The Turnbo Manuscripts
by Silas Claiborne Turnbo
1844-1925
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By S. C. Turnbo
War scares were frequent while the great Civil War was progressing. The people of both sides who used caution were always on the lookout for an enemy. Sometimes a little noise would put men to flight as if Satan himself was following in their wake. In many cases it was time to run; in others it was best not to run. But it was hard to judge in those days of blood and carnage what was best to do unless they could keep out of the way of the enemy. Mr. A. Brown said that he had a little experience of this kind once that was somewhat funny which he related in this way. "During the war while I lived on Bee Creek in Taney County, Missouri, I found a bee tree on Yocum Creek which puts into White River from the north side. The tree was two miles from the mouth and was near where a country road crossed the creek. One day I concluded to rob the tree of the honey, but the federals were in the country, and I was almost afraid to venture out, but I decided to go. Bob Bell and a colored man who belonged to Wilson Yandell went with me. We taken two vessels with us, one of which held a half a bushel and the other a cedar pail which held one-third of a bushel, and we crossed the river at the mouth of Yocum’s Creek and proceeded on to where the tree stood and went to work and soon felled it and had got both vessels filled with rich honeycomb when we heard horses’ feet like a party of cavalry was hurrying over the country road just mentioned. We did not wait to find out who they were, but grabbed up the vessels and beat a hasty retreat. While we were getting away the men began firing their guns and yelling which had a tendency to accelerate our speed, and got away with the honey and also our scalps. We never knew whether the party of men that gave us such a scare were friends or foes. We left a lot of honey in the tree, but we never did go back to it any more."
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