiers. The sun began to rise over Shepard Hills on the Monday after Easter. No sign of soldiers yet. Morning chores were to be done--milk the two cows (Ellen's responsibility) and gather any eggs that were laid early (Mag's responsibility). After chores, everyone was to come into the house. Of course, the sighting of any soldier in the distance was plenty reason to immediately come inside.

Overnight, the remaining farm hands (only a few were still there) and their families disappeared. Where did they go? They didn't tell George or anyone. Some might have been aided by advance men of the Union troops sneaking around before their arrival at the farm. On previous occasions, a few farm hands would return after the troops had moved on. Pa was not harsh on them. He tried to put himself in their places. Everyday life was so chaotic. Whether anyone would be available for producing crops that year was unknown. War had destroyed so much...so little had been gained at this point. Life was hard for everyone.

No one knew if or when the soldiers would arrive. Pa Shepard did not know that they had camped less than two miles away on a hillside just south of a place called Kickapoo. This meant that it wouldn't take long for the soldiers to go down the dirt trail through Shepard Hills to the home. That morning, they broke camp and began movement north toward Tinnin.

About mid-morning, a field artillery company began arriving. Commanded by Captain West, the 100 men made their way into the area surrounding the Shepard home. Men were walking with light weapons and packs. A few with injuries rode horses. Pairs of horses pulled four 12-pounder field howitzer cannons. Captain West ordered the 1^st lieutenant to have troops find a site for overnight setup.

Captain West brought a squad (12 men with light arms) with him to the front porch of the house. He fired a shot into the air. He banged on the wooden floor with his gunstock and shouted loudly, "Everyone in the house come out right now!" Pa, Ma, and the eight children came out--all were very afraid. Loaded guns were aimed at them by four soldiers. Smoke from the shot fired into the air was still present. James was so scared that he peed in his pants and cried. The family members were asked to get in a line near the middle of the porch.

Eight armed soldiers got onto the porch. The other soldiers stood in the yard and guarded the goings-on with pointed guns. Then five of the eight went inside to search the house. The three soldiers remaining on the porch looked the Shepards over good. The captain asked questions about food, animals, gunpowder, and the like. Pa provided information but did not reveal where things were hidden. He told the soldiers about the barn, smokehouse, chicken house, and stables. He told them about food in the smokehouse.

A very important question Captain West asked was, "Does a Confederate soldier live here?" None did. Pa said, "No." This appeared to help the soldiers adjust to the family. This truthful answer might have saved both lives and property of the Shepard family. The soldiers with raised, loaded guns lowered them. Stress was only slightly reduced.

While Pa was talking and all family members were distracted, one soldier, Private Cason, approached Ellen. She was a good-looking young woman and mature for her 15 years of age. He looked her over with lustful eyes and asked her, "What is your name?"

"Ellen,"she softly replied.

He said, "I will see you later, Ellen," and moved on to other duties. Ellen was frightened, but there wasn't much she could do except worry and think about what he might be up to if he saw her again. She thought about ways to defend herself from unwanted advances.

Pa told the captain that he had voted the Union ticket. That seemed to endear the captain and members of the squad, at least a bit more, toward him. Conversation ensued. Pa, as he later shared with Ma, did learn that this company of soldiers had come from the Battle of Corinth to Jackson and then plundered the town of Clinton. They were now on their way to Vicksburg. There they would join with other soldiers, including those from Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa, under Generals Sherman and Grant to engage in major Union war events at Vicksburg.

Those searching the house found a few things and took them. Of particular interest were food and beverage items, such as cornmeal, potatoes, coffee, and whiskey. There was nearly a half barrel of Dexter Whiskey that Pa had brought back from Vicksburg--enough for several soldiers that evening. Pa wasn't much of a drinker but would occasionally take a sip. He supposedly used the bourbon for medicinal purposes. It was used as an anesthetic in some cases such as in removing a tooth that had gone bad. Family members, friends, and slaves might get a drink for pain (two if in considerable pain). Fortunately, the searchers did not take the small collection of letters and other documents that the family was keeping.

One soldier opened the pie safe and found the plate of leftover chicken and the uncut lemon cake left from dinner with the preacher. He and the other soldiers in the house immediately ate the chicken and spit bones on the floor. Of course, the soldiers who got the heart and half-gizzard had no bones to get rid of. But, considering what they had been having to eat, the soldiers found the cold leftover fried-in-lard chicken to be very tasty. They decided to take the cake with them to their overnight camping site, just a hundred yards or so away in front of the house.

