Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1867-04-19
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The Adventures Of a Union
Scout.
The Trials III East Tennessee
LOyIilsiS.

The adventures of those who acted in the
perilous capacity of scouts during the war
have Just begun to be told, and the books
descriptive of thnse adventures will form
an interesting and popular branch of our
war litrature for at least a generation to
come. The latest book of this class, and
one of the best, is one just published by
Harper X Brothers. 1t gives the adven-
lures of Daniel Ellis, of East Tennessee,
who was noted Union guide and scout
during nearly four years OF the war.
The author very modestly dlsclaims lit
erary accomplishments i'll his autobiograph-
ical preface, and thus to a good degree dis
arms criticism in advance. The only OBJ
lection we have to the style OF his narrativ
is on the ground that, after all, the authoc
really does too often attempt rather ambir
tious gcncralizations, instead of adhcring
rgidly to the plain story of his thrilling ad-
ventures. The majority Of his readers.
however, will not on this account lose their
interest in the subject matter, which main
" concerns the terrible trials, hair breadth
escapes, and fearful suifcrings of the I'm
ionists in East Tennessee.
The author was merely n Union sc ont
but one of the most active, fearless and en-
terprlsing in all East Tennessee. A sol,
dier in the Mexican war. his experience
there and subsequently gained knowledge
of the country he trayerscd as a scout, to-
gether with natural aptitude fitted him
Tor the work he undertook, which was main,
" the conduct of Union refugees from with
in the rebel to the Union lines, and the
transmissions of important intelligence
and private letters. These trips involved
degree of risk much greater and more
exciting than that generally attaching to
the life of a soldier III organized military
bodies. The stories OF his adventures have
therefore, aproportlonate increase Of inter-
est.
beginning his career as bridge burn
cr, he was soon caught, and would have
certainly been hung had he not effected a
cludcd, with his comrades, to escape to
the mountains, then almost the only ref.
uge of the loyal East Tenneeseans. Each
man was forced to pack fifty pounds o. flour
or bacon through a most difficult co un try
After passing through innumerable priva,
tlous safe place was reached, but the arl-
thor concluded to return and act as pilot
to those who remained and wanted to 20
to the Unicn lines. The nature of the
travel under the circumstances can be judg-
ed from the following:
HOW THE EAST TENNESSEE UNIoNIsTs
TRAVELLED.
The mountainous declivitics amid which
we were now travelling were very rough,
and yet we had not arrived at the rOughest
parts of them for on every side nothing
k,, h,t ut. Il
pices and depressed hollows, and we all
let well assured of one thing, and that was
that there was no danger of being pursued
through this dreadful range of mountains
by the rebel horles, which indeed, consti-
tuted one of Natures safest PATHWAYS
from the tyranny of the secessionists. We
travelled slowly along that evening. and
when the dark blanket of night was thrown
over the face OF Nature, we halted and rest
ed until morhing. our sleep being disturbed
with no noise save the harsh music of the
whip -poor-will, as it reycrbrated through
the nils and valleys around us. When
morning dawned again, we partook Of Il
hastv meal, and then went onward, slowly
climbing the mountain all day. Night
coming on, we stopped and ate the last of
Our provisions. aud pushed toward across II
little valley during the night pulling, as
we passed along. some green corn, which
we ate raw with very good appetite,
When morning came we were on the top
of Walllng's Ridge, which overlooks Pow
ellis Valley. which WAS thickly settled,
aud which we found we were compelled to
pass through, or else be forced TO travel
through the toughest sort of mountains if
we chose to avoid it ; we therefore determ
ined 10 make an effort to go through the
valley. We continued to travel all day
on tac lofty elevations of Wallilg's Ridge,
and in the evening we supplied ourselves