Aunt Polly Ledford Story
Here is a story we received from our cousin Pearl Hogsed Wilson a few years back. I thought it would be good to share.
----------------------------------------------------
The Aunt Polly Ledford Story
Told by Mary C. Hogsed Beck
by her father Samuel C. Hogsed
The following story was told to me about 1927. My grandmother or grandfather tod it to my dad when he was small.
Aunt Polly Ledford living with her family - presumably other families near each other as the area was wilderness country. Friendly and unfriendly Indians roamed the area, too. Not sure where the setting of the story was in GA or N.C., but do know my dad's family lived near Clarksville , GA when he was a young boy.
One day when the men were away from the settlement hunting an Indian hunting party, probably Creek Indians, came into the white settlement. They stole some animals and took Aunt Polly Ledford and her small baby with them. From the description - she was a beautiful young woman. After traveling two days journey they arrived at the Indian Village. One can imagine the squaw's reaction this beautiful intruder being brought into their midst. Not long afterwards one the Chiefs began showing Polly some unwelcomed attentions.
So one day when the Indian men left for another hunt it did not take long for Polly and the Squaws to plan her escape. The Squaws gave her "parched corn" to eat on her journey for two days back to the settlement. It is understandingly clear she could not take the baby on the trip home. So she walked until dark and found a large hollow log which she crept inot to rest and wait for morning.
The Indians upon returning from their hunt discovered that Polly had escaped. They immediatly set out with their dogs to overtake her. Later in the night returing from their unsucessful chase, they crossed over the very hollow log where Polly was hiding. The dogs sniffed at the end of the log but did not bark. After all Polly had been in the Indian village long enough for the dogs to deem her friendly and not a stranger to bark at. So the Indians returned to their village late that night. I imagine a thankful Polly, safe in her hollow log, slept little that night. The next day Polly continued her journey on foot, back to the white settlement, relating an incredible and amazing story to her husband and relatives. In a few days Polly's relatives set ot for the Indian Village to see if they could safely rescue the baby. Scouts spied on the Village and reported too many Indian men were in the camp. But they did see the baby, fat and healthy sitting on a huge bearskin rug. So the men left quietly. Later they returned and were sucessful in rescuing the baby while the Indian men were away. The Squaws offtered little or no resistance to the loss of the baby.
------------------------
FYI- Samuel C. Hogsed's parents were William Harrison Hogsed and Margaret Ledford