West Plains, Mo.
[Illustration: DR. J. C. B. DIXON.]
Union Woman Leaves Arkansas for Missouri.
Mrs. Giddens, a widow, before the war resided in Conway county,
Arkansas. She had two sons, Brad and John, who were about grown at
the commencement of the war. This was a Union family and these two
boys, with others, kept themselves hid until the Confederates issued
a general order to hunt down all Union men and either force them to
join the Confederate army or hang them. The boys at once saw that they
would be arrested and forced into the Confederate service. They held a
consultation with their mother and decided to try to reach the Federal
lines near Rolla.
Their mother took a couple of wagons with a large yoke of oxen to each
wagon, and loaded them with her household goods, wearing apparel and
provisions to last them through. In the spring of 1864 they started
for Rolla. The boys traveled at night until they reached Missouri, and
on reaching Taney county they met some Federal troops and made their
way to Rolla, where they enlisted and joined the 16th U. S. Cavalry
Volunteers, and were attached to company K, commanded by Capt. Monks,
and served until peace was made and they were honorably discharged at
Springfield. Both of them are still living and are active ministers of
the church of Christ.
[Illustration: S. B. GIDDENS AND WIFE, MARY DEWETT AND STILLEN
STELLMAN.]
Their mother aimed to reach Rolla by way of West Plains, and on
reaching Howell county, near what is known as the Newt Bond farm, the
bushwhackers stopped her wagons and robbed her, and ordered her to
exchange her large cattle for smaller ones and her large wagon for a
small, light wagon, so that the small cattle could pull it. Finally,
after being stopped several times by the Confederate authorities, she
reached Rolla and found that her sons had enlisted in the Federal army.
She saw the stars and stripes unfurled and it appeared like a complete
change of country. Here she located and remained until her sons were
discharged from the United States service.