The Portland daily press., 1865-01-30
COMMUNICATIONS.
Story Of q Southern Refugee.
BoLsTERs' MILLS, Jan. %, 1856:

Story Of Southern Refugee
70 holsters MILLS, Jan. %, 1866.
To the Editor Of the Press: u ,ss,f5s ss's5
Possibly abfief article may not come amiss
from one recently from the treasohstainted at
mosphere of South Carolina. 80 II @et
slH Some years since, like many others, I left
the genial soil OF New England In search Of a
cline where Jack Frost" has less sway. and
honest dollars are somewhat smaller than
'ia full grown cheese, and after rough passage
of some ten days found myself In the city OF
Charleston, S. G, IA city which has since, for
certain reasons, become quite noted Tsf
As time rolled on my small business soon
as. increased, which not only Afforded me COM
Portable living but something to spare. In the,
meantime found growing up around me
many warm and true friends, who have prov
ed themselves such, and whom / can never
forget, little, dreaming that the cords of
brotherly love would ever become sufficiently
strong to bind me to the Sunny South
,,a AlImoFed on harmoniously until the mar
minded doctrine became quite too preva-
lent, that the few must govern the many, :
which was soon followed by the accursed doc
trine OF Secession. little thought at the
time that our land would soon not only be
deluged with blood but robbed of its nOblest
and best fathers, sons and brothers.. To leave
my business, quiet home and friends most
numerous, thought was sacrificing quite too
much therefore as weeks rolled into months
and months into years, and as the high and
low, the rich aud poor. one and all we're huFl-
ed into the vortex OF a wholesale rebelliop,
like millions Of others, / thought those crazy
who spoke of a seven or even five years
WasWho, / ask, could for moment have be-
lieved that there existed in our land demons
in the shape5of men, who would erase the last
Stripesand blot out the last Star from our time
Sa&1 honored Flag, TO further the ends Of the few
at the sacrifice Of the many The great and
good men of our country were called forth to
counsel and advise; wise and just Legislation
was notonly disregarded but consumed in the
Ia furnace of Southern passion the fatal ball
that found its way from the cannon's mouth !
to the grim walls of Sumter, while it carried
JOY tosome for a season, has also carried sor- 4
row not only from the Kennebec to the Poto-
mac but also from the Potomac to the Gulf
and from the Atlantic to the Pacific gIn the
=, meantime your humble servant firmly resolv-
ed never 10 take up arms against govern
nent 80 mild and Just as that OF ours In times
is2bf of pease or wari and 1t is to-day most pleas
ing for me to think that in this have kept
my promise, even at the sacrifice Of all but
szH life which is yetsweet. fgsif. args 4sei5 -
The first year of the war passed quietly,
y ae compared witht the latter years, yet 1t proved
to the South that they must fight the North
with powder and ball and not with. rawhides.
as was first proposed g 4 welve months only
served to appease in a measure the fighting
propensides of Southern 9chiyalry. And be-
tore the first twelve months of carnage and
blood were at an end, the hemp deserving Ex-
iA ecutiVe put into effect his weeping conscrip-
tion, which of course made not only myself
but other Union loving bachelors under forty
'es@ five, feel little delicate in spots oweVer,
with a little Yankee ingenuity, / waded
through it with other friends With the cer-'
tihcates of exemption from aWraggs Ravenel
and Bruins, walkedithe streets Of Charleston
from March, 1852, until Oct. 4, 1858, but not
in peace, can assure you.g 1t was quite suffi-
cisnt to know that wasinot only born north
Of the Potomac, but was often seen In cbmpa-
ny with those who were not considered of the
right stripe.1s Bogus Vigilance Committees
and armed snobs, both of which are no rare
,s 70 commodity in the South, were appointed to
put an end to my career, as was considered
an unsafe man in the greatf1eld of rebellion,
iasi but fearing none but the one-eyed scohndrel
at the helm, I plodded on, fearless of danger,
little dreaming of the rough and rugged road
should soon be compelled to travel; but as
call after call for more men was made 1t was
quite evident that those hitherto exempt must
now go out and fight for accuse which from
every sentiment aof honor and Justice they
could but abhor. neStL .sanA74
"a. A. = Ia September 1868, my exemption papers
proved of little service for the time belg and
was soon accepted, much against my win, as
food for Union Powder, after the routine usu-
ally gone through by the agents Of jeff styl-
ing themselves Captain and A. A. g., and al
- SO a lew days Of imprisonment In Southern
prison, the horrors of which j have no LAM
gnage to describe yet it is sufficient to say
that visit to one of them for three months
VIII cure even the most fastldlous, Of earth
and earthly things My short visit being over
managed to escape by way OF which Ineed
i,fs inform no one save the, Confederate authori-
ties, when put myself beyond rebel rule:
Secreted, with a few dear friends, ! passed
Z, 81 many areafy weeks and months, hoping and
praying ior lhe success OF Federal arms, i'm
pauet anu nears Ioac slcK OF prison nIe yes
n srsI A0o4' Oot s' Ssatseu f LOT Mlmln gton,
b"aSs oe danons and traitors byssl b,. IN .he
.au s fata ~ hS $500 -, eSs e, ~ . no.ei
os and nos avor nI sas !5; lf
.hova vr;son a which am sorrv sr ro's mn 70
ah -. Sapaet;po nd i,'ca ,,,ars On p ~
rdad 1nd - sS,,,,
way S " "a III ara tonaht ~
taka ssYsnRn at ever. Un9 on4 SasaD banrs ~
nrisotS life snd NC -o,1ed ~ ,S,,ha dsstiosd
sebopI II twsntv tnats na, bos,a Vve9 say-
ntvSaya milas from W;lm;notoa sacdad
thsy r sSass GETTING rather foo saa ,ans d. s,,d
made !, AIT from the cars into nooi ~
e ar vh;Io shav era ,a;no ~ ~
bonr washer tba sho aaer,
was tsa ono bere ono Sos,tSarnar Oas ,earnp eap
"a ~ t,noisa Vnt,sas ,,,r "o+.as 'oaa
Gant Ala po 'oor Seadod ~ On
hack track. and IN four e davs Of trials and Sod
trouhes throu oh hoes hrnols, rivars cwamnS