Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1867-06-05
On the Border.

( Nessrs Lee a Shepard, Of Boston, have
published a novel, entitled - On the Border, y
/ written bv - Edmund krkc,' (Nlr. Gilmore }
/ The story i founded on incidents occurring
during Cen Gartield's campaign in eastern
Kentucky, in the spring Of 1863. Mr.. Gil
more has a wcll-cstablishcd reputation q
most yiyAcious and entertaining writer His
F.. Among the Pines" published some years
since. exhibited familiarity with many
( phases Of southern life and character, and an
acquaintance with both the blacks and whites
! Of that region. unusual among northern writ
ers and in that book he showed Il power of
graphic and dramatic description scarcely cx-
cellcd BY Mrs. Stowe, in :. Unclc Toms cab
in" rs a writer, his sympathies have been
strongly with the friends of freedom, and his
pen has pictured the evils and expressions of
slavery with singular power During the
rebellion Mr. Gilmore came before the public
in the character Of a eclf-appointed ambassa-
dor to jeff. Davis, and his account of his visit
1 to Richmond, published at that time. was
widely read. and was exceedingly entertaining
10 the public, however slight might have been
I its effect upon the progress Of the war. 1t
was more than suspected at that time, how
ever, that his forte rather a writer of
stories. than a diplomatist, or n writer of
veracious history. But - On the Border =
gives him theme just suited to his pen and
the fcuds and hates and rcvengcs, which, in
! Kentucky, under the cover of war, ravaged,
| burned and murdered with devilsh malgnity
! furnish his Imagination ample scope and
verge enough Indeed, the rectals. given
( To us bv veracious eye witnesses. of the hid
eous work Of demoniac pas sSions unleashed by
the war. leave imagination little to do to
/ hcighten the coloring of the picture, and the
novelist need not 20 beyond the truthful rec
ortls of the passing time, for the most thrill
! ing scenes of his narrative. Mr.. Gilmore has
turned to good account his familiarity with
incidents of the war in Kentucky. and has
siven ue a volume. vivid and brilliant in It's
description Of scenes and characters. written
in an easy and most entertaining style, and
possessing all the interest of Il narrative of
actual events We should be glad to copy
many of the chapters of this book, but should
onlv provoke our readers by selections giving
them fragments Of the story The following
bit of interesting history, however. stands
sufficiently separate from the plot to warrant
us in copying it here
THE PoTND GAP ENPEDlrION.
Pound Gap is a Wild and irregular opening
in the Cumberland Mountains, about forty
five miles southwest Of Piketon. IL * the
Dnly channel Of wagon communication be
tween the southerly portions of Virginia and
kcntuckv, and takes its name from fertile
tract OF meadow-Iand which skirts the
southerly base of the mountains, and is en-
closed by narrow stream called Pound Fork
In the early history OF the district this
mountain locality was the home Of a tribe Of
Indians, who made periodical expeditions
into Virginia ior plunder. Returning with
the stolen cattle of the settlers. they pas
tured them in this meadow enclosure, and
hence il acquired the name OF the - Pound. -