Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1864-07-30

Y
at first undecided whether to stop, but as
we were emerging from the bushes, we heard
a little girl singing, in clear and distinct
voice, a well known Union song. This quick
ly decided our course, but there weresso ma
ny women and children about the house that
we did not consider it prudent to reveal our
true characters We were now twelve and a
half miles from Ashville. We stopped at
four different houses that night, on pretence
of inquiring the way to Ashville, and told
our Morgan story, before we got bread
enough to satisfy the cravings of hunger
Several hundred cavalry had camped near,
and taken everything the citizens had. One
man who seemed to be wealthy and had a
large plantation, told us that Confederate
money was worth nothing at all, and that he
had laid by little silver when the war CON-
menced, with which he was at present en-
abled to buy his grain.
We passed Ashville about daylight on the
Goth, leaving it a little to the left. The town
clock struck four just as we passed it, but we
pressed on about one-and-a-half miles and
fopnd but poor hiding place, / cannot do
better here than make short extract from
my notebook
aMost of the troops here seem to haye.been orr
dered to Richmond, there being only sufficent
~
bushwhackers, who abound in this neighborhood.
They keep Indians to hunt these men, though they
say these willy sayages dare not penetrate far
into the mountains In search of their prey. This
loren has been very disagreeabe, having rained
so to wet US through and we have not been able
to get any Sleep and, accordinging to appearances
stantly and chilled to the bones with little to
eat and no sleep, does not put one ia very good
condition for travelling, bu' II We only succeed in
reaching lines, shall be fully repaid for all
sufferings.'
In the evening after we Lad trave He'd about
two miles, we met man on horseback and
hid by the roadside; but as he passed we
thought he was negro and hailed him, but
on a nearer approach we found he was re-
bel soldier We enquired if this was the
road TO huntsville, and he replied we could
go this way, though it was not the main road.
After little commonplace conversation, he
remarked that he thought he knew who we
were, and we asked him whom he supposed.
He was afraid to speak at first, but we pro-
posed an agreement that neither should be.
tray the other In case We differed, and both
parties pledged ourselves to this in bumper
from his canteen. He then became very free
and told US ne thought We were Yankees. We
replied that he was very good at guessing
and that we wanted all the assistance he
could give us. He expressed himself willing
to assist US and gave us information about
the roads, the " Hunters" THAT is those who
hunt conscriptsl, of whom he had seen some
that evening, and all about the soldiers sta
toned at huntsville, by whom they were
commanded, how many companies there were
and the names of their commanders, and
where they were raised. Notwithstanding
the information received from him about the
roads, we lost our way that night and at last
got entirely bewildered in the mountains, but
we finally struck a path which we followed,
and came to house about two O'Clock in the
morning
Here we passed ourselves off as belonging
to the I'd S. G. regiment, stating that we had
been prisoners, were exchanged and ordered
to our command, but that we were determin-
ed TO see our families, who had moved to
their folks above huntsville, and whom we
had not seen for over three years. The la
dy of the house grew very enthusiastic ov err
this determination and said we did just. right,
but that we must be careful or Capt Parker,
who had charge of the Hunters in that
section, would get hold of US, and then we
would meet with no mercy. This Parker,
she told US, was Methodist preacher before
the war, but was now a common thief and a
rObber. He had made "raid" into East
Tennessee and came back laden with silk
dresses and other fine clothing for his wife
and children, which he had " captured from
the Union people in that section. She told
us about the sufferings of her husband in the
army, and his anxiety to come home, and af-
firmed that this was " the rich mans war and
the poor mans fight" OF course we depre-
Gated the war. We told her that, wing
been prisoners in the North, we knew some
thing of the resources of the Yankees, and
that it was entirely useless to fight against
them, for they would whip US in the end at
any rate. In this she agreed with US, and
thought any more fighting the mere useless
slaughtering of men. She told US of many
acts of cruelty that had been committed by
the Hunters and impressment officers in
that section, and invoked special vengeance
ness. and wished the Yankees would come
and take possession of the place.
After receiving directions as to the Burns
vile road, we went our way with well filed
stomachs, but travelled only couple of miles
before day overlook us, and we had to put
up. When we started again in the evening
we stopped at the first house, and finding on
ly women and children we told the story of
our families whom We were so longing to see,
and who were pining at our absence, and ex-
patiated upon the joy of once more behold
ing the loved ones at home. We were as
successful as the night before, except that
we got nothing to eat, for they had nothing
We were directed to Union man, however,
to whom we. revealed our true characters,
and were gladly welcomed and entertained,
and given directions for our journey. Here
we also made out a furlough for each of us,
stating that we belonged to Capt. Fortunes
company, and signed by that worthy officer
and approved by Major Roberts, commanding
the post at huntsville. The furlough was out
that night and we must reach our command
the next night at the very latest for fear of
being reported as deserters.
We were now on dangerous ground and
must resort to every stratagem in our power,
in case of necessity. For men whose politics
we did not know, and soldiers, we had our
furloughs with the ladies we had run away
to see our wives and children; and with the
" true blue we're real live Yankees. Nor
gan's command had "played out" after we
passed Ashville.
On the night of the 2Sth we again missed
our way and travelled some seven or eight
miles for nothing, but at house where we
stopped to inquire, we were fortunate
enough to get a loaf of bread, and also, in a
roundabout way, some important information
relative to man living not hundred miles
from Burnsville, and in whose welfare we
were particularly interested at that time, so
we really felt ourselves well paid for our ex-
ira travel In the morning, as we were hunt
ing our retreat we came across an onion
patch and took a few with US for our break
fast, but dared not take many for fear of dis
covery. At night when we went out again,
however, we cleaned the onion patch out
al L., at,1 dnf 80 e