We all knew when it was a troop train because of the color of the cars.

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The Southern Railway’s cars were a bright ‘livery green’ and the troop trains were plain gray or brown.  The trains all stopped just outside of Charleston, we guessed as a safety check, and that gave everyone a chance to go down and greet the troops, mostly recruits, heading to Fort Benning, Georgia.

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We brought them food, of course, mostly sweets, and we also brought them toilet items like soap and razors.  What I remember most about all that was how everyone from all around came down together.  It was like all those soldiers were our own family, including the black soldiers.

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For that time, we were all together.  It was too bad it took a war.