Such friendships as these, being mutual, are beneficial and always worth cultivation.

A short book I came across while doing some genealogical work.  Published in 1898, it is Autobiography and reminiscences of John W. Carroll a distant cousin several times removed.  He was born in 1841, in Tennessee, and grew up with a grandfather telling him tales of his own youth and service in the American Revolution.  J.W. Carroll in turn served in the Confederacy.  

Not a particularly historical or momentous life but a treasure that it was captured in these pages.  

Some vignettes.  

My next very dear friendship was formed in this way: A little boy, a little older than I, visiting my father's house one day, brought with him as a present for me a square-plait whip — the first thing of the sort I had ever seen and of which I was very proud.  Such a present and such a friend!  He was a noble, brave, generous, manly boy and thank God he is living today—August, 1898.  Having known him all these years.  I can truthfully testify that he has borne out in manhood those noble traits of character exhibited in his youth and occupies now, as then, a place second to no one in my esteem.  On my first visit to his home he treated me most royally; he led me into the mysteries of crawling through the fence cracks and how to turn my head to one side so as not to hurt my nose and how to catch and ride wild cattle — that is — as far as we were able to sit on them, which was but a short distance at a time, being thrown almost as often as we mounted.  As we grew up, our friendship was never cooled, but rather intensified —my father having moved nearer to where his father lived.  We were ever afterwards friends.  We helped roll logs together, husk the corn, etc.  We both entered the Confederate army in 1861—he, in one regiment and I, in another.  After the war we played on the violin together, worked in the fields during the days we could, lay in the woods and guarded our horses at night to protect them from the tories who nightly prowled around the premises of Southern men to see if there was any chance to steal.  Later we were partners in business; always Democrats; always friends.  Such friendships as these, being mutual, are beneficial and always worth cultivation. Never to betray a trust reposed in either nor to go back on a friend has been a part of our motto, and has been religiously and sacredly lived up to by both of us.  This good friend was J. N. Galbraith now of Center Point, Tennessee.