504 RIDLEYS OF RUTHERFORD COUNTY, TENNESSEE.
termined they should not. "As soon as the Yankees had left Hunting-
don," says Mrs. Allen, "I sent for my 'Rocky Mountain' (the name of
her horse), and having heard of some Confederates who were to cross the
Tennessee River by night, I sent them a note requesting them to call and
see me before their departure. They rode up at eleven o'clock at night,
and found me with my three-year old stallion saddled and bridled; I
mounted him and rode all night, reaching the river at day-break, and there,
unexpectedly, I found Colonel Allen." After remaining with her hus-
band several days she decided to return and try to save her house from
being burned. Colonel Allen purchased a horse and buggy for her, hoping
she would be able to collect and save her clothing which had been scat-
tered from place to place; but the Yankees took the team and what cloth-
ing she had at home, immediately on her return. She says: "I had some
meat buried in an old ash-hopper, and some salt and molasses under the
kitchen floor; but one of my negroes who had watched me when these
things were hid (this negro's wife being Mrs. Allen's cook, was allowed
to live in a house in the yard, and all the bed-clothes belonging to the
mansion were hid there), approached my door the next morning with re-
volver in hand. I asked him mildly what he wanted, and was answered
with impudence and threats. I was determined to kill him if I could,
and ran into the house for my revolver, when a lady who was stopping
with me caught hold of me and said, 'for God's sake don't shoot! I see a
hundred blue-coats waiting to see what you are going to do'; and in a
minute my house was surrounded by Yankees; they found my revolver,
and I supposed I should be killed. The negro-woman, Anna, went to her
cabin and found it broken open, and the soldiers packing my bed-clothing
over the fence. I went out to beg them to spare me these, when one of
them drew his revolver, and cursing, threatened to shoot me.
lowing day they went out on the Jackson road, and my friends from
Huntingdon persuaded me to leave my home and go to town, which, hav-
ing packed what clothing my faithful dog could carry on his back, and
what I could carry, I did. That night old Captain Kidd, who was a Fed-
eral, came to the house where I was stopping, looking for a negro wait-
ing-man who had been our slave, and when he learned who I was, he said
he had heard that I was shamefully treated. I said I had suffered every-
thing but death. When he learned that my piano and some beds had
been left at my house, he politely offered to go with me and bring them
to town. When we had reached the house the front gallery was covered
with fodder-oats and beef-heads; and the interior of the house was shame-
fully desecrated and dilapidated. When Captain Kidd saw the condition
of my house he exclaimed, 'Good God, what villiany! Madam, I have
heard you are a perfect lady, and I see by your deportment that you were
well raised. I am sorry for you.' An old negro who had loved his mas-
ter and mistress, soon came in, when Captain Kidd said, 'old man, are
there horses and wagons here with which to take these things to town?'
He replied, 'No, master, the Yanks have cleared the place; twenty-two
fine horses and mules are gone.' 'Are there no oxen and wagon?' asked
the old captain. I don't know, master,' said the negro; 'I saw them in
the field last night.' The old negro found the oxen, and all that was in
my house was taken to town." Mrs. Allen says: "My great desire was to
get to my husband, and I determined to walk with a pack on my back as
a beggar; but the day before I was to start on my journey, a lady friend
sent me a note telling me she would let me have a horse which she desired
The fol-
