Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1864-07-28

no one. 1t. Hodges says he never suffered
such keen mental anguish in the same length
of time as while the cars were passing over
US. He expected to find US mangled and torn
corpses, and had determined to attempt no
flight himself, but to give US, if possible, a
decent burial Imagine his joy, then, at see
ing US suddenly spring up and run for the
woods.
When we awoke it was to find ourselves
wet to the skin and perfectly stiff with cold.
The rain, however, which had wet Us had also
rendered our tracks untraceable by blood
hounds, so we looked upon it as a messenger
of good. We spent the day as best we could,
and IN the evening ate our corn bread and
dried apples and started On our way. At
first 1t rained and was cloudy, but after lit
tie the clouds broke and the moon again
shone forth at times so that we were able to
keep our course pretty well. We had better
travelling than the night before, and made
about twelve miles. The third night it rain
ed a good deal and we got lost among the
creeks and swamps and only made three miles
the entire night We made one effort to get
something to eat, but could not approach the
negro huts on account of their proximity to
the residence Of their master. All we OBJ
tanned was some corn, and that was so weevil
eaten that we could eat but little of it. We
suffered good deal in the morning and dur
ing the day from wet and cold. We ate
grapevine and sourwood leaves to satisfy our
hunger. The fourth night hunger and expo
sure began to tell on US, and though we had
pretty good country to travel over, yet we
were able to make only seven miles.
We put up on the 18th near a large planta-
ton in the hope that we might find some ne
groes at work during the day. Capt. Honey
cult went out in the afternoon and found one
who promised to bring US something when
night came, but after waiting till IL o'clock.
we concluded he was not coming and started
on our way, We now for the first time fol-
lowed the road, and so reduced were we that
we could not walk over quarter of a mile
without resting. In crossing roads we had
done so backwards in order to deceive any
one who might attempt to trace US. After
travelling little over mile we came to a
rather shabby looking log house where we
could hear talking inside, but we could not
tell whether the inhabitants were white or
black. We approached the house cautiously,
and to our great joy saw through an aperture
in the old fireplace the negroes seated around
the fire. After assuring ourselves that there
were no white people about, we entered, told
them who we were, and that we must have
something to eat. The woman gave US a
small piece of corn bread which she had and
Immediately went to work baking some more,
fried US some bacon and eggs, and gave US
some milk, and we made out the best meal
we ever ate, without any exception. The
negroes in this section of the country-York-
vile District, South Carolina-are very igno-
rant, and these, though they knew there was
war, did not know what it was about We
impressed upon them the idea that we were
fighting for their liberty, which seemed to
please them very much. The negro woman
baked some more corn bread and gave us all
the bacon she had, about two pounds, and |
in turn made her a present of a gold ring
which had been presented to me by a fellow
officer in Libby, and which | would not have
parted with under ordinary circumstances,
but thought 1 was justified in it now.
About o'clock we again started and
marched some four or five miles before day
light. During this day-the 1Sth-we were
in pretty close quarters some of the time
An old man and some boys were at work at
fence not over fifty yards from US, but
luckily we were not discovered. The follow
ing night we were taken across Broad River
by a negro in a canoe little before midnight
and travelled the road leading from Yorks-
vile to Spartanburg for about ten miles,
when we halted for the day. My boots were
now completely worn out, the soles having
broken entirely off, and part of the day
was spent in taking the tops and making soles
of them, sowing them fast to the upper
leather by means of leather strings.
That evening we took to the woods again.
Towards morning we struck road and fol
lowed it, making couple of attempts to ap-
aoh, but 1f,I
We were sitting by the roadside, Just as the
no prospect of getting anything that morn
ing, when whom should we see but negro
coming along in the road. He had staid with
his wife during the night and was just re-
turning home. He told US that his masters
nearest neighbor was Union man and that
if we could see him he would assist us. In
the meantime he took us to good hiding
place and told us he would be back in the
evening and would endeavor to see this IN
ion man during the day. At night he came
back with the joyful tidings that he had seen
the man and he wanted US brought to his
house. Here we ate a splendid supper, and
after conversing a while, getting all the in
formation we could as to the country, the peo-
pie and the route best for US to travel. and
getting our haversa cks filled, we resumed our
journey about II o'clock.
During the night we met a couple of ne
groes who went with US a couple of miles,
where there were great many roads lead
ing off, and after getting US on the right one
babe US Godspeed That and the following
nights we travelled nearly forty miles on the
same road, and Sunday, May 22d, we staid in
the vicinity of the road leading from Green
vile, S. c., to Ashville, n. G. When we
entered the road at dusk we were not sure
that it was the right one and were discussing
whether it would be best to stop at the next
house to inquire, and also get something to
eat, which we had almost determined to do,
when man came up to US who fortunately
proved to be black. We then found out that
there were two soldiers at the house in ques-
ton, sons of the planter, who had been pris-
oners but were now exchanged and home on
furlough. We stopped by the roadside while
the negro went to the house and obtained
some corn bread and bacon, and then piloted
US around the house and into the road again.
That night we reached the vicinity of Blue
Ridge, after crossing what we supposed to be
the head waters of Broad River. The next
night we had many small streams to pass and
in one place some boys were fishing so near
that we crossed the portage by the light of
their torch unobserved.
The dogs were very troublesome in this
part Of the country, but we passed house
that night where they were particularly so;
and the worst Of it was, that after we had
passed it, we found that we had lost the road
in the windings of the creek which it follow
ed part of the time. We could do nothing
but 60 back to the house where the dreaded
dogs were and inquire the way. We passed
ourselves off as belonging to Morgan's COM
mand; that we had been prisoners but were
exchanged, and on the way to our regiments
which we had been told were at Ashville.-
We also told them that Morgan was going on
a raid into Kentucky, and we were afraid we
should not reach him in time, and so We had