My grandmother had four brothers in the Civil War. My great-grandfather and his sons thought the differences between the North and South should be settled by mediation rather than war. When George became 18 years of age, he and his horse were drafted by the Confederates. It wasn’t long before he took measles and some other sickness, so they left him in a tent in some people’s yard and told them to take care of him. They didn’t take very good care of him, and he almost died. It rained a lot during that time. When he was able, he got on his horse and started home. He had to cross creeks and rivers. When he got to one stream, the water was so swift, he and the horse were swept downstream. George caught onto a tree. A family living nearby came to his rescue. He stayed with them several days. When he recovered from his illness, his outfit was long gone.
Mrs. Gillie Riley
Rogers, Arkansas
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.
