Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1863-11-25

III TIC Tcch hNF upl
lar from 'uR yer eend ter 'tother. But,
say. wouldn't ye larn me?"
Yes I'd he glad to: but | gn off in tn,
morning"
But, 'spose we gwoed off tergedder,
and he sunk his voice u a whisper; ''tel
night-tru the bush-up tilar-plumb {,
Nashville"
looked steadily ut him. There wa,
truth in his face, and in low tone ask
ed: TO the death?"
Ter the death, stranger. aud he gave
me his hand; ''l'll draw jug Nv Knock
em-stitf on the soger. an ye kin mosey of
fore the moon ar up The bOss'll holI
u.s."
who is the 'boss?'
The old man thar" pointing to the
house.
why, he's red-ho Rebel"
Hal ha! He do come the Rebel pow
erful strong, but het's put on"
He then went to the planters house,
and returned in short time with gallon
jug of whiskey. Coming directly 10 me,
he said in loud tone: Il say, Leften-
ant" II wore only one bar on my shoul-
der strap then, take swig ter warm
yer innards.'
As poured out the liquor. he whis-
pered:
The old 'un say you mus put plumb
fur the branch; it'r bout halfa mile frum
yere-measured with a coon skin, an the
tail throw d in. Foller it up bout as fur
the waters low an ye mus gwo inter it,
case they moight git the dogs Onter yer
trail-an' ye'n come to a dade tree whot
bends over the run. It's holler, an ye
kin git inter it an stay thar agin | come.
as snug as a bar in a snow.bank. I'll
prime the guard with knock-em-stif-ye
be along am when | shout 'Gicry, glo
ry,' twice as eff the real camp-meetiI'
power war on me, ye put fur the bushes
on yer hans an feet, like wurrum, an
when We gets thar, pike flo like lightnin'
chasin' a whirlygust" (hurricane).
Il understand; but be coola steady"
Cool? I'll be cooler nur Parson Plewit
when death jerked him; an they say he
war so sOol he fruz the whole graveyard
30 tight they he'd ter thaw it eout with
light 'ood."
Our camp was guarded by about a doz-
en- sentinels, who relieved each other
every six hours. The one whose station
was nearest the bushes that lined the
northern side of the corn-feld, had built
fire of pine knots, and every now and
then halted before it as he walked 10 and
fro on his round Ny way of escape lay
through those bushes, and to enable me
TO reach them unobseryed my new friend
would have to engage this sentry at the
fire long enough to prime" him so
tight" that he would be obliyious to my
movements. This seemed no ordinary
undertaking, for, aside from the diff
Guilty of Turing him from his duty on the
beat, the sentinel was tough, raw-boned
Kentuckian, who looked whiskey proof,
and capable of totem peck of ticker"
But no time could be lost. 1t was already
9 o'clock, and guard would be relieved at
p; so the native set himself at once about
his spiritual labors.
Approaching the fellow, with the Jug
in his hand, he asked him to drink, and
in an incredibly short time had so worked
on his affection for 'knock-em-stiff,' that
the Kentuckian was seated costly hobnob-
bing with him ON q log before the fire
Mug after mug of clear blue ruin had
gone down his throat land Toms shirt
collar, with no more apparent effect on
him than if his stomach had been of cast
iron. At last u o'clock came, and with |
it the relief guard. When | saw him
another tough, rsw-boned Kentuekian-l
approach, hope fed, and a heavier feeling |
came at my heart than was ever there be-
fore. had caught glimpse of liberty, 1
and captivity seemed the drearier for it. /
However, hiding my disappointment, |
turned to go to where the boys were sleep |
ing, when Tom shouted out:
Mr.. Leftenant, doan't ye be a moseyin'
off; we'se the hull night afore US. The |
world warn't made in one day; il tuck
six. I'll git some more licker, an make
We as snug as a bar in a snoaO-bank, yit."
Giving the last of its contents to the
newcomer, he then took the jug under
his arm and ''moseyed off, to the house
while the relieved sentry again seated
himself on the log. The latter evidently
meant TO levy on the fresh supply of
''sperrets," and / saw with CONSERVATION
that my undaunted friend would have to |
perform the almost impossible exploit of |
Flooring" two double lined" fire !
proof" Kentucky "whiskey-swillers" at
once.
Tom soon reappeared with the jug and |
three extra mugs-the previous drinking |
had been done from one-and filling them |
to the brim, said looking very hard at me:
Now, let me guv ye toast. Yere's ter
JEFF. Davis, an may he live so long as the
Lord'll let him"
Il can't drink to that" | said, setting
down my mug.
mo more'n We karn't, Leftenant! nuv
er thort O. thet, so no 'fense But, bein's
the toast's eout, 'spose ye drink ter the
next"
1 took his meaning at once. He had
drugged the liquor.
i. L /
what "knock-em-stif" could not do, lsud
Gnum soon began to accomplish. The
newcomer was the first to show its effects.
He played somewhat wildly for time,
then, swaying unsteadily on the log, roll
ed heavily off to the ground. The other
kept his seat a while longer, but when
Tom, plying him with second ''swig,"
swung his mug around his head and cried,
'Glory! glory" he followed his departed
friend" and sunk into a sleep that
"knows no waking" for at least half
dozen hours.
Giving me strong grasp of the hand,
the native pointed to the bushes; and
wrapping the blankets about me (the
confiscated], J, and taking
last look at the boys-it came awful hard
to leave them-I lowered myself on my
hands and knees, and crawled to the
fence. l reached it without detection,
and soon arrived at the branch, up which
l waded as directed by the native.
The moon was just rising when came
upon the hollow tree, and had no diff
Guilty in finding its opening. Its interior
was fully eight feet in diameter, the trunk
being a mere shell, and was covered with
a thick flooring of decayed wood. On
this Ispread one of the blankets, and
wrapping myself in the other, laid down
to rest. The excitement of the escape,
and the long ride of the previous day, had
so fatigued me that l soon sank into a
deep slumber. How long | slept do not
know, but when | awoke the day was
about an hour by sum-" and small
army of men and dogs were bowling out
-;Io nr mn ratraat as &c O laninn of in for