The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1864-07-28

Is soon - hs got out of sight, would take
everything he possessed away frsm him.
My vest was taken away from mo by .
guard. The guards would slip into the
room at night aud steal the boys boots
and shoes from under their heads. I
kept my boots on. l was ordered to take
them of. l told the fellow-my dande-
,cas up-that l would take my boots of
for no man; if he wanted them he would
have to take them off himself An Off
Ger heard the conversation aud made the
fellow leave. then cut my boots full of
holes. But the "uukindest cut of alr'
was issuing ratious to US and then steal.
ing them. Our rations were about quart
Of meal and four OF. of bacon for three
days.
At last we were put aboard the cars and
started for Mobile. 1t was my intention
to knock the guard down aud jump of,
but l wss afraid Of hurting myself; con.
sequently went to work making hole 10
the bottom of the car. This l did by
cutting and pryiue, &c. Some Of the
boys managed to keep their knives, as l
did my Gne tooth comb aud tooth brush,
by hiding them 10 our boots. We arriv.
ed at Okestown about 3 p. m. They left
US in cars and were TO stay until the next
morning. About 10 o'clock p. m. my
partner and myself crawled out and start.
ed Immediately for the woods. Others
were to follow, but we we're not to wait
for them When we had been out about
half an hour we heard firing in the d.
rection from which we had come. I sup.
pose some Of the boys had attempted to
get away and were discovered. Weir
eled all night, and at daylight we were
only two aud half miles away from town.
All day in the burning sun we laid, with.
out anything to eat or drink. About 8
o'clock p. M. We started. Soon We come
to negro shanty-went in and got our
supper and some provisions. A widow
woman, white, lived there, and was strong
Union She told US where we would find
a Union man on the road to Pontotoc. -
We found Union folks until We crossed
the Tallahatchie River. The night we
reached the river we run into a squad of
rebel soldiers. 1t was 10 O clock at night
We withdrew without being Observed
went about a mile and laid over for the
night. In the morning we saw man
not far off: saw that he was unarmed,
and knowing that all the citizens in that
neighborhood were Union, l was not
afraid to approach him. told him frank.
Iy my situation. l saw by his couuten-
ance that he could be trusted. lie d.
rected me to 20 to old Mr.. Gaines. This
man told me that there were 1900 rebels
in the neighborhood, going to intercept
Gen. Sturgis. Gaines place was Utterly
swarming with rebel troops; so we could
not go to the house until they left. 1t
was nearly night before they were gone.
As soon as they had gone went to the
house. never saw a man so surprised
in my life Gaines is one Of the most
remarkable men l ever saw. saw in a
moment that all was right, and that he
would fight for me if necessary. When
| told him my story, he told me to make
myself at home, and he would stand
guard while we ate supper. After sup
per he brought US two suits of rebel
clothes, aud told US to put them on, that
it was very unsafe to attempt to 90 to
Memphis 10 federal uniform. OF
course we know that ourselves, for the
country is alive with guerrillss, conscript
ing parties, &c: called for a pen and
ink and wrote detail, detailing ourselves
into the secret service Of the Confederate
States, BY order Of Maj. Gen. Rhoddey
On the back wrote a pass authorizing
oil guards, pickets, guerri!las, conscript-
ing parties, to pass the within named
persons into Memphis without delay. -
This was intended only to make ourselves
safe at the citizens houses, for We intend.
ed to avoid all robe! soldiers. The rebel
soldier, 10 that vicinity intended to cross
the river there, but it was so high that
they could not, and we're obliged to 60 up
further. Mr. Gaines hid US out in tho
swamp until the rebs went away, which
was two days. When they bad gone, he
took dug-out and put Us across the riv.
er, aud we started direct for Memphis,
travelling mostly by night, end laying by
through the day. Once, while We were
going short distance in the day time,
We met party Of couscriptors. We
showed them our passes and beasted of
having struggled rcvolyers and ammuni-
ton out Of Memphis. They "sucked 1t
aU' Our detail would bring corn dodg.
ers and butter milk every time.
1t raiued every day after we got away
until We got into our lines. We were
eleven days in going. l suffered consid.
cradle from want of food and sleep, and
from exposure.
! found the citizens tired Of the war,
and are ready and willing to come back
into the Union under any terms.
There is a strong Union feeling South
east Of the Tsllshatchie River There
are twenty Eve or thirty men lying out to
avoid CONSUMPTION, aud have been nearly
ever since the war commenced.
/ reached my regiment on the cath Of
June. The boys wer. OF their way to
the front when l caught up with them.
I have been quite unwel since came
back-net really sick hnt an veal that T