The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1864-06-10
MlisteIlal1eous.
Prosecutions Of Union Men.

Pines" in recent work relates an incident of
the enormty of the traitors who were then in
possession of the most Of Kentucky. As our
army advanced southwark, refugees from un-
der rebel rule often came to our lines, and he
mentions the following incident Of an old man
who escaped and came to our lines with his two
''mars" and his wife. Soon after arriving the
narrator made his acquaintance, and among
other things asked him what he proposed to do
now that he had escaped the rebel clutches!
"I'se gwine inter the army now but muss
sell my mars fust. Dye know whot Gov'rn-
ment II pay fur q right smart chunk Nv q
MARI"
"a hundred and five dollars, 1 believe. is the
regular price,"
"'Tain. 'nuf fur mine. They's powerful
good brutes, an must git more'n thet, case
my 'ooman II hev nothin' else, an she's sickly
like"
"But IL you go into the army You can save
some Of your pay for her."
"No, | karn't. I'll be shot-I feel hit-Ise
made up my mind ter hit" As he said this,
he seated himself in the chair I had offered him,
and stared at me with a wilder, crazier look.
I saw that some terrible calamity had unsettled
his intellect, and said, in q sympathizing
tone:
"You're not well you're not ft to 60 into
the army now"
"Yas, is, Sir. kin fight as hard as ary
man ye knows. Use little gin out jest now,
ease Use rid nigh onter hundred an 6fty
mile, an he'd ter tote my 'oomau powerful
piece o. the way"
"wherc have you come fromy"
"Clay county, nigh on ter Manchester.
lived thar. rseplumb from thar this eyenin'."
"And you were driven away"
"Yas, Sir druv away robbed-h hous'n
burned-everything burned, an my ole mother
killed killed killed 20 He bent down his
head while he spoke, and as he repeated the
last words they seemed to well nigh strangle
him.
at can't be possible - exclaimed "hu.
man beings do not do such things!"
"But they haint human bein's-they's hcn's
devils from hell-from hell, Sir"
"I know their passions are reused. but did
not suppose they murdered ,romen."
'They does, Sir. I'll tell ye bout hit !"
and grasping one arm Of my chair, and lean
ing forward with his blazing, unsteady eye
looking into mine, he told me the following
story:
"Bout mile from whar b'long thar lived
a ole man by the name Of Besley-.Squire Beg
ley we called him. though he didn't own no
slaves. He wus nigh on ter seventy, but was o
right peart ole gentleman, an Union ter the
core. Two on his boys, Sam an John, is in
the army now-sth loyal Ksintuck. Wal, bout
a fortnit gone, on the mornin' NV the fifteenth
NV April, three men, dressed in Union cloes,
comes ter the ole gentleman's house, an telled
him they wus round raisin' company ter put
down the Rcbs thet wus poreing inter the coun-
y. Tho ole man wus mighty pleased, an I
reckon he wus unprudent in his talk fur when
they'd drawed him out, they telled him they
wus raaly Secesh soldiers. Then he ordered
'em ter leave, but they trottled him, and drag
ged him of ter the edge Of branch. bout half
a mile away, and thar hung him ter the limb
Nv trec. A ole mig that wus passin' long the
road heerd the ole Squire's cries as he begged
'em ter hev marcy on his gray hars, an know
in wus ter home, he put fur my house. and
telled me on Il. Iaxed him ter tote my two
mars ter the bush. fur knowcd thar wus moro
on 'em round. an feared they'd be arter the
nags, and then put of ter save the ole man.
wus too late. He wus dead, an the Internal
devils he'd cot nigh back ter his house. mean.
ing to steal his allies an what plumber he he'd
thst could be toted. Ifollered 'em. an as soon
a. come in distance. drapped one on 'em.
Then me an tothers TUX ahind trees. an blaaed
away ter one another fur more'n hour.
winged one. but got a ball yere," showing
an ugly wound in his shoulder. carter .
while si1 more on 'em rid up the road an come
at me. seed Il warnt no use, 90 put fur
the thick timber. an 6narly. seeing they could
mt kotoh me. they guv up the chase. know
cd 'twouldn't do ter gwo in sigh, Nv home, so
made long spell round. ahind hill. an put
fur the bushes whar thort the ole darkey'd
be with the mars. I, hed got ter Be nigh ontsr
dark. an I'd growsi powerful weak. on count
nv the blood I'd let. 50 sot down an tried to
stop It. Ihein't sot thar long fore I thort
heerd 'ooman schrcechin'. an lookin' round
| seed my own wife. She'd jest lost har baby,
an hedn't been out nv bed fur nigh month.
but she'd come six nile through the brush ar
ter me. She couldn't speak. but she brung me
short piece from ahind the hill. an showed