Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1862-01-17
Letter from Cheat Mountain.

Letter from Cheat Mountain
The following letter. was handed is
for publication, which we cheerfully in
sort. Mr.. Bird, we believe, has been
located at Mason City for a couple Of
years past, as Minister to the Southern
Methodist Church. Early last spring
he sent his wife on visit to the home
of her childhood, in Eastern Virginia
little dreaming Of the danger and ineon-
venience of f"reclaiming" her. Therebels,
it appears, do not pay as much respect
to Union mans title for his wife as
some of our great Generals do to a
rebels claim on Miss Dinah, as will be
seen by the following:
CAMP CHEAT, Jan. 4th, 1862.
My Dear Friend, Mr.. B,fgham:-Since
1 last wrote you, there have many. things
occurred of interest in my adventure
East. | shall not pretend at this time
to narrate them all. A few of the more
important incidents will suffice at pres
cut. I was passed through the pickets
at Camp Cheat by permission of Gen
Milroy Then l found myself in the
enemy's land, (inf seceshdcm.) trav-
eled on about fifteen miles until night
fall; there stopped with a relation, and,
as supposed, a friend, but, to my infnite
surprise, | found him a deadly ,enemy,
politically, as he termed it. So soon as
he recognized me, he drew his gun on
me, and ordered me to be seated. lie
went for another secesh, and from that
time till next day l was their prisoner.
They got ready to carry me away to the
rebel camp as Il traitor and ID spy, 7(as
they pleased to call me, but by making
power, | so managed as to get privilege
to go by home and see my wife did
see her, and found her we'll. She was
reioi ed to see me, but much concerned
for my safety. But. our meeting was
destinedto be very short one. Tell
Mrs Wees | found Susan a decided
Union woman. She could not get
through the rebel lines, which, was at
once au excuse for her not. coming to
Mason l also found all my brothers
Union men, and anxiously awaiting the
coming of the Federal army. I SO man
aged as to get away from my guard af-
ter arriving at home-arare privilege at.
that time. They thought they had me-
safe, being thirty or forty miles from the
outpost of the Union army I went to
see my father and mother, who were a 4
very short distance from where ( was
stayed at fathers only few minutes
determined to maketa most desperate
effort to escape, | went home with my
brother, and there [ thought,to refresh
myself and rest while. :. L was very
tired, having slept none, scarcely, the
two nights previous. In the meantime
suspicious arose with regard to my in
tention to escape. My being in the
having been communica-
ted to the Captain of a Cavalry company,
at Monterey, he sent outaten cavalry
men after me, led on by two or three
!. did not know, when [ went
to my brothers, that the Cavalry were
coming after me that night, but, | was
suddenly apprised of the fact by a fe |
male who came rushing precipitately
into the house, telling me the Cavalry !
were hard after me- l knew not who |
she was, because l did not take time to |
notice, or thank the messenger. of mercy.
| was near the mountain, and into it | I
went, with only enough clothes to cover |
me. I had on my cloth shoes-soon tore |
them to pisces running over the noun /
tains. crossed three mountains, one
being the Allagheny-waded Greenbrier |.
river, which was freezing cold. The
chase came near killing me. l am not
entirely we'll yet. When [ arrived at
Camp Cheat, | found friends. A more
noble set Of men never drew the sword
n defense of their country than the 9th
Indiana Regt, in possession of this post.
The officers are noble and patriotic The
scriptures were literally fulfilled in my
,ase: Il was naked, and they clothed me;
lungry, and they gave me meat.
They (the traitors) took my horse,
oddle and bride the same night they
we're after me; it was my brothers horse
will have to pay a hundred dollars for
lin, but if the Lord spares my life they
will make nothing by it. The Union
'rmy will get there before the lapse of
many months, then it will be my day; /,
hen ! hope to have the infinite salts !
action of assisting iii bringing those
eading traitors, who seek my life, to
ustice, Since my escape they have Of
cred $1,000 dollars for my body, dead I
II alive | should feel sonaw hat com
'limented if L thought the thousand ,
lollars reward were to be paid in good
money, but L presume it would ,be paid
IL Confederate bonds; which would :
mount to just what it would bring by