The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1863-05-14
Running an Ea1iae IN the Rebel
service.

Running an E~Rsae In the Rebel
service.
A yonng man Of New York, who
WIS ia The South short time after tue
breaking nM Of the rebellion, vas pres
sei into h. rebel army, and served / =
fourteen months. W.tcii"g his nppnr-
tnnity, he finally made his escape to the
Un:on lines, and upon his return home
ublishc his experiences in book form
under tho title Of Thirteen Months ia
,,he Rebel Army embracing many ex.
citing pictures of southcrn life and feel
ing. The following is his experience ar
nm imp"mp,n locomotive engineer
The engineer, Cl aries Little. refused
TO run the tran during the night, ~ he
WAS not well acquainted with the road,
and thought it dangerous. In addition
the head light of the locomotive being
out of order aud the oil frozen, he could
not make It hurn, and he could not pos
sibly run througi without it. Colonel
Williams grew angry, probably en.post.
ing him of Union sentiments, aud Of
wishing t. delay the train, cursed him
rather ronnily ard At length toll him
he should run il under 4 guard, adding
to the guard already on the rgine, ''if
any accident occurs, shoot La cursed
Yankee"
Little was Northern man. Upon
the threat thus enforced, the engineer
seened to yield, and prepared t. stard
the train. A If having forgotten m
important matter, he said hastily, oh,
| must have some OIL" and stepping
down of the locomotive, walked to y ard
the engine mousse, When he was about
swcnty yards from the cars. the guard
thought Of their duty, and .,ac Of them
followed Ls,,le, and called upon him to
halt but in moment he was behind
the nachine shop, end eff in the dense
woods, in the deep darkness The COM
motion soon brought the Colonel and
crowd. and while III J were cnrsing
each other al around. the fi,e,uan and
most "f the brakcmen slipped of. and
here we were with no ,naans Of getting
al,e,d. All the time I had stood on
the engine rather enjoying the melee,
hu, taking no part in it. when Colonel
Williams, turning 70 me said
Cannot you tun the engine
! replied. N. air.
IA have baen III il rs VIZ came
down.
Y.s, sir, as a matter u; curiosity.
Don't you know how 70 star, and
stop her:
Yes, that is easy enough but If any,
thing should e wr.r.. | could no, ad-
jus; 1t.
No difference, no difference, air; |
must bs 81 Bowling Green morrow,
And you must pass US through.
| looked him in the eye, and said
calmly, Colonel Williams, I canno. vol
unfairly take 'h, responsibility Of man
aging . train with thousand men
aboard, nor will be forced to do it
under guard, who know nothing about
an engine, and who would he ~ likely
to shot me tor doing my duty as tail.
ing to do II; but you will lind among
the men a fireman, aud send away the
guard and come yourself ou the loco
motive, I will do the best | can.
Aud now commenced my apprentice.
ship 1t running secession railroad
train, with rebel regiment on board.
The engine behaved admirably, and I
began to feel quite safe, for she obeyed
every command gave her, as it she
acknowledged me her rightful lord.
I could but be startled, At the posi-
ton in which ! was placed, holding in
nay hand the lives IT m.r. than thou
sand men, running train u twenty.
I've cars over road had never seen
running without head light, and the
road % dark that could only see >
rod or two ahead, and, to crown all,
knowing almost nothing Of the business.
Of course I ran slowly, abont ten miles
an hour, and nevcr took my hand of
throttle, or nv eyes from the road.
The colonel At length grew confident
and almost confidential, and did most
Of the talking, ~ | had no time for con.
versation. When be had run about
thirty ,niios, and everything was going
wsi;. Colonel Williams concluded to
walk back, on tho top Of the box cavs,