Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1863-11-25
mountain" Tom had saved me-.

w men the udU8eF was over lifN upN II
and, overcome with the excitement agail
fell asleep. Ii was dark when my shoul
der was touched lightly, and Tom whiS
pered in my ear: 1t ar time ter b
a moseyin' of, Leftenant. HI mough
be tall lodgin's eff the fire war out. bu;
ar too hot for us jest now.
rose and parIaking of IA hearty mea
and forrifying myself with liberal glns
of brandy-the planter had furnished "a
with gallon jug of genuine ''Otard, >
sallied from my place of cOneealment.-
We struck directly for a wood, halfa mil'
distant, and worked our toilsome way
over rocks aud through underbrush anC
laurel bushes all the night. In the morn
ing we lay down 10y the side of falleI
tree and went to sleep. Tom had brot
provisions enough to last two or thres
days, by which time he hoped we should
be clear of the neighborhood in which ht
was known, and where the danger of de
lection was greatest. Travelling by the
woods, however, was slow and IL We kept
I to them, our stock of provisions would be
exhausted before we reached the safer dis
| trict of country. That night. therefore,
we took to the high road. We walked
| till the sun rose without meeting any one
and then .'camped out" in the bushes
For two more days AMI nights we did the
same, and then had arrived within twenty
miles of Nashville. Our provisions having
given out, Tom, in the small hours of the
morning, made a descent on planters
smoke house and supplied our lsrder with
two enormous hams. As he threw them
into the thicket where I lay, he said to
me:
Won't them Internal Nigs koteh it fur
stealin' these critters. It'll sarve 'em
right; they orient ter b'long ter no sech
darned hide-bound Secesh." eEtft
In the impatience of his hunger he had
cut slice from one of the hams with his
Jack knife. and eaten it raw on his way 20
camp" A fire would have betrayed me,
so drew out my knife, and followed his
example. The meat ,7as rather rancid
and very tough. but never before tasted
anything half SO palatable. Hunger i =
wonderful condiment. 1t has made me
think a sirloin of mule superior 10 the
finest steak ever broiled.
We lay close through the following day,
but the next evening. before the sun was
well down-we were within twenty miles
of freedom, and impatient TO get TO it-car
rying the hams uuder our arms, weresumed
our Journey. We took TO the highroad, but
had not proceeded a mile before we met
six men coming briskly towards IA. One
was dressed as Confederate Sergeant,
and had gun on his shoulder; the 9TH
ers wore the ordinary homespun of the
district. and, having no arms, seemed
fresh recruits. Avoiding them was out
of the question, so cooking our pistols in
our pockets Tom had contiscated the re-
Yolvers of the two sentinels while they
lay senseless Oh the ground) we went
boldly forward. They eyed my uniform
very closely, but merely saying, Good
evenin'." passed US quietly. They had
not gone two hundred yards, however. be-
fore heard the report OF u musket, and
felt a sharp, burning sensation in my right
side, near the shoulder. The internal
Sergeant had shot mel His ball entered
at my back, and, making a half circle,
lodged on my breast bone. I'D .E-
Tom turned like an aroused panther
and sprang down the road after them tir-
ing his revolver as he ran. He overlook
one, and Drained him with his pistol stock
but the rest escaped. In the mean time
/ was bleeding profusely. i took out my
and attempted TO stanch
the blood, but could not. | sat down on
a stone by the roadside, and tried to look
death in the face, but somehow death
wouldn't be looked in the face I WAS
bleeding at rate that IN a few hours
would drain every drop of blood from my
body, but ! could not realize that | was
to die-then-there-on twenty miles
from Freedom ..
Tor, IN, min -a1H
to me:
Them fellers wull raise the deestrict,
Leftenant, an all Secesh will he arter US
in no time. We mus take ter the woods,
and feed on hope an tough ham till the
whirlygust are over"
Tom" | said, Pm badly hurt; too
badly, / fear, to go any further. You take
care of yourself. You can escape; leave
me here; they'll take me prisoner, but
it will be my best chance to 0et at doc
tor" afa
"Hurtl Blisters and blamenation, so We
is" he exclaimed, as he tore open my
coat, and beheld the wound. 'Quick,
Leftensnti guv me yer wiper-l haint ma
ry one, alters does thet bizness the nat
raj way. We must stop thet ter onst-
ter onst.'
Taking my handkerchief, he saturated
it with the brandy, and bound il tightly
about my side. Then, squatting on his
hands and knees, he said: "Gitup on thar,
back uppermos', and lay fiat as slabjack.
It'll holp the bleedin'."
l submitted myself quietly to him, and
in moment he was coursing over the
open ground which lay between the road
and the thick betting OF woods We had
left, with 8 gait as firm and easy, |
and almost as fast, as that of my mare
Bess. Gathering some dried leaves for
mattress, and covering me with blanket.
he looked again at my wound. The bleed
ng had sensibly diminished, and, when
more brandy had been applied, and had
rested while in horizontal position, it
ceased altogether. When he was salts
'aid to me: -
Il left thet are bacon an the 'tother
blankets side the road, an l mus git
em. Leftenant, or we's gone up. could
1T gwo it twice ter one smoke-h house; the
old coon III be watchin' on it ter night.
But wait till it's fully dark. 1t won't
be safe to go now"
Safe now as uver; an sides, Use
lfeard O. the dogs. Ef the varmints shud
nose them traps, we might as wull say our
pray RS ter onst. An bein's thar hain't
nore'n 'un chance in thousan' Nv thar
lot hev'n done it s'pose ye be gittin'
oray'r already, Leftenant-a right smart
ong 'un, tibet ill do fur both on US, fur
Sc main pore at thet sort o'bizness."
But, Tom, if we're in such danger
20; secure your own safety while there's
ime. You can do no more for me; So
20, at once"
''Gwo, Leftenant? Tom never fiinched,
II showed his back ter friend. Eff the
hings ar up with us, well see it out, ter
,edder, loike men. hain't no way per
iclor bout gwine ter kingdom come jest
ut, bein's I'd loike ter guv them ar ran
ankerous rebels leetle h-ll fust, but Ell
ny time ar come; eff the Lords callin'
ur me, as the parsons say-why I'm ready;
N know he won't ak me in ter the rare
loor. fur, though I'se pore, an ign'rant.
m no sort o. account ter nary one in ali