Senath Mo.Class of '58
Kentucky Belle
The following story depicts the troubled times of the Civil war.
This hand written story was originally handed down to our family by my Aunt Marjorie's great aunt Rosie.
It has been passed along for several generations
I believe it significant, since a lot of our (Corley) ancestors were in Kentucky at that time.
Shortly thereafter our ancestors began their move to Arkansas and Missouri.
Please disregard the spelling as this was typed as originally (hand) written.
Bob Corley - 9-2002
Kentucky Belle
Summer of sixty three sir, and Conrad was gone away.
Gone to the County Town, sir, to sell our first load of hay.
We lived in the log house younder, poor as ever you've seen.
Roschen there was a baby, and I was only nineteen.
Conrad, he took the oxen, but he left Kentucky Belle;
How much we thought of Kentuck, I couldn't begin to tell.
Came from the blue grass country; my father gave her to me,
When I rode North with Conrad, away from the Tennessee.
Conrad lived in Ohio-a German he is you know-
The house stood in broad cornfields, stretching on, row after row.
The old folks made me welcome; They were as kind as kind could be;
But I kept longing, longing for the hills of Tennessee.
Oh, for a sight of water, the shadowed slopes of a hill.
Clouds that hang on the summit, a wind that never is still.
But the level land went stretching away to meet the sky.
Never a rise from North to South, to rest the weary eye.
From East to West, no river to shine out under the moon,
Nothing to make a shadow in the yellow afternoon;
Only the breathless sunshine as I looked out, all forlorn.
Only the “rustle, rustle,” as I walked among the corn.
When I fell sick with pining we didn't wait anymore.
But moved away from the cornland out to this river shore-
The Tuscarawa it's called, sir- off there's a hill you see.
And now I've grown to like it next best to the Tennessee.
I was at work that morning. Someone came riding like mad,
Over the bridge and up the road-farmer Rouf's lad.
Bareback he rode; he had not hat; he hardly stopped to say,
“Morgan's men are coming, Frau, they're galloping on this way.
I'm sent to warn the neighbors. He isn't a mile behind.
He sweeps up all the horses-every horse that he can find;
Morgan, Morgan the raider, and Morgan's terrible men,
With Bowie knives and pistols, are galloping up the glen.”
The lad rode down the valley, and I stood still at the door-
The baby laughed and prattled, playing with spools on the floor.
Kentuck was out in the pasture; Conrad, my man, was gone;
Near, near Morgan's men were galloping, galloping, on;
Sudden I picked up baby and ran to the pasture bar;
“Kentuck!” I called, “Kentuck!” she knew me ever so far!
I led down the gully that turns off there to the right,
And tied her to the bushes; her head was just out of sight.
As I ran back to the log house at once there came a sound.
The ring of hoofs, galloping hoofs trembling over the ground.
Coming into the turnpike out from the White Womans glen-
Morgan, Morgan the raider, and Morgan's terrible men.
As near they drew and nearer, my heart beat fast in alarm;
But, still I stood in the doorway, with baby on my arm.
They came; they passed; with spur and whip, in haste the sped along;
Morgan, Morgan the raider and his band of six hundred strong.
Weary they looked and jaded, riding threw night and threw day;
Pushing on East to the river, many long miles away,
To the border strip where Virginia runs up into the West,
And forded the upper Ohio before they could stop to rest.
On like the wind they hurried, and Morgan rode in advance;
Bright were his eyes like live coals, as he gave me a sideway's glance;
And I was just breathing freely, after my choking pain,
When the last one of the troopers suddenly drew his rein.
Frightened I was to death, sir; I scarce dared look in his face,
As he asked for a drink of water and glanced around the place;
I gave him a cup and he smiled-`twas only a boy you see,
Faint and worn, with dim blue eyes, and he'd sailed on the Tennessee.
Only sixteen he was, sir-a fond Mothers only son-
Off and away with Morgan before his life had begun!
The damp drops stood on his temples; drawn was his boyish mouth;
And I thought me of the Mother waiting, down in the South.
O, pluck was he to the back bone & clear grit `threw and threw;'
Boasted and bragged like a trooper; but the big words wouldn't do;
The boy way dieing, sir, dieing, as plain as plain could be.
Worn out by his ride with Morgan up from the Tennessee.
But when I told the laddie that I too was from the South,
Water came in his dim eyes and quivers around his mouth.
“Do you know the blue grass country?” He wistful began to say,
Then swayed like a willow sapling and fainted dead away.
I had him into the log house, and worked and brought him to;
I fed and coaxed him, as I thought his Mother'ed do;
And, when the lad got better, and the noise in his head was gone,
Morgan's men were miles away, galloping, galloping on.
“Oh, I must go,” he muttered; “ I must be up and away;
Morgan, Morgan is waiting for me! Oh what will Morgan say?”
But I heard a sound of trampling and kept him back from the door-
The ringing sound of horses hoof's that I had heard before.
And on, on came the soldiers-the Michigan cavalry-
And fast they rode, and black they looked galloping rapidly;
They had followed hard on Morgans tracks; they had followed day and night
But Morgan and Morgans raiders they had never caught a sight.
And rich Ohio sat startled threw all those summer days,
For strange, wild men were galloping over her broad highways;
Now here, now there, now seen, now gone, now North, now West,
Threw river vallies and cornland farms, sweeping away her best.
A bold ride and a long ride! but they were taken at last.
They almost reached the river by galloping hard and fast;
But the boys in blue were upon them ere ever they gained the ford,
And Morgan, Morgan the raider, laid down his terrible sword.
Well, I kept the boy `till evening-kept him against his will-
But he was to weak to follow, and sat there pale and still;
When it grew cool and dusky-you'll wonder to hear me tell-
But I stole down that gully and brought up Kentucky Belle.
I kissed the star on her forehead-my pretty, gentle lass-
But I knew she'd be happy back in the old blue grass;
A suit of clothes of Conrad's, with all the money I had,
And Kentuck, pretty Kentuck, I gave the worn-out lad.
I guided him to the southward as well as I knew how;
The boy rode off with many thanks and many a backward bow;
And then the glow it faided, and my heart began to swell,
As down the glen away she went, my lost Kentucky Belle!
When Conrad came in the evening the moon was shining high;
Baby and I were crying-I couldn't tell him why-
But a battered suit of rebel grey was hanging on the wall,
And a thin old horse with drooping head stood in Kentucky's stall.
Well he was kind, and never said a hard word to me;
He knew I couldn't help it-`twas all for the Tennessee;
But after the war was over, just think what came to pass-
A letter, sir, and the two were safe back in the old blue grass.
The lad had got across the border, riding Kentucky Belle;
And Kentuck she was thriving, and fat, and hearty and well;
He cared for her, and kept her, nor touched her with whip or spur;
Ah! We've had many horses, but never a horse like her.
Constance Fenimore Wollson (exact copy)