Most of the day was spent pilfering for things of value to plunder. It was then time to set up camp. A relatively level field site near the house was chosen to set up for the night. It was near a dug well with good water and in the fruit and pecan orchard. Being early spring, about the only thing available in the orchard was strawberries and not many of them. The soldiers had packed a few tents and cooking items for camping along their journey.

Four of the soldiers decided to stay the night in one of the vacant shacks that remained after the slaves were gone. Old remnants of beds and a fireplace were available. Because they isolated themselves from the major group, some of the soldiers who stayed in tents thought these four might have been gay. Though this notion was never confirmed, a few soldiers steered clear of them in a discriminating manner. Soldiers weren't always happy being in each other's presence but had to share a common goal of military activity and life.

The soldiers weren't exactly in dress uniform and freshly bathed. Body odors were strong and penetrating. Clothing was frayed and often dirty. A few had stains in their pants because of the diarrhea they had suffered. Their hair was scraggly and their faces were unshaven, for the most part. A few appeared sickly with colds and related ailments, such as ringworm and, perhaps, syphilis. Some had head lice and often scratched their scalps. In spite of all this, it was fortunate that the shots fired on the first day of encampment did not injure anyone. Overall, they were in better condition than the Confederate troops of a couple of weeks ago.

The soldiers searched the outbuildings for anything that would be useful. Small amounts of meat were taken from the smokehouse. Gunshots were heard from near the hogpen. Two 70-pound pigs were killed, primitively butchered, and, after gutting, roasted over a fire in the encampment. The fire singed the hair off, creating a bad odor; crusted the skin; and, after few hours, somewhat cooked through the carcasses. One soldier took the livers from the two pigs, cut them into slices, and tried to fry the slices in lard. Now, it was time for the troops to eat.

A few of the soldiers who had confiscated Pa's Dexter Whiskey began drinking before the tents were all up. Staggering about and slurring their words were signs they were into it. One, who particularly imbibed, had too much and began throwing up. Sad. Not much was in the vomit except a few particles of chewed chicken gizzard he had taken from the pie safe. He hadn't eaten since breakfast that day except for the leftover chicken. Two soldiers had piccolos and began playing them. Some of the soldiers joined in by singing, clapping, and dancing about. Their euphoria was likely the result of downing the liquor and being in a good camping site.

No one in the Shepard family rested well that night. Soldiers were at hand. Their behavior was unpredictable. Four soldiers stayed up to guard the encampment. One soldier had said he would see Ellen later, and that made her particularly fearful. Ellen made up her mind that she would defend herself as she needed. Also, there were Ellen's slightly younger sisters who might need defending. Of course, Ma was only 33 years of age and still quite attractive. But, everyone made it through the night okay. What would happen when daylight came?

The next morning, the soldiers were out and about at dawn. Fires were started for limited cooking of breakfast. No toilets were available; soldiers relieved themselves wherever convenient but never inside the camping area. Large leaves were used to wipe after 'taking a crap.' The camp was taken down in preparation for the march to the next site a few miles away. But, the soldiers didn't leave immediately.

Shortly after taking down the camp, some continued searching around the outbuildings for things of value. One freshly dug site near the hogpen got their attention. The soldiers checked and found a pottery container of gunpowder. This made some of them furious, particularly their commanding officer.

They returned to the Shepard home, fired three shots into the air, and called out much as they had on the previous day when they arrived. The family fearfully went onto the porch as per orders. Loaded guns were aimed at them. The captain shouted in terse terms about the gunpowder. The family hadn't told the soldiers about it. What else was hidden? None of the Shepards spoke a word.

Several soldiers loudly stepped onto the porch. One was Private Cason, who walked straight to Ellen. He softly asked, "Remember me?" Of course, she did. He struck fear in her on the previous day.

Just when she said, "Yes," Private Cason stood behind her pressing his body against hers. He put his right hand around her waist and pulled her tighter to him. He reached around and put his left hand on her left breast. He stood tightly touching her body. Soldiers who noticed this ignored it; they did not step in to defend Ellen. Such troop behavior was not uncommon among both the Confederate and Union forces.

