r to take the
Major's sword and see that it reached Mrs. Gailor, in Memphis, within
the Union lines. A young woman, a Confederate spy, took the sword, and
wearing it next her body, brought it through to Mrs. Gailor. Somehow or
other it became known that the widow had her husband's sword, and as the
possession of arms was prohibited to citizens, a corporal and guard were
sent to the house to search for it. They found it between the mattresses
of Mrs. Gailor's bed, and confiscated it. Mrs. Gailor then went with
another lady to see General Washburn. Her friend started a long harangue
upon the injustice which had been done, but Mrs. Gailor, seeing that the
General was becoming impatient, broke in saying: "General, soldiers came
to my house and took away my dead husband's sword. I can't use it, nor
can my little son. I want it back. You would want your boy to have your
sword, wouldn't you?"

"Of course I would!" cried Washburn. "Thank God for a woman who can say
what she has to say, and be done with it!"

The sword was returned.

In the Spring of 1863, when Bishop Gailor was a child of about seven
years, he accompanied his mother on a journey by wagon from Memphis to
Jackson, Mississippi. The only other member of the party was a lady who
had driven in the same wagon from Jackson to Kentucky, to get the body
of her brother, a Confederate soldier who had been killed there. The
coffin containing the remains was carried in the wagon. When it was
known in Memphis that Mrs. Gailor was going through the lines, a great
many people came to her with letters which they wished to send to
friends. Mrs. Gailor sewed many of the letters into the clothing of the
little boy. ("I remember it well," said the bishop. "I felt like a
mummy.") Also one of Forrest's spies came with important papers, asking
if she would undertake to deliver them. Only by very clever manipulation
did Mrs. Gailor get the papers through, for everything was carefully
searched. After they had passed out of the northern lines they met one
of Forrest's pickets. Mrs. Gailor told him that she had papers for the
general, and before long Forrest rode up with his staff and received
them. Then the two women and the little boy, with their tragic burden in
the wagon, drove along on their two-hundred mile journey. And later,
when Jackson was bombarded, they were there.

Before the war Major Gailor had been editor of the Memphis "Avalanche,"
a paper which was suppressed when the