Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1865-02-17
COL. XII: NO. 5

and sheltered. and fed and piloted NJ !
With what overAowing love they took %
to their homes and hearts; and periled
their own lives to aid us l have seen
much sclfsacri6cc during the war, but,
except in the negroes, l have witnessed
no loyalty worthy to be mentioned with
theirs. approach it reverently, with
uncovered head, as the holy of holies ID
the temple of patriotism. aa. il.
When we met them they gave US a
welcome warmer than that of kindred !;
When We parted from them l am sure
many a feryent prayer went up from their
humble hearths to Our Father, that He
would guide us through the difficulties Of
our long, wearisome journey, and guard
US against the peris that beset and en-
vironed it. The two mountain ranges, in
mid winter, covered with foot Of snow,
were somstimes appalling to our aching
joints and frost"bitten feet; but we had
passed through The Slough of Despond
and come up from the Valley of the
Shadow of Death. To our eyes those
frowning hills were the Detachable Noun.
tains, and every friendly log-cabin was
The Palace called Beautiful.
OUR CORRESPONDENT, /" is lie APPEARED"
Our wardrobes suffered quite as much
as our persons. cannot speak Of my
self, for We did not carry looking glasses
but "Junius" was a subject for painter.
The Fates seemed to decree, that as my
colleague went naked into the Confedera-
cy (leaving the most of his wardrobe on
deposit at the bottom of the Mississippi
river, he should come out Of it in the
same condition. Oyercoat he had none.
Pantaloons had been torn to shreds and
tatters by the bramblcs and thorn bushes
of the mountain paths. He had hat
which was not all hat. It was given to
him (after ne had lost his own in rebel
barE), by a warm hearted African, as .
small tribute from the Intelligent Contra
band to his old friend the Reliable Gen
tleman-by an African who felt with the
most touching propriety that it would be
/ shame for any correspondent of the
Tribune to 60 baroheaded as long as
single negro in America was the owner
oe a hat! 1t was a white wool relic of
the old red sandstone period, with a su-
gar-loaf crown, and bread brim drawn
down closely over his ears, like the bon
net Of an Esquinaux. His boots were q
stupendous refutation Of the report that
leather is scarce among the rebels. Iun.
derstood 1T to be no figure Of rhetoric,
9ut the result of actual and, exact meas
aroment, which induced him to call them
the "Seyen Leaguers." The small por.
tion Of his body which was visible be.
tween the tops Of his boots and the bot.
tom Of his hat was robed in an old gray
quilt CT secession proclivities /; and taken
tor all in all, with his pale, nervous face
and his remarkable costume, he looked
like cross between the Genius of Intel
lectuaity and a'rcbel bcshNhacker
DAN ELLIS.
+ We had been for months familiar with
the name Of Dan Ellis, famous guide,
who has done nothing from the beginning
LOT. the war, but escort persons through to
our lines. Ellis is genius, and his life
is 4 ronancc, He has taken more than
1000 refugees, never losing but Que man,
aad he was lost through his own indiscre.
lion. The party had lived eight or ten
days, IN winter, among the snowy noun.
ans, upon parched corn. Dan declares
IhS parched corn is just as good to travel
on as the most luxarious food, if man
only thinks SO but L feel bound to say
that have tried it, and don't think So J
fao man in question finally rsvoltcd, and
declared Lie would have an honest meal,
if he got captured. So he went to .
house, obtained the meal and did get cap.
turel. Early in the war. when our lines
were at louisville ard Lexington, Ky,
i. lis conducted party alter party Of re-
fugees to those points, four or five hua.
dted milcs through the Cumberland noun.
tan4.
He is wary, vigilant and sleep'css as
an milan, and knows every secluded path
aud every Union man through an i'm
manse range OF country. Again and
agaiu we were told, far back en- the jour-
ney, III You once fall into the hands Of
Dan Ellis and obey his orders you are
perfectly safe" We did fall into his
hands 100 miles from our lines, in a pc.
cnllarly dangerous locality, and to US be
was like tao shadow Of a great rock in
weary laud lie was just starting from
Knoxville with 10 Univn refugees, U. s.
soldiers returning to duty from their home
within the enemy's lines, rebel deserters
and escaped prisoners. Some twenty of
them were armed and forty mounted
The moment he overlook us on the road.
and was told who We were, he said -
Boys, here are some prisoners escaped
from Salisbury, almost worn out with the
journey. Get down off your horses We
can't afford to ride and let these men
walk" From this point, though some Of
the country was more perilous than am
we had passed through, we felt compara-
Ftively safe.
"our OF TIE MOUTH OF HE'LL"
The story grows on my hands; but the
newspaper limits are inexorable. The
terrible pace at which Dan led us. 10 unI.
relentins earncstness, over mountains,
across rivers, among perils seen and un-
seen; thc kindness OF the friends. we met
in IenuesSce the heroism Of that Union
girl, who iAounted horse at midnight,
aud piloted us for seven miles through De.
vious paths cut OF very hot ncstlse
rebels into which we had inyoluntsrily
stumbled. must wait for future regard.