Just as he pulled her tighter and whispered in her ear, "You are a beautiful woman," she vigorously defended herself, pushing his left hand away from her breast and elbowing firmly into his gut with her right arm. This forced him back about a foot, just enough for Ellen, with all her might, to swing her clinched right fist, hitting him firmly in the belly. He bent over, gasped for air, and stumbled to the edge of the porch. None of her family noticed, as they were distracted by the goings-on and threat of burning by the other soldiers. Ellen never told anyone about this. If Pa knew, he might incite hard feelings and violence.

Just after Ellen had defended herself and Private Cason was on the edge of the porch, a big shout of "Fire!" was heard. Gunpowder had been thrown in a 4-foot long streak on the porch floor. It was to propel a fire that would quickly burn the house. That frightened Private Cason, and he jumped off the porch.

Ellen was free but concerned about her home and what might happen later. Pa pleaded not to set the gunpowder on fire. Ma pleaded the same. The children were sobbing and begging. Ellen and her just younger sister, Rachel, screamed, begging the soldiers not to burn the house.

Anyway, the persuasion by Ma and Pa and the children was sufficient. The captain ordered the soldier not to ignite the gunpowder. The house was spared. Before departing, the captain left a warning: "If this house is ever painted or made fancy, we will come back and burn it to the ground. No Confederate soldiers are to ever live here." That warning was heeded for more than the next 100 years. In fact, no member of the military ever lived in the house, nor did any member of the family serve in the military. It was always Pa's teaching that peace was better than war. He often wondered about the good of the Civil War. He had always felt that slavery wasn't right. He was more progressive than most southern white folks, considering his midwestern orientation. Pa agreed with U.S. President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation that had been issued earlier on January 1, 1863. The Confederate states were not in the Union and slavery did not end immediately. Slaves that knew about what was going on would sometimes vanish in the darkness of the night; others would remain a while longer. It was a turbulent time! (Slavery did not officially end until December 1865 when the 13^th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified by three-fourths of the 36 states that were in the Union at that time. Mississippi returned to the Union in 1870 after a time of reconstruction and martial law. Further, Mississippi did not formally submit ratification papers until the year 2013!)

The family rested a little better as the soldiers began their march toward Champion Hill for their next camping site. Some food was gone. All of Pa's Dexter Whiskey was taken (the previous night's imbibing might have helped save the house). Two pigs were prepared and eaten on-site. The horses and other animals hidden in the thick woods of Shepard Hills were still there. Maybe these would be the last troops to come through.

Ritz and Bummer had stayed hidden under the house next to the base of the big chimney. They hardly came out at all during any of the ordeal. But, when the Union soldiers left, they did and wagged their tails at the Shepard children. This helped the family get over their ordeal. As for the cats, they went about their usual work in the corn crib of controlling the rat population.

The Shepard family tried to return to a calm state. They had been spared major tragedy. The house was not burned. Ellen was safe--all family members were safe. Life would go on in the post-slave era, but it was a time of poverty and deprivation. They never knew when another group of soldiers might show up. Actions of Confederate and Union military forces during the Civil War brought great havoc to Tinnin and the Shepard family. Life was chaotic, to say the least.

Pa often shared with his family questions about war. He would begin with, "Why was war needed?" Ellen was always eager to hear his explanations; he sounded so reasoned and eloquent to her. Pa would say that humans are intelligent beings and should be able to settle differences in humane ways without war. He would say that war causes great human loss. It destroys what humans have made through their efforts. Southerners should have agreed with the policies of their Nation. Slavery was not justifiable in a moral society.

Another thing that Pa did not like was the popular notion of guns. He wanted them used discretely and with caution, not flaunted or used as threats. He felt that guns were created primarily for one purpose: to give one human an advantage over another human or over an animal by threatening and/or taking its life. Of course, he and his family had been bullied by men with guns when the Confederate and Union forces came through Tinnin. He was glad that no guns discharged by troops physically injured his family. Soldiers did use guns to harvest some of the animals on the farm. He pretty well thought that anyone who carried a gun was insecure and did so in an attempt to enhance low self-esteem. So, it is just as well that he had only an old shotgun with double barrels.

Pa's ability to lead such discussions was probably a product of his northern upbringing. How he viewed his role as the head of household to embrace fundamentals of education were also midwestern in roots. There were likely times when Pa thought that if he had stayed in Indiana he would have avoided all the turmoil he had found in Tinnin, Mississippi. However, he now thought of Tinnin as his home and the place he should live and seek wealth if any could be found.

Even with war threats and destruction, people in the Tinnin community found pride in where they lived. They felt that there was good quality of life, but that thought was primarily associated with white people who had never traveled any place. Blacks, though they did not enjoy increasing equality in most regards, were adjusting and leaving the area with their newfound emancipation. Members of the Choctaw Tribe had been chased from the area a quarter century earlier by the Federal government and treaties that led to cessation of the land. Hills with wooded areas provided habitat for important meat, such as rabbit, deer, and squirrel. Though Pa was not a hunter, he would let others hunt on his land if they shared their harvest. Creek bottoms provided good lands for row cropping (except following a heavy sustained rain, when runoff water would get the Bogue Chitto Creek out of its banks). Springs in the hills provided good-quality fresh water. The air was clean and free of the pollution found in cities where coal was burned and iron work carried out. Overall, the Tinnin community was a healthful place to live.

But, it was spring, and crops needed to be started. This required work by each individual in the family who was old enough to work in the field. Cotton, corn, sweet potatoes, and pinder (Gullah name for peanut--there were no Gullah people in Mississippi but the name of pinder prevailed) had to be planted as crops. The vegetable garden had to be readied and planted. Fortunately, a few winter vegetable crops had survived, such as collard greens and turnips; these were helpful in getting through times with troops. Before the recent troop experience, potatoes, cabbage, onions, radishes, and lettuce had been planted. Spring and summer vegetable crops should now be planted, which included okra, tomatoes, squash, field peas, and butterbeans. A lot of hard labor was required breaking the land with mule-pulled plows and using hoes to plant by hand.

Orderly life in Tinnin and surrounding area was disrupted by the actions of a few people who held hard feelings toward former slaves and those whites who might have aided them. These small groups would roam around the countryside, create conflict, and be violent. They would burn homes, destroy farm property, endanger human life, and sometimes lynch people who didn't fit right in line with what they wanted. People, particularly children, were sometimes bullied and frightened. One instance near the town of Bolton involved a small group going to a shanty in the night with blazing torches, pulling the man from the house and beating him, and setting the house on fire. Fortunately, the man's life was spared and his wife and children escaped. Their meager possessions were destroyed.

The vigilantes became known as "white-liners;" mention of these words produced fear among people. As a northerner, Pa was somewhat suspect in the South. Some people knew he voted the Union ticket before the U.S. Civil War and that he was always kind toward his slaves. This notion out in the community among the "white-liners" created some additional anxiety among the Shepards; they didn't know what atrocity might be perpetrated upon them next.

Mississippi had seceded from the Union in 1861. The decision was influenced by an elite group of plantation owners. They evidently had confidence that the Confederate states would prevail in the war. Extended battles were fought in the state--several were relatively close to Tinnin such as Champion Hill and, somewhat more distant, Vicksburg. Most battle wins (particularly the major battles) went to the Union. After 1863, astute Confederates could see that there was no future in the war effort. Bringing the War to a close and reconstruction of the South required major leadership and financial investment. Mississippi would return to the Union some nine years after it seceded. Achieving equality for all citizens remained a challenge for many years--even to this day. Many former slaves and their families left the state. Some remained as penniless sharecroppers and tenant farmers.

Youngsters in the Shepard family who were approaching adulthood were unsettled by what they had heard and witnessed. Some were wondering if this war experience would ever end. And, life was hard--lots of work and little income. Things would get better. There would be ups and downs, successes and failures. Pleasures in life had to be gleaned from simple things that didn't require money.

Children in the family began to think about their future. Could they escape such a hard life? Would they have food? Clothing? Safety? Their experiences caused them to grow up fast. School wasn't much of an issue--no one in the family went to school more than a few days each year. The Tinnin schoolhouse was not a very impressive place and usually had one teacher for eight grades. But, all the Shepards could read and write to an extent--at least enough to get by. Some adults in the community could sign their names though others only used an X.

Ellen dreamed of a future romance and life as a wife, mother, and homemaker. She had entered womanhood. She had to sort things out for herself. Sometimes things looked bleak. How could she find a better life? She wasn't sure if a better life even existed. The dream was of a loving, kind, and considerate man who would carry her away to a good, secure life with plenty to live on.