Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1858-08-26

he raised the window and hailed the men
"'Friends, what's your will
"A little refreshment of fire and food, If
you please; we have been far on duty, and
are half frozen and quite starved
we don't entertain them who go TO war.
Yes; but you will not refuse little re-
fieshment to poor fellows like us, this cold
night; that would be as much against the
principles of your society as war;
'Thee's from Trenton?
No, / thank you; Nathaniel Collins is
too well known as friend 10 the country,
and an honest man, to aid refugee-we
know that
Soap the old fox well,' whispered one Of
the band.
Come, friend, make haste and let us in,
we are almost perished, and have far to 60
before sunrise, or we may change places
with our prisoner here before sunset"
But what does the party here, this side
of the river, right under the Hessians nose,
| if
'Oh, We are minute-men, sent from with
in by Captain SmaIcross, to seize this de-
serter-don't you mean to let us inf
"Nathaniel closed the window and said,
4 don't know what to make of these men.
Amy, call the boys; tell them TO make
haste and bring their guns, but keep them
out of sight, where they will be handy
'As the command was obeyed, and the
three young men, laborers on the farm, ap-
peared and placed their guns behind the
inner, their master unbolted the outer
door and admitted five of the armed men
tho prisoner and one of his captors re-
manned without. Nathaniel thought this
unnecessary on so cold a night, and a little
suspicious-'Will not thy companions en-
ter also Z"
mo, thank you; be guards the prisoner
But why may not the prisoner, enter,
too?'
'Pshaw! he's nothing but deserter.-
The cold will be good for him
IL must say qucth Nathan, exercised
as he afterwards owned, past endurance,
thy conduct neither becomes thy nature
as man, or thy calling, which should
teach thee more feellng-I'll take the poor
fellow something to eat myself
"The old man had reached the door on
his merciful GRAND, meaning, it is true, to
satisfy his curiosity at the same time, when
be wl.o had acted as leaderof the party sprang
from his chair, and, placing his hand on
his hosts breast, pushed him rudely back.
Stand Blackjack, say, and mind your
own business, if you are a Quaker
"There WIS momentary struggle IN
Nathan's mind, whether 10 knock the fel-
low down, as from appearances he easily
might, or to yield, in obedience to his prin-
ciples. 1T was strongly on his mind he
confessed, to pursue the former course, but
prudenc' conquered, and he quietly with
drew to the upper end of the apartment,
where his men lounged on bench, appar
emily half asleep, and indistinctly visible in
the light of the fire and one small candle,
which burned near the strangers. In the
intermin. the old cook had been summon
ed, and had arranged some cold provisions
on the table. Odd Annie the cook, was
the child of Indian and mulatto parents,
but possessed none of the features of her
darker relation, except eapacious mouth
and lips 10 match. She refused to associ
ate with either negroes or Indians, consid-
ering herself as belonging to neither, aud
lndulging sovereign contempt for BOTH
Her favorite term of reproach was Injin'
and 'nigger,' and when they failed separate
~ to express her feelings she put the two
together, compliment always paid the
Hessians, when she had occasion to men-
ton Them A party Of these marauders
had on visit to her masters house, stolen
her falls store of sausages; thenceforth she
vowed eternal hatred TO the race-a VOW
she never forgot to the day Of her death.
"The strangers ate their repast, showing
anything but confidence in their entertain
er, and ate, each man with his gun resting
on his shoulder. During the whole meal
be who called himself their captain was un-
easy and restless. For some time. be ap-
peared 10 be engaged in very close scruti-
ny of the household, who occupied the
other end of the kitchen-a scrutiny which,
owing to the darkness, could not yield him
much satisfaction. He then whispered
anxiously and angrily with his men, who
answered in dogged, obstinate fashion,
that evidently displ ased him; till, finally,
rising from his Seat, he bade them follow,
and scarcely taking time to thank Nathan
for his food and fire, passed out of the door
and made from the house.
>,."Well, now, that beats me! said Elna7
than, as he and his comrades looked 1t
each other in astonishment at the abrupt
departure and singular conduct Of their
guests.
"That are queer lark, any howl re-
sponded John; 1T beats all naiur.'
"The Injins,' said Ann. If that is not
Fagau or some of his gang, never trust Inc
why did you not give them shot, the
farnal thievesF
.But our household troop were too glad
to get rid of their visitors TO interrupt their
retreat. The house was secured again, the
men had thrown themselves down, and
some of them were already asleep, when
another knock at the same door brought
them as one man to their feet. On OPEN
ing the door, laborer attached td neigh
boring farm presented himself, breathiess
from haste, and almost dead with fear.-
When he so far recovered bis speech as to
be able to tell his story, hs proved to be
the man whom the pretended milltia-men
had brought with them as prisoner, and
bis captors were found to be no less than
Pagan aud a portion of his band. They
had that night robbed five different houses
before they attempted our Friends. Aware
that his sons were from heme. thew expec.