Excerpt from The Story of Rockford, ca. March 1865

Excerpt from The Story of Rockford, ca. March 1865

This excerpt from Lucy H. Houck's local history of Rockford, North Carolina, tells of two instances in which General George Stoneman's Raiders encountered residents of the Rockford, North Carolina, area. The first instance is of Dr. Folger, who was asked to treat a sick Union Soldier. After he treated the man, his horse was confiscated and he was sent home on a "much inferior" one. The second instance is of Mrs. Mary York, who was asked to provide supplies to the Union Troops. When she refused, the Union soldier threatened to take her son, which solicited the response "And you'll play the devil." These two instances are both examples of the colorful encounters between Union soldiers and Surry County locals.

Lucy H. Houck

Lucy Hamlin Houck, The Story of Rockford: A History of Rockford in Surry County, North Carolina, pp 30, August 31, 1972, Research Library, Mount Airy Museum of Regional History, Mount Airy, N.C.

1865-03-XX

1972-31-08

Jacob Simpson

Document

Surry County, North Carolina

Rockford, North Carolina

Among the stories of the war era is one concerning some Union soldiers from an encampment some distance away who came to Rockford looking for a doctor to attend an officer who was seriously ill. They took Dr. Folger riding on his own good horse. He ministered to the sick man and was released, but he returned home on a poor horse much inferior to his own which had been confiscated. Little Molly Folger, who was it that time about six years old, never forgot the soldier who took her up on his knee and told her of his own little girl while waiting for Dr. Folger to get ready to accompany them.

Mrs. Mark York has been described as a very self-reliant and determined woman, which the following story bears out. It is said that when a detachment of soldiers from Stoneman's Army came through Rockford, the people had been warned and the York animals had been relegated with Negro attendants to parts unknown, presumably the outlying wooded areas -- or the brushy island. When the officer in charge reached the York home, he found Mrs. York churning with her young son Jasper -- who was not quite normal, by her side. The officer plied her with questions concerning the whereabouts of the stock, but received no answer. Mrs York just kept right on churning. After repeatedly asking and receiving no reply, the soldier threatened to take her son with him. Mrs York stopped churning long enough to look straight at him and say, "And you'll play the devil," then went back to her churn. The troops left with no supplies from the York place.

Lucy Hamlin Houck. The Story of Rockford: A History of Rockford in Surry County, North Carolina. pp 30. August 31, 1972. Research Library, Mount Airy Museum of Regional History, Mount Airy, N.C.