West Jefferson in Days Gone By - series 104 by Charlie Miller
A Civil War Story
From The Madison County Democrat:
____September 4, 1906 – Monday morning Capt. I. C. Pettery of Washington City, (Washington C.H.) was shaking hands on our streets surrounded by a host of friends and acquaintances when Saxie Lewis, the well-known colored laborer came along. Saxie rushed up to shake hands with the visitor. The meeting seemed to give mutual pleasure as Capt. Peetrey remarked with a twinkle in his eye, “I am glad to see you, Saxie, as the day when you gave me the first cup of coffee and piece of hard tack that I had had in 9 months.”
Turning to his friends he continued, “You see Saxie and I served together, we both enlisted in London and I spent 9 months in a Rebel prison, and was sent to Wilmington, N. C. for exchange. Here the opposing forces were drawn in opposite lines and prisoners to be exchanged were marched between the the line, there were 1,200 of us and as we walked and hobbled down the long line most of us were recognized by our comrades and taken in tow at once and cared for. I began to feel that no one was there for me when a colored soldier gave a shout “There goes Lt. Pettery” and the next minute Saxie had me by the hand and marched me up to Capt. Bates’ headquarters where I was refreshed with the best tasting food I ever ate—although it was only hard tack, coffee and a raw onion.
Here Saxie broke in, “Capt. I can see you now, just as you marched down that line, your blouse was worn off above the elbows, your pants in tatters showing bare legs. You had cut away all your hat brim to make soles for a pair of shoes which had no uppers, but yet you looked good to me,” and then the old soldiers shook hands again.
____September 14, 1906 – Gas was struck on the farm of Howard Johnson, 2 ½ miles southwest of Jefferson at 102’.
____September 28, 1906 – The Mantle House is now operated by Howard Armantrout of London.
____The Harmony Club was formed in 1906 at the home of Mary Kinnard with 8 charter members.
____March 4, 1907 – Resolved by the Council of the Village of Jefferson, that stone or brick sidewalks shall be constructed on both sides of Walnut, Chester, W. Main, Chapel, Town, London, and Pearl Streets in said Village.
____July 1, 1907 – A bid by J. B. Solomon of 13c. Per square foot for putting in a cement sidewalk in front of the Opera House was accepted.