Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1864-12-29

ed with buttons made OF gOld quarter-eag' g
les, and a blue dress-cOat with gold half
eagles for buttons, and a massive fob-chail
of gold dollars. Some persons were kinC
enough to attribute this to eccentricity, bu
in fact it was the design of vulgar, semi
bravado mind. Wharton desired to bt
thought important and NE considered tina
when arrayed in this dress and wearing {
profusion of rings and other trinkets, tina
he must strike the "poor white trash will
awe, if it did not let others know that he
was man of distinguished consideration.
He was somewhere between twenty eight
and thirty years Of age, and hailed from Mis-
sissippi He frequently made long visits
to relative who lived near Dr.C--' s res
idence and it was there he met Emma. She
at once struck his fancy, and hearing that
she would fall heir to DR. C-'s estate, he
resolved that he would take her for a wife
but was greatly taken aback when he found
that Emma would hardly treat him with or
dinary politeness. This piqued him anC
threw him upon his metal He thought
that he was got up fine enough to suit any
girl, and all that he had to do was to ASK
and the girls would jump at the chance OF
getting such a fine fellow
Wharton was not long in discovering
that he had rival in the person Of young
Bradford, who, he learned, was a favoritC
with Emma, and would likely carry her of
some day unless he prevented it. His first
idea was to pick a quarrel and then fight
with Bradford but he soon ascertained that
that would be extremely dangerous busi
ness, for Bradford had the reputation of be-
ing an extremely quiet, modest man. who
endeavored as much as possible to avoid
alterations, but that when aroused he was
a very dangerous antagonist This kind OF
a man it did not suit Wharton to quarrel
with. He wanted odds when he fought II
Bradford had been of a meek, yielding dis
position, lacking the pluck to fight, Whar
ton would have gloried in quarrelng with
him. He ther, fore determined that he would
accomplish his purpose in some other way
than by personal quarrel.
Thus matters stood when the rebellion
broke out, and it was with feelings of ex
ultation that Wharton heard that young
Bradford adhered to the cause Of the Union
He soon left for Mississippi, where, by dint
of his money and energy, he succeeded in
placing himself at the head of as villainous
a set of desperadoes as ever went unhung,
by holding out special pr )mises of plunder
He called them Partisan Rangers, organized
to defend the affairs of Southern homes from
the polluting tread Of Yankee Hessians
When this band had performed the dirty
work of the Secession magnates in Missis-
sippi-work at which the Southern soldier
who went into the ranks to meet his North.
ern enemy in battle-array revolted-Whar-
ton started for Tennessee to carry out the
=
all who refused to join the rebel cause.
When Wharton reached East Tennessee
he determined to establish reputation
that his fame might reach Emma before he
called to renew his addresses But when
he did call she treated him with contempt
This so stirred up the devil within MIN that
when lie left DR.. C-'s residence he re-
paired to the camp Of his band, and gave
the order for demonstration upon tho
Bradford farm, and for his men to help them
selves.
1t was toward dusk when his gang reach
ed the Bradford homestead, and one Of the
desperadoes ruthlessly fired and killed tho
elder Bradford as he was setting on the
porch Others seized an elder brother Of
Joseph Bradford, and, despite the entreat
les of his mother, wife, and children, hung
him up to a tree in front of the house,
tree that his father had planted on the day
of his birth.
"They were enemies of the South anC
deserved all they got !" was the brutal re
ply of Wharton to the entreaties of the moth
er to cut down her son before life should
become extinct.
The men having a carte blanche TO plum
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the women and children fled in terror to es
cape enormitics which they had reason tC
suppose would be inflicted if they remained
When the rufians had appeased their thirs
for plunder, the incendiary torch was ap
piled to finish the job.
The next morning Joseph Bradford re
turned home, after short absence, to be
hold the old homestead pile Of shoulder
ing ruins near which was the Charred re
mains of 40 much-loved father, while not
far distant was the inanimate body of 6
dearly beloved brother suspended from {
tree.
For a while his feelings utterly overcome
him, and he was aroused from a sort of hal
stupor by a neighbOr who had, with sever
al others, cautiously approached to inter
the bodies. They approached cautiously
for they well knew that if any of WhartOn's
, gang discovered them their homes would
, share the same fate. Among the number
was venerable clergyman, who had beer
driven from his home in the South because
it was known that his son had gone off tC
join the Union army, and he had sought re
, fuge with his friends in the mountains. This
old man read the burial-service in a feeble
voice, ard then offered up simple bu
touching prayer, and the remains were con
signed to their mother earth.
After this sacred rite was performed
, Bradford sought his mother. He found her
| with the other members of the family a
, DR.. C--'s and Emma and her mother en-
deavoring to console them His interview
, with them was brief, and their parting try
, ing.
Mother, l cannot stay! | have regis
tered a vow in Heaven, offered upon tin
grave ofmy father and brother, that | woulc
never rest so long as a traitors foot pollut
ed the soil of Tennessee ! Emma, canno
thank you now-some other time Be kim
to them. Farewell y
With which he mounted his horse ant
, rode off,
Reader, where you ever in the mountain
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