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

vi NuN lee Ol WHICH i WIS ldN
ing, and appeared to fall asleep. NJ
: wound had grown very painful, and wa
tossing uneisily about, unable to reSt
: when. AT the end of several hours. b
raised his head and sai,l to me:
'Leftenant. | luck "a round leetle whe
l went tur the traps, an thar haint II
hOuse'n nigher'n three miles. 'cept tina
burned Secesher's that | stole the baco
frum. Ye'll die ef you doIn't git unde
kiver. What shill we do.'
> Pray, Tom; know the Lord will lea,
US out of this, if we ask Him Alright"
We'll, eff wish;n' ar prayin', Leften
ant, replied Tom. I've been prayin
this whole blessed night--eyer sence
Seed ye'd got hole into yer thet nigh
- the life eout. But the Lord doan
we're me-l doesn't see no way eout o. thi
but ter gwine ter thet burned hide-boun,
Seceshers, an thet 'ud never do, nohow.
But you don't know that he is Secs
sionist'
! 'Yas does. I'd swar ter it on the ba
con- and heaving deep sigh, he went /,
musing again.
The night, though | thought it wOul,
never end.at last wore away, and the SUI
came in through the trees. IL haC
been up about two hours, and wal
warming even my cold bed under the
laurel leaves, when voice directly ovel
me suddenly exclaimed: 'Wh-wh-who
am-you doin' down dlr?'
Ii was tall. stalwart negro man, who
had come upon us from the side to which
Toms back was turned. The latter wa.
in gentle doze, and did not hear his ap
proach, but the moment the black spoke
he sprang to his feet, and seizing him by
the collar, cried out; 'Ye black thunder,
cloud! whot does ye want yere?
The negro made no reply, but drawing
back, aimed heavy blow at the natives
face. Tom caught ii on his arm, stepped
aside, and, making no effort to return it,
said with amazing coolness:
Come, none O. thet, or I'll lay ye eout
without ben fit o clargy. We's friends
! ter all such black devils like ye 50 sot
down. he added, as the black showed a
disposition to disregard his injunction :
'Sot ye down, or III lamm ye til yer viii
ter nur Squire Robins old mar, an she
wur so white ye couldn't see her by day
light, ior the fact wus-she wur dead
The negro sat down. 'Thet's sensible
feller.' said Tom. Now, whar do We be
long,
Ter Squire Gibbon, over thar, pointing
sulkily in the direction of the planters $
An didn't ye lose two hams frum the
smoke house last night an didn't the
Squire give it to yer nigs like blazes this
mornin' fur stealin' on em?'
Vas, he done dat, massa.'
'Sarved We right. It'll larn ye better'n n
ter steal agin. Haint yer Massa burned
old Secesh?'
'IIe am dat massa, muffin else nur dat
Didn't / tell ye, Leftenant?' cried Tom
IN triumphant tone. giving one of the
hams a conter: ptuous kick. 'Did't tell
ye | knowed it by the taste of the bacOn?'
The darky looked at the hams and a
sudden light seemed to break upon him,
for he shouted out, Yah. yah an did
yOa stole the bacon, massa? Did you done
dat. mass? Yah! YAH
No, we didn't stole it; white men do mt
steal; only ye cussed nigs does thet. We
kornfScatedit it,
The black looked at us as il he didn't
know the exact differance between steal
ing and confiscating; but he said nothing.
Tom rested his head on his hand a mo-
H0h', thCh ioohihS up salu " tho nc
gro:
4 say, thundergust; whichll We take
death or freedomr
L don't 'Lactly understand. maSsa,' re-
piled the black, with more GOODNESS than
he could have been expected to exhibit
under Toms eye, which startled even me
with its ferceness.
i mean thet we is Union men, 'scapin'
ter the lines; an thet we'll take you along
an give ye yer freedom, eff yen holp us;
an Kill ye eff ye sOOant. Thet's ALL
I'll holp you, massa Eff you's Union.
I'd do it widout any freedom, but, oh
course, nassa, I'd rudder hab dat
'Uy course We w'ud any fool w'ud.-
Whot der ye think, Leftenant! Kin we
trust him?'
1 think So like his face replied
so does |. But, my black beauty, ye
jest count on it; eff We come the varInint
over us, yen kotch frying pans on = hot
fire; We wull. Wull ye remember that?'
oh, vas, massal But neber you Far.
massa, I'll be true Shore, massa.'
IN trust ye,' said Tom, at once pro
ceeding to talk affairs over with him. We
ascertained from him that the district
was filled with Union men, who would
gladly aid us, but that they all lived at
too great distance to be safely reached IN
my wounded condition. A poor white
man, however, who could be trusted, had
a small 'deadnin' about mile from
where we were, and to him we made up
our minds to apply. The negro set off at
once for his house-which stood Oh q mar
row wagon track running through the
in about an hour returned
with the native.
He at once consented to receive me in
TO his house, and 10 keep me until my
of my again setting out for Nashville
Use mighty pore fxins; stranger he
said; but what l have is yours, ter kom-
mand.'
Ny wound had grown extremely pain
full, SO that the motion gave me excrutia-
ting pain, and attempting to rise, found
myself too weak to stand. Perceiving
this, Tom and the negro, making a seat
OF their arms, took me and carried me TO
the natives. His cabin was of the mean
est sort, and for etfectual concealment, my
bed had to be made in one corner of
half-hoored attic; but his kindness, and
that OF his tidy, tender-hearted wife,
with Toms never-ceasing attention, made
my mean lodgings as pleasant as quarters
under much more pretentious root.
As soon as l could bear the pain, Tom
extracted the ball with his jack knife : /
but my strength returned slowly. twas
ten days before could sit up. Then I
gave Tom his first lessons in the alphabet. 4
putting no doubt, Ayers Almanac to a
much better use, than it was ever put to /
before.
AT the end of fortnight we held a
consultation over affairs, and de-
,ided, as it might be weeks before
vas able to travel, that Tom should at
Tempt to make his way to Nashville, with
etters to my Colonel. They would prob
IDLY induce him to send party OF caval-
y TO my rescue.
Tom reached Nashville safely, and just
.fter dark one evening, about week al
was gladdened by the sound
If his voice entering the cabin. In
L. Il L.