Hiding Family Valuables from Plunder

The suffering and bravery of southern women in the American Civil War can inspire us.  Northern soldiers confiscated wood for fuel, chickens, garden crops, pigs, out of necessary.  Rogue soldiers often robbed a family's wealth.

Hiding family valuables

"Word was sent by a neighbor's young houseboy, who sneaked through the woods to their home to warn them that the Union soldiers were foraging,  and so they had a little time to hide things."

Food and valuables were hidden in nearby swamps or woods.   

"We heard that Sherman had burnt Columbia and was advancing towards Fayetteville N.C. We began  to make preparations for the expected raid by hiding such things as we  could unbeknowing to the Negroes. My brother Elisha and I hauled away two barrels of lard, pretending in the presence of the Negroes that we  were carrying it for delivery to a purchaser in the neighborhood...

After leaving home and got out of sight we drove into the woods some distance where we had previously dug holes to receive it and  there buried it destroying all traces of the affair. After we had finished, it was too soon to return home so we spent the time collecting  wood to take back home. In due time we reached home with our load of  wood, reporting in the presence of the Negroes, the safe delivery of the  lard handing in a pretended receipt. "