Civil War Stories: Plantation Owner's Spoon

One of my great-grandfathers fought in both the Mexican and Civil Wars. He was General Robert E. Lee's personal tailor and also cut and made a uniform for General Longstreet.

Another great-grandfather fought in the Civil War. I have a silver spoon given to him by a Southern plantation owner's wife when he stopped at their lovely Colonial home to ask to borrow a spoon to take his medicine. She gave him the spoon, and he carried it thru the War. He died from wounds received in battle shortly after returning home.

There are many branches on the family tree, but somehow that spoon found its way to my mother's keeping, and now that she is gone, I'm the proud possessor of this cherished keepsake.

Mrs. Ronald Longnecker
West Plains, Missouri

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.