Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1861-11-28

My wound began to bleed afresh, which
brought faintness upon me, and sank
to the earth. A burning thirst was con I.
suming me, and groaned in agony.
After little while / made another ef-
fort to rise, but failed and then falling
back as calmly as possible l yielded to
my fate. thought Of past days, when
in early youth, no cry for bloodhad yet
awakened that inherent ferocity that turks
unseen in the heart of man, until the fear
ful scent rouses it as it does the blood
hounds, and it springs forth with swift
ness that appals and strength that des-
olates.
.... ... . A CAPTURE. ..
My reverie was broken by the sound
of voices. Then came that of approach
ing footsteps. AS it drew nearer new
life seemed to quiver through my veins,
like the fresh gush of virgin SPRING
The most savage foe, to whom the tor
lures of a captive were an unapproach-
able delight, advancing upon me with the
: menoces Of demoniac, would at that
} moment have been welcome as an angel
OF light in comparison to the loneliness,
the woe of that dismal glen, and its
! bloody and uaburied dead.
In few moments dozen armed men
were on the spot, leaning on their rifles
t and gazing round upon the dead. Some
stopped and examined the bodies with
t careless scrutiny others merely stirred
them with the foot, or turned them over
with the muzzles Of their guns, with the
c brutal indifference bloodshed engenders
in the heart.
2 "They'rc dead. Let them rotp' said
c one who appeared to he the leader of the
S party.
. "Not all dead" | replied.
: Had voice actually issued from the
tomb, as mine undoubtedly seemed to do
its effect would not have been much more
= startling. Each man, for an instant
> seemed changed into statute. Then the
; whole group made simultaneous move
! ment towards me. ....
, "That's the fellow that bay yoneted Ike, -
exclaimed one of them. cooking his re-
q volver and thrusting the muzzle between
my teeth. ...
In an other instant should have been
i, in eternity, bnt for the sudden jerking
, back of my would-be destroyer's arm by
one Of his comrades, who remarked: II
he's got through the rough work he had
a while ago, we'll not kill the poor devil
', now" With buttered curse the ruffiar
replaced his weapon in his belt, and with
a drew. "Where are you hurt?" inquired
9 he whose interference had Just saved me
cant you get up?" l told him l hat
been shot in the hip, and was dying o
y thirst. Here he called a mensber of tn,
: part to him, and taking from his hand
canteen, poured some of its contents
brandy and water-down my throat. NJ
: wound had entirely stopped bleeding, bu
Z my whole side was stiff and painful
With much difficulty rose to my feet
/, II and by the aid of two of my captors
! for such they were, managed to NOV
u along with the rest of the band, throug
e what appeared a cleft in the mountain
II pursuing new path to that had hther
Is to traversed in the company of those VIII
J. had fallen, and whom | was now leavin,
u behind me forever.
l. For some time we followed this road
running at the base of two declivities al
It most perpendicular, whose dizzy sumit
h | could not scan, and whose rugged side
y of gray, at intervals, were shining coldl,
). beneath some stray CLEAN of moonlight
!, that even, in that cavernous pass, foun'
= its way and smiled amid the gloom, like
= the good glance of a visiting angel.
e Suddenly we emerged fromthis gloomy
delile, and found ourselves in what ap
l. peared almost level country. Here
If where some tents were pitched, we halted
e and | was a prisoner in guerilla camp
= A week elapsed, and l bad recovered
= from my wound The chief of the part,
a who had captured me offered me my lib
e erty, on condition that l give my parol
= not to bear arms against the rebels agail
IS during twelve months. This had sworl
ID never to do in the event of my becoming
g prisoner to the Con ederate army.
y was equally resolved now to adhere to m.
# oath.
id From that moment was closely guard
e. ed, with the vigilance known only but t.
g an angry foe. No sleepy sentinel eve
IN lounged with heavy limb and weary eye
T. in mock watchfulness, near the rugge
ID couch whereon lay. But sleeping q
waking, some hawk-eyed watcher ker
:; guard by my side, marking all my out
he goings and incomings.
l. In that camp was another prisoner be
side myself miserable creature, appal
v emily, only waiting the certain death tha
l. the caprice of this merciless band would
lie in some unexpected moment, hurl upo
e. his head, and whom nothing but the sam
L. caprice permitted still to move upon tn
J. earth living thing. The wretch ha
S. been captured some days after l had, j
t. the act of robbing the dead after ski
t. mish. His crime, in the eye of q soldier
of is deadly sin. He is in the Parish {
to his class; a valture too foul for an homes
at shot, from whose blood the bright stet
tn would receive disgrace deeper than il
le stain a thing too worthless to hang on
re whose loathsome lite should be crushe
ct ont suddenly, with stone or club, as
ly reptile should, and the contaminated wes
e, pom flung from the hand forever.
On He cringed to his captors, and the
ct drove him from them with curses an
ad kicks, and where they lawned he spat NJ
es, on him.
nd AN ESCAPE.
One nipht. after unweareG watchfu