Yazoo bits and pieces full#

Soon after this Northern gentleman – for that he certainly was – left, an orderly sent over by him knocked on Honora’s door. At the time, quinine powder was the only medication for that sickness. He was obviously pained to learn that the other child was very ill with malaria and that it was impossible to find any quinine. O’Keefe that he too had two little daughters of just about the same ages. O’Keefe, the young officer noticed another little girl lying in bed in an adjacent room. He entered and told Honora’s mother, most politely, that this unit would not be there long, that he has some pretty tough types in his ranks, and that he’d appreciate her keeping her daughter indoors for her safety. Then he came over and knocked on the door. He told the little girl she has better go into her house. But Miss O’Keefe haughtily refused.Ī young Union officer, seeing the gathering by the fence, came to investigate. A very surprised Yankee soldier close by was suddenly startled to hear the little girl recite a poem to him:Īmused and delighted at the little Rebel’s audacity, he called some of him companions over and told Honora he’d give her “two bits” in U.S. When they arrived one of those times and began putting up their tents, Honora climbed up on her fence to watch. The big house made an ideal campground for some of the troops. A low fence separated her yard from the empty lots next door on Jefferson, which then extended all the way up to Monroe.ĭuring and after the Vicksburg campaign when that city became the Federal stronghold to try to control all of Central Mississippi, Northern forces came up to occupy Yazoo City temporarily on several occasions.

She lived in Yazoo City in her family home right on the corner of Jefferson and Washington streets. Originally published Wednesday, December 24, 1997, as submitted toĭuring the War Between the States in 1864, Honora O’Keefe was just a little girl. “A Little Girl’s Poem and a Kind Northern Officer” The following pages contain reprints of several articles from The Yazoo Herald which were published in the past for the Society about interesting events in our town and the surrounding area during the War Between the States. Yazoo City and County have an active historical society.

Yazoo bits and pieces full#

You can download the full text of these articles as well as the updated Civil War Comes to Yazoo text here. Ellzey for their love of Yazoo and their dedication to helping get this information to the public. This page includes the full text of the articles by Mr. Ellzey, of articles by Sam Olden which were published over the years by The Yazoo Herald. In 2015, the Yazoo County Convention & Visitors Bureau took on the task of updating and making public on the web the following information based on a large collection in the Ricks Memorial Library, assembled by John E. More Civil War History in Yazoo County, Mississippi