All our good Negroes were true and faithful in helping to hide horses and
other valuable property, but some mean Negroes would tell them where
things were hidden, etc. My aunt, Mrs. Cabaniss, lived on the public road,
and as Stoneman's men passed down they took a good mare out of the plow
and carried it away. She only had two horses--the other was a blind mare.
A week later they returned, going back towards Rutherfordton, followed by
a drove of Negroes on foot. As they were passing Mrs. Cabaniss' a Negro
saw her blind mare in the lot, bridled and rode it away. Her faithful old
colored servant, Edmond, saw the Negro riding the blind mare away, ran
after them, appealing to the officers that they had taken the last horse
and we will all perish. The officer told him to get his mare. He then
procured a heavy stick and ran up beside the Negro and knocked him off,
the troopers laughing and cheering him. He rode the blind mare back, and
saved one horse to plow. Edmond remained faithful and stayed with his old
miss as long as she lived, and he retained the confidence and good will of
all the white people as long as he lived.
While Stoneman's troopers were raiding our section some of them called on
Richard Smith, of Rutherford County, a good farmer and a good liver. He
had a lot of nice bacon hams, and, expecting the raiders, he buried his
hams in the house yard, fixed it up like a fresh grave and put up a
headboard, marked Daniel. The troopers came, ransacked the premises and
inquired about that grave in the yard. Smith told them that a faithful old
servant had died a few days before, and his last request was to be buried
in the yard, and, loving him so well, had complied. This explanation
seemed to satisfy them, and they were about to leave, when one became
skeptical and said, "Hold on boys, I think I would like to see Daniel
before we go;" and, procuring a shovel, set in to raise him. Soon the dirt
was cleaned off the box, then a plank was raised. He remarked, "Daniel
looks natural; seems like I've seen him before somewhere. Well, boys, I
guess we will take Daniel with us. Come out of here, Daniel, your country
needs your services," and so they lifted him out.