Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1862-05-10
Fidelity Of a Contrabaud.

F1dellty OF a Contrabaud.
A Union man named Smith has re.
sided about six mules from Fayetteville.
Arkansas, the owner Of tract of six
hundred acres Of land with comforta-
bic dwelling, stock, &c. Obnoxious
to the secessionists, his property was
plundered by their foraging and other
parties during the winter, his place be-
Ing about mile from McCulloch,a
headquarters. The family consisted of
Mr.. Smith, his wife and child. his
mother in-law, and also a brother.in.
law, James Watkins and wife, married
less than a year ago. Besides these.
Charley, the slave Of Mr.. Smith.
Upon news Of the approach of Cur.
It's forces at Springfield, the secession.
lists began pursuing all the Union men
to hang them, and Smith and Watkins
He'd, hoping to make their way to some
Of the Federal camps. The women
thus left, III fear OF outrage and tor
ture on their husbands accomt-it'
not death left their home on the MONT
of the 9th OF February, with Charley
as their guide and protector, leaving
the aged mother and the child. who
were unable to move. On foot thew
wended their way, sleeping what they
did sleep IN the open air. upon such
straw or litter as Charley could gather
tor them. and covered by the single
blanket which he carried, and subsist-
I'd by the food which he carried in q
pair OF saddle-bags He would have
been seized as marketable property be-
longing to Union man, and the wo-
men regarded their own jeopardy as
something more than that of their lives
if met Or caught by the secessionists.
They travelled, he thinks, about eight
miles the first day, (thc women being
feeble and one Of them in a delicate
situation,) tordlng the creeks and
avoiding travelled roads. On one oc-
CASTOR, crossing creek upon log.
one OF the ladies fell in. and was with
difficulty extrlcated by Charley, who,
as he said to US, 'cooncd it on de log"
so that his mistress got hold of him.
and when he reached the bank he pull
ed her out. Thus for nearly week
footsore and with short and painful
journeys, having no shelter and ror
seeing fire, subsisting on the scant
provisions which Charley carried, they
slowly made their way until they frs,
met the advance guard of the Federal
forces at Muetown. Here the ladies
were at once cared for by the Colonel,
while Charley was taken some miles on
horseback to sinister Sigel," who ex.
amined him at length, comparing his
stories with his own maps Of the coun.
try lie was satisfied Of Charley's
trnthfulness, and gave him pass for
himself and the two ladies.
From this point conveyance was Civ
EN- them to Springfield and to RoIa
and they arrived in St. Louis on Fri.
day night by railroad the faithful
Charley still their servant, protector
and friend. He exhibited the various
passes furnished him. He speaks Of
them with the utmost affection. II
brought dem children up," said he,
though not more than thirtv-seyeu
years old himself.
Whether Mcssrs. Smith and Wat.
klns made their escape or not, the Ia.
dies do not know. One of them fed
from his house in his shirt sleeves. and
no intelligence has yet been received
from them.
Charley is preacher, he says. and
seems intelligent for his condition. and
manly in his bearing. His wife, be-
longing to another master, was sold off
into Louisiana some months ago, when
they began to rush the slaves off from
that section in consequence of the
troubles.
Charley is anxious now to get into
Illinois, where he can find work to sup.
port these two ladies' SAYS he is stout
and has a good trade, acan lay brick
orsrock or work Oh de farm, and arm
enough to keep them" They are stay
ing at the Refugee House, on Elm,
street Speaking of Mr.. Smith, in an
swer to question, he said 'sHe was
4 good master, but don't know wheth-
er he is alive or dead now" The no.
Die friendship and almost heroic deyo.
ion of this slave to that family de-
serves the respect Of all right-minded
persons, though he manifested not the
east consciousness Of any special mer-
st, Louis Dem.
PUB. Docs.-Hon. L. Hanchett, n.