Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1864-07-27

ny WoIlen 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 nj ght, 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 10 be wealthy and had a
| large plantation, told us that Confederate
| money was worth nothing at all, and that he
had laid by a little silver when the war COM
| menced, with which he was at present en-
| abled to buy his grain.
We passed Ashville about daylight on the
Goth, leaving it little TO the left. The town
clock struck four Just as we passed it, but we
| pressed on about one-and -a-haH miles and
fonnd but poor hiding place. | cannot do
better here than make a short extract from
my note book
"Niost of the troops here seem to have been or
dered to Richmond there being only a sufficient
force in town to quad the public works against
bushwhaekers, who abound IN this nefghborhood.
They keep Indians to hunt these men, though they
say these willy savages dare not penetrate far
into the mountains in search of their prey. This
forenoo has been very disagreeable having rain ed
to wet through and We have not been able
to get any sleep and, accoralnsng to app earan oes
stantly wet and chilled to the bppe5, With little to
m esP aDe no. pat enc oh IL yeFy gp2 I'd
reaching lines, We shall be fully repaid for all
sufferings.'
In the evening after we had travelled 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, bat
on Il 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 30 this in a 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 wanted all the assistance he
could give US. lie expressed himself willing
| to assist us and gave us information about
the roads, the " Hunters" (that is those who
hunt conscrlpts), of whom he had seen some
that evening, and all about the soldiers sta
toned at Burnsville, 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 path which we followed,
and came 10 house about two o'clock in the
morning.
Here we passed ourselves off as belonging
to the I'd 5. G. regiment stating that we had
been prisoners, were exchanged and ordered
to our command but that we were deteTmin-
ed to see our families, who had moved to
their folks above Burnsville and whom we
had not seen for over three years. The la
dy of the house grew very enthusiastic over
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 a Methodist preacher before
the war, but was now common thief and
robber. He had made a "raid" into East
Tennessee and came back laden with silk
dresses and other fine clothing for his wife
and children, which he had I" captured" from
the Union people in that section. She told
us about tie sutierings of her husband in the
army, and his anxiety to come home. and af-
tirmed that this was +" the rich mans war and
the poor mans fight" OF course we depre-
Gated the war. We told her that h wing
been prisoners in the North, we knew some
thing of the resources of the Yankees, and
that it was lrely 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
Strengthening of men. She told US of many
acts of cruelty that had been committed bv
the " Hunters" and impressment officers in
that section, and invoked special vengeance
upon the people of Ashville for their mean
ness, and wished the Yankees would come
and take possession of the place
Alter receiving directions as to the Burns
vile road, we went our way with well filled
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-
patlated 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 a 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 were 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 a house where we
stopped to inquire, We were fortunate
enough to get a loaf of bread, and also. in
roundabout way, some important information
relative to man living not hundred miles
from huntsville, 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
thoroughly, and set down to supper of plen-
ty of raw onions without salt, and a small al
lowance of bread. The action of the onions
upon the system was very peculiar, and if