Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1862-10-21
Letter from Dr. Waterman, formerly Of Grant County



in Springfield, Mo, Hospitality received by
that noblest of women, Miss. Phelps; the
ample fold Of that same glorious banner so
trumphantly borne from the battle of Pea
Ridge, by the Missouri volunteers under
Col. Phelps,waves gracefully over my head,
and secretly whispers to me a welcome re-
turn. But my wife and children are still
in Texas, and what will become of them
God only knows. Since secession first
took place, | have labored necessarily to
bring them away, but all my efforts for the
accomplishment of that purpose have
been overthrown by my adyersaries.
There was a time when it was supposed
by many. that union people could 90
Norh,and that was the time appointed by
proclamation; but of all the times to 90
North since secession first took place, this
was the very worst for the union people of
northern Texas. We were living near
Red River, and therefore had an opportu-
nifty to know how things were going on
and find by carefully noticing, that all
who came to the river with the view ofmak-
ing their way North,w Immediately be-
fore or directly after murdered, and gener-
ally every means Of transportation taken
| from their families. then took my fam
lily to the western frontiers of Texas, with
view, if possible, of finding way of es-
cape into Mexico,and perchance into Kansas
by way of the plains, next to the Indian
Territory, but in these efforts | was again
doomed to disappointment, by the etern-
al vigilance of the rebels, people proven
bially indolent at labor at any honest call
inc, but like the brutal Camanches ever on
the alert. My movements and my senti-
ments now became so notorious, that |
was compelled to abandon my family and
seek safety in the mountains, in the cane
brakes, or coda thickets along the banks
of the Red River; accordingly, about the
first of June last, left my family to con-
tend with an insoIent and demoralized foe
az best they could, and / have but seldom
seen them since that time.
In the course of my wanderings IN the
thickets and by occasional lodges out
among my union friends, | found others
who, like myself, were regarded as offend
ers of too deep die to live; for mutual
protection and selfdefense, we naturally
got together, and by adroit movements
we so shifted our encamptents as to avoid
detection by our willy foe; our situation
however, now became more imminent than
| ever and it became necessary to take some
decisive steps, Accordingly council was
called and those who had not been so far
detected as to prevent their remaining in
public were sent for, and in dense thick
ct on the south bank Of Red river our lit
lie band met in solemn council, TO decide
upon our future cause of action. The first
impulse ofour party was to get ourselves
out as lest we could, and then go forth and
deal death and destruction to our persecu-
tors; this we could haze easily done, but
then many of us had families, and all OF
us union friends who could not get away;
our lives would have cen put in still
greater jealousy 10y such demonstration
unless we had had sufficient force to have
held the country in subsection; under such
circumstances we decided to fit ourselves
out as well as possible and endeavor to
make our way to the Federal lines; accor-
dinghy, after having spent few days IN
making ready for the hazardous journey
before US, on the 1st inst, our little band
consisting of forty disconsolate, but brave
and determined men left our encampment
on the north bank Of Red river in the
Choctaw nation, and took up a hurried
line of march to Join our friends away 10
the North. Heretofore | had been able to
occasionally see, or at least to hear from
my wife and children, but now | was to
depart even from the country where they
were to remain-whom | had sworn to
support and defend, and with mingled
feelings ofjoy and deep grief, turned my
back upon country which still holds as
with an iron hand, all that was dear to me
in this life, and in the mi 'st OF all that was
hateful to humanity, to God, and to lber-
ty. Our horses, but few of them were
shod, and our supply Of provisions only
sufficient to last US three or four days,
close in pursuit was their heavy armed
force; before us lay a space Of some four
hundred miles through an enemies coun-
try, with every public pass-way strongly
guarded to prevent the escape Of union
men; the prospect before US was indeed
gloomy and discouraging in the extreme,
but with unfaltering footsteps and a de-
termined will, we pressed forward, making
after much circuitous marching, to avoid
public roads 10 the starts forty miles on
our direct course the first day; that night
we bivouaced near the residence OF res
pectable white farmer upon whom we forag-
ed and drew some additional supplies for
ourselves, for which our captain gave INN
an order on the Southern Confederacy !;
and thus we came on representing our
selves as being confederate company,
drawing supplies wherever they were to be
had, aud giving in return our captains re-
oeipt for the same, without detection or
molestation until we came within short
distance of the Arkansas and Missouri
line. at "a place known as Blackburn's Mill.
II -.