The Life and Wars of Gideon J. Pillow

16. A Bitter Cup

16 A Bittel' Cup Pillow's first objective was to regain control of his property. It had been confiscated by the United States Treasury Department under Federal laws of March 12, 1863, and July 2, 1864, empowering agents to do so because the "lawful owner was voluntarily absent therefrom, and engaged either in arms or otherwise in aiding or encouraging the rebellion." Pillow immediately wrote U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Hugh McCulloch, asking that Clifton be restored to him. McCulloch refused.! Curtis C. Bean, who leased Clifton from the Treasury Department in 1864, had planted some 350 acres of corn and put in a small meadow of hay in front ofthe main house. Pillow , however, saw only mismanagement and incredible waste. Hands 16 A Bittel' Cup Pillow's first objective was to regain control of his property. It had been confiscated by the United States Treasury Department under Federal laws of March 12, 1863, and July 2, 1864, empowering agents to do so because the "lawful owner was voluntarily absent therefrom, and engaged either in arms or otherwise in aiding or encouraging the rebellion." Pillow immediately wrote U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Hugh McCulloch, asking that Clifton be restored to him. McCulloch refused.! Curtis C. Bean, who leased Clifton from the Treasury Department in 1864, had planted some 350 acres of corn and put in a small meadow of hay in front of the main house. Pillow , however, saw only mismanagement and incredible waste. Hands began eating the corn before it had become good roasting ears; boldly, they would take it to town to sell as if it were their own. Bean apparently left gates open and did not bother to repair fences, thus allowing hogs and stock to destroy much of the crop.2 Pillow brought back to Clifton nine mules, several horses, and eight freedmen. When he tried housing the freedmen in the slave quarters, Bean threw them out-his own hands occupied these. So an angry Pillow brought the freedmen to the top of the hill and found space for them in buildings where only house servants once lived. Poor Curtis Bean did not know with whom he dealt. Pillow set to work to dislodge him and, from the beginning, Bean said, "evinced a disposition to give me trouble." Pillow and his family and hands spread out from the main house, occupying or making use of the large stable, the springhouse, the gardens, the orchard, and the smokehouse. He ran off Bean's stock by constructing a large hog pen close to their drinking water. "This," said Bean, "so befouled and nastied the stream my stock would not drink there." Pillow interfered with the work of Bean's hands "most unwarrantably." When they threatened Pillow , Bean had to step in "to secure peace and harmony among all concerned."3 Yankee correspondents discovered Pillow at Clifton that summer. "He greeted us very affably, and is quite communicative, indeed exceedingly talkative." One observer from Milwaukee found him "not imposing," yet he "would pass for an intelligent and genial farmer of the old school." Of course Pillow applied lard: "You Yankees are our masters; we give it up; we are at your mercy." Expecting to receive a pardon, Pillow declared he was not guilty of treason and was willing, at any time, to be tried by a jury of Federal general officers, "except that Gen. Curtis."4 Once he received his pardon, Pillow, through the good offices of his new friend, Gen. Clinton B. Fisk of the Freedmen's Bureau, negotiated a fresh lease with Curtis Bean; he was required by law to allow Bean to remain until his government lease terminated in 1866. The Pillow-Bean lease was only legal wallpaper, however. Bean knew he was unwelcome; he knew Pillow would try to drive him off. When Bean's lease expired February 1, 1866, he was gone. Pillow stalked him, however, as far as the Arizona Territory and sued him in 1869 for full payment of rent corn.5 Obtaining a pardon was humiliating for most Confederates. For Pillow, however, it seems to have been easier. Legend has the once rich man, in the early summer of 1865, borrowing money from a A Bitter Cup : lOt began eating the corn before it had become good roasting ears; boldly, they would take it to town to sell as if it were their own. Bean apparently left gates open and did not bother to repair fences, thus allowing hogs...