Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1873-09-18

converse upon more particularly than
any other, as I was certain that he had
been connected with the bushwhackers
himself at some time.
Looking slyly at me out of one eye,
and hesitating for a moment, as if de-
hberating upon what to say, he an
swered, ." Yes, they did bother me, and
like all git out, too. But it was my
fault" he continued, GO and I oughtn't
to complain.
He ceased speaking, and seemed to
wait for me to ask him about it. Not
noticing him, he, after taking long
pull at his cigar, proceeded to explain
"Ye see, mister, the way we was
naybors was mostly poor men, and when
they seed a chance to make some
stamps they banded together and went
in and got what they could. I got into
one of them scrapes afore know'd what
was up, and durn'd if I want consider
able ashamed of the biz"
"Well," said I, encouraging him to
proceed, chow did you get out of the
organization after having once asso-
ciated yourself with its members p
"That's jist what's the matter" he
chimed in. "Bein' in with 'em, and all
of a-sudden a-drawin' out-why they
l1SG H0ub IOr luz dlu cl YOU uhQ SocA
em around this ar house one night
a-yellin,' cussin' and vowin' that eff they
got hold of
DAVE DICKMAN, HE'D HANG,
you wouldn't be askin' whether sich
fellars as bushwhackers existed. Things
is changed. and don't mind tellin' you
what seed durin' my first raid"
just as he was commencing I inter
rupted him by asking if he knew any
thing about little skrmish between
some of Prices volunteers and hand
full of Union soldiers, which occurred
on an old farm near by.
Throwing away his cigar, and taking
chew off from chunk of natural
twist, cut and cured by himself, he
smiingly observed that he rather
thought he could perhaps not much
about the skirmish, for there wasn't
much to telltabout it, but of something
else that followed he was certain he
that was what he was goin' to tell any
how.
This pleased me, for was not certain
that he was one of the party which COM
mitted an outrage and an attempted
robbery upon the family of one Todd,
who resided on the farm above referred
to.
$50 on" said
He commenced, speaking very earn
estly: "The war had been goin' on
for some time down South, but we
hadn't tho't much about it until the
news come that old Missury was about
to secede, and then I was harassed.
Some of the naybors was in favor of it,
but want. I didn't like the idee, and
I argy'd and argy'd agin' it. One day
haor-,1 khof 1of Of fha h0x,o ho1 ,1iofod
in old Prices Amy, and darn me eff I
want riled. I didn't say nuthin' but
kept my tongue in my head. My woman
tho, know'd suthin' was goin' on by my
actin. That evenin', jist about dusk.
Bill Gleason come on hossback here,
and as he was gittin' off I obsarved that
he wore revolvers. Bill had aIays bin
considered good 'nuff fellar, but some
how or other it jist seemed to me, when
he rid up, that he'd
COME FOR NO GOOD.
Says Bill to me, How ar ye, Dave?'
I said back that I was well 'nuff, and
arter he tied up his hoss, he come and
set down right whar' you is. We talked
along like naybors do, about matters
and things in general, until final the
war come up. Bill agreed with me in
my war opinions, or at least pretended
to, and after time he spoke about old
Todd, who I know'd to be a secesh, say
in that the old coon was agoin' to clear
out, as the country was gettin' too
warm to hold him. I got him warmed
up bit and said some pretty hard
things about the old gentleman, and Bill
kept drawin' me on like, until he got
me to promise to meet him down on
Plug creek, the next night. might
know'd it was for no good, but havin'
given my word I was bound to go. I
kept mum about the house, not lettin'
the woman hear anything about it, and
at the appointed time, Bill found me
there. Now, Bill know'd I was purity
hard up for money, and arter gittin' me
down thar he reckoned well in gittin'
me into the muss. There was ten or a
dozen fellars with him who were entire
strangers to me, and they all jined in,
each doin' his best to persuade me to go
with 'em. They told me about old
Todd's jist sellin' his hogs, and how, as
gittin' reddy to leave the State, he had
collected big pile of greenbacks, and,
as he was a secesh, it wasn't wrong to
take it. I wanted to go back and git
out of 1T, but L kept a hesitatin' until
the time come to go to Todd's, and I rid
along, sayin' nuthin'. I how'd was a
doin' wrong, but I went right on. Bill
I1Q up Dy Ily S1uo duO JO1u LIO hOW UuOy
was goin' to carry the job out without
emmy danger of bein' found out. He
said that the rebs-
SOME OF PRICES VOLUNTEERS
was goin' to pitch into company of
Yanks, who were camped just back of
Todd's barn, and that after it was over,
he and his fellars was to go to Todds
and make believe they was Union men,
and then make 'em deliver up. The
plan seemed plausible, and, hatin' Todd
enyhow for bein' secesh-I'm
'shamed to say-it didn't take eny more
persuadin' to keep me along. We rid tc
wood nigh Todd's place and stopped.
Several of the gang was sent out to re-
connorter, and I hitched my hoss to 6
saplin', thinkin' would look around 6
leetle myself. Et was then about day
light, and for fear of bein' seen,
crawled along fence down in front O.
Todd's house. To the east the sun wal
a 1ookin' over the hills, and down in ,
holler close by I seed the rebs,-somt
seventy-five or eighty-gittin' reddy fo
bizness. Wonderin' where the Yank
was, 1 crept round the house, and ther.
below the stable, in