victory. Said one woman, whose husband and two sons were soldiers in
this battle:

"Why didn't you shoot away as long as one was lef'?"

"Our officers compelled us to stop."

"I don't care for that; they need killin', _every one_."

Said I, "You wouldn't kill the women, would you?"

"Yes, I would," she answered; "for they's wusser'n the men."

"Well, there are the innocent little children--you wouldn't kill them,
would you?"

Hesitating a little, she said:

"Yes, I would, madam; for I tell you nits make vermin."

She and all her family had belonged to Judge Bullock's wife, and she
was still living in her little cabin and doing the work for the
family, as she had done heretofore, though she did not work so hard.
She would take the time to do our washing for us. She said Judge
Bullock was harder to please than her mistress; but he was afraid of
our soldiers, and when Natchez was taken he kept hid in a thicket of
bushes in the garden a number of days. They took his meals to him when
no one was in sight, expecting the Yankees would kill every man they
met; but as he found it otherwise he came into the house, and now he
talked with us quite freely. Their slaves were mostly house-servants,