I recall the things my father told me about the Civil War. How he marched across the Deep South so much, and while passing a Southern home, he picked up a piece of carpet and said to his comrade, “You will have to carry this, we will need it for a bed.” He folded it and tied it over his comrade’s left shoulder and under his right arm, and before night, the Rebels were firing at them. A bullet struck John, his comrade, right over his heart. It knocked him down, but just went through the carpet, so the carpet saved his life.
Nellie Hill
Parsons, Kansas
Back in 1955 a call went out from the editors of the then CAPPER’s Weekly asking for readers to send in articles on true pioneers. Hundreds of letters came pouring in from early settlers and their children, many now in their 80s and 90s, and from grandchildren of settlers, all with tales to tell. So many articles were received that a decision was made to create a book, and in 1956, the first My Folks title – My Folks Came in a Covered Wagon – hit the shelves. Nine other books have since been published in the My Folks series, all filled to the brim with true tales from CAPPER’s readers, and we are proud to make those stories available to our growing online community.