American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1866-04-04

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harm you bat me; and, by hockey, I'll
pull your gizzard out and hang you doub-
10 quick if you don't out and tell right
off whar they're bid 7
"The boy was now completely cowed
"Well, Sir he said, 'they's bid an
der our house. They's dug hole in the
ground right below the middle Of the par
lor. You cant see it when you look in
that hole in tie bankin', bekase they tot
tel all he dirt away, and you see it's too
dark to notice the other hole thataway.'
"'All right, bub, said Bill, you'll be
a man before your mother if you keep
your eye peeled We won't hurt you
"'Oh, please, Sir, cried the boy, don't
burn down our house we's Union folks!
"'In what direction p asked Bill, with
grin.
az don't know nothin' about ary d.
direction said the boy, with puzzled
look.
ooh you don't 2 continued Bill, well
ye ouehter You oughter say you're
Union
'orer hhs ietI you knee orey AeIs5L'
he sang
"Bll rushed out, and told one of the
soldiers to stand with his revolver cock
ed at the hole in the banking, and to
shoot down the first man that tried to es.
cape through it.
Then he went into the house and ask
ed for. an axe
'''Wbnt in the world do you want with
an axe?' the old woman inquired, with
an anxious glance at his face.
"Aa'e me no questions aud I'll tell ye
no lies, said Bill but, unless ye want
this house burned over yer head, bring
me one in leS than two-forty.'
"1he woman saw that Bill was in no
mood to be trihed with and went aud got
the axe without any more ado.
"Bill then turned to the three soldiers
who had followed him into the house and
told them to draw their aevolvers and be
ready to shoot. They did so.
without word Bill seized the carpet
at the edges and tore it up.
"The women screamed.
"'Lord a messy : shouted the old wo-
man, what on airth are ye spiling my
carpet lorY The ole man and all on us
is Union, and has alters bin ?
"'Pon my word and honor, added one
of the daughters, there amt nary reb
hid in our house
"'We don't know nary thing about airy
rcb, said another young woman.
"They all made fuss and hollered,
but Bill took no more notice of them
than if they had been parcel of hogs.
lie tore every bit of the carpet from the
floor.
"As soon as he had done it he took
the axe, and with one blow broke through
the thin floor
"'Be ready, boys' he said
"The women were crying and screaming
and talking Union all the time.
Zone or two blows made quite large
opening, and with single jerk Bill tore
up the flooring.
"What do you suppose We saw?
"There lay the three rebs, dressed in
dirty home-spun, huddled together at the
bottom of a wide hole that they had dug
beneath the house.
Bill was powerful fellow. He seiz-
ed one of the rebels by the nap CT the
neck, and not only pulled him out, but
pitched him to the further corner of the
room. Ono of our boys instantly cover
cd him with his pistol
without waiting to rest, Bill served
thetwo others in the same way.
You ought to have seen him as he
turned to the woSea
"'Well, old Sixpcnce, you're Union,
you al an the ole man and alters hez
bin ? And you never seen no reb, you
never did, Miss Brass Nor you Luther,
on your word aud honor, Miss Secesh p
They hung down their heads, blushsd
up to the eyes, and left the room without
a word.
"We disarmed the rebels and led them
to the Geaeral. Bat it was hard work.
never saw nen SO exasperated. They
wanted to lynch these assassins. If our
wounded man had died / don't believe
the General could have held them back.
"Next day we had orders to return to
Harper's Ferry. The three rebs we're
lariated to the bows of saddles, and forced
TO keep up with us all day long on foot.
Their shoes were taken from them, and
they had "a hard road to travel, | believe, ;
that day. That was all the punishment
ever inflicted on them for the attempted
assassination of our men.