Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1861-05-24

The crowd soon fell far behind me, except
four or five who pursued with'great spirit.
Life hung in the balance and / exerted
my utmost powers to save it. Gaining
gradually, ! reached a deserted building
in the edge of grove, secreted myself till
they had passed,--changed my course and
escaped them altogether. Q.
Perhaps wasn't glad to get away
from Caldwell again.
Striking across the country, / arrived
at the Brazos river at day break.
Owing to recent rains, it was then at
food water a wild turbid torrent tecming
with floating logs and driftwood. Know
ing that horsemen would be dispatched in
every direction, and especially to the ferries
to blazon my escape far and wide, had
no alternative but to plunge in and swim for
the opposite shore. l was almost helpless
in the maddened current 1t whirled and
tossed me about; soused me under and
swept downward among trees and drift
wood. with great rapidity. Beating against
it however was carried gradually to the
other side. rs.E r-s.Cn "a. -r
Emerging from the river, now difficulties
arose before me. had landed in a large
swamp. 1t was filled with innumerable
trees-oak. gum, sycamore, cypress and
cotton wood-from the limbs Of which
hung long, pendant, funeral moss, 80 den Sc
as to shut out the sun and render even
midday sombrc and gloomy in the extreme.
1t was the paradise of flies, gnats, mus.
quetoes, rattle snakes, moccasins, bears,
wild cats, wolves and alligators. Hour
after hour | struggled along from bog to
bog through cane brakes, briers, and tan
gled underground, sometimes on logs. some
times waist deep in water, vainly endeavor-
ing to extricate myself from the tolls with
which | was surrounded. Constantly iu
danger of being crushed by the jaws of
some enormous alligator, or be stung by
the fatal moccasin; wet, faint, hungry and
exhausted, L became bewildered and sat
down on prostate cypress in utter de-
spair. A feeling that language cannot pro-
tray, came over me as reflected upon the
events of the previous month and contem-
plated my situation. lis this reality?"
thought |. "Am | an American citizen?"
lis this really me, or somebody else?"-
Night, dismal, starless and dark, came on.
| climbed a tree for safety. As night set
in, the insects, birds, beasts aud reptiles
of the swamp, begun their respective up.
roar. The quacking of ducks; the howl
ing of wolves; the screaming of panthers;
the growing of BEARS the splurging of al
igators, coupled with hundred thousand
other noises. new and strange were per-
fectly appalling. Twelve hours of untold
horrors-twelve ages of mental and physi-
cal agony, dragged slowly by. ri.
Morning dawned Taking my reckon
ing, | resolved to make another effort to
escape from the swamp Shaping my
course in what appeared to be direct line
from the river, in about five hours | had
the satisfaction of reaching dry open woods.
south east course for the sea
coast, ! travelled on for six days subsisting
on roots, and sleeping with earth for a
couch, and sky for covering. At the
end of that time, was so reduced that
determined, regardless of consequences to
stop at the first house l discovered and
ask for food. My clothes were in tatters
and besmeared with muck. mud, and the
green slime from the swamp. My hands,
face and body were covered with scratches
Wasted with disease, sick, desponding
half starved and half dead l approached
house of more than ordinary pretensions,
and made known my request. 1t was
granted. An aged woman who was the
owner thereof, with sympathy and kind
ness that distinguishes her sex, the world
over, on learning my story, opened the
doors of her hospitality, fed, sheltered and
cared for me, ministeriug my wants with
motherly tenderness, during three weeks
fever that followed, d,-cheered and consoled
me until fully recovered, and sent me on
my way rejoicing. e'aHF' 'af.n3
"Oh blessings on her silvery head in all
her days to come .u.,.ir
And happiness around her path. TIL an.
gels watt her home" NV .....
She was native of Massachusetts,, but
had resided many years of her early life,
near Cincinnati Ohio. Her husband had
gone South when young, amassed a for
tune and returned North, like sensible
man, to procure wife. He had died sew
eral years previous, leaving her large es-
tate. .'a. .sat'Ii aWIf aIi EiI..
She refused to allow me to send her any
remittance for her kindness, remark ing
that she was "well of" and was amply re-
paid for her services by the simple pledge
to "go and do likewise" which she exacted