The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1861-07-18
a RACE FOR LIFE.

the Southern Confederacy. He is native
; OF Dubuque, and being in business there
,. few years since. is well known to the
citizens of that town. The narrative Civ
en IN bis own words. as nearly as possible
and is another exempifcatiou of the bar.
barlsm of slavery:
l had been doing a heavy wholesale
and retail provision business 10 the CITY
OF Augusta. Ca. for two years and was
getting along with the inhabitants very
smoothly until little circumstance trans.
pred last fall which melted the populace
against me. | bad taken more or less
interest in political affairs while l lived
there, and, as much from policy as any,
thing else, adopted a conservative view
of matters. | was a strong Bell and Ev
erett man, and when the State Congen.
was in session, | was mentioned as one Of
the State electors.
As it was known that ca me from Du-
buque, soUe of my political constituents
wrote to the latter city for inform alton as
to my aDtecedents. The letter was ad.
dressed to one of the prominent law firms
OF Dubuque, and for some unaccountable
reason answered in such a manner as to
direct the deepest Indignation of the COM
munity where [ lived, towards me. They
we're Informed that as a loud % outhed
Abolitionist, and bad stamped the State
of Iowa for Fremont Within a short
tune of the receipt of that letter my house
was surrounded by an infuriated- mob,
eager to wresk blind vengeance on me.
| appealed to the Mayor, who was a warm
personal friend Of mine, for protection
He responded by calling out the entire
police force to disperse the rabbe.
Myself and son in law stood all that
night at the head of the first fight of
stairs, in my bouse, with firearms and
axes, resolved to sell our lifes as dearly
as possible. should the miscreants break
in. My brave wife knew DO fear, and
would not leave my side, although | en-.
treated her to do SO. She seemed uerved
to desperation by our common danger,
aud ready to fa,e and sacrifice her life,
If necessary in defence OF our hoae.
The people were paci6ed at last when
they found Us too resolute to be imposed
upon, and after short time was allow
ed to pursue my business as usual T
satisfied them apparently that | did rot
entertain principles repugnant to their
peculiar views, and coDsinced them that
the information they had received was a
tissue of alseboods, yet there ever after
lurked among them suspicion of &c loyal.
ty to the South. Thus We lived through the
winter, the community daily becoming
more excited and bitter against those
v ho did not coincide to the letter with
the damnable opinions that then ruled
the hour.
10 illustration of this will only cite
Que instance. A party Of merchants were
discussing the Impending crisis one after
noon in a store not far from mime, when
one of N Deis hbors made the following re-
mark: GeDtleGeu,we must be careful and
not uDderrate the strength of the enemy
That same night a committee called on
MIN, and asked him if be bad made such
a remark, when be replied "Yes. do
not see the harm in it, 1t is one of the
first lessons in the military strategy not
to uDderrate the power of the foe." His
explanation availed him nothing; be was
seized aud one side of his head and face
shaved clean OF the hair and wbiskers-
Then the newly shaved portions were
daubed with tar and feathers, He then
received forty lasbes and was given to
Understand that be had twelve hours to
make bimself scarce.
This was not an issosted instance
Deeds Of violence were of daily occurrence,
and many times they resulted iu the
death of the victims. With such state
of society boiling around me, l naturally
felt anxious to remove my family beyond
all chance OF injury. Finally, when they
for some time been drafting troops
from the city for Jeff. Davis army for
saw the tune when | would be called on.
and determined to remove my vile aud
children to the North. started off with
them and sent them forward, while | re-
turned to Augusta to close up my business.
| continued in my trade there for
short time. endeavoring to convert my
property into funds that would be current
in Iowa. | dare not purchase gold at
the bank myself, for fear of attracting the
attention of the Vigilance Committee. No
one was allowed to leave the country O.
penly. THROUGH the friendship of young
man named Powers, who had been boar
ding With me. | purchased some current
funds, perhaps $500 or s4OO He was a
book pedlar from Ohio. who had been
selling a work entitled "Cotton is King"
add it was through bis friendship and
services mainly that | escaped.
One afternoon, an Orderly Sergeant
came into my counting room and inform
ed ne that it would be necessary, in ac-
cordance with recent requisition from
Montgomery, for me to enlist. saw
that it would not do to hesitate an instant,
and therefore manifested great readiness
and eagerDess to join. Twas told | could
have nv choice between infantry and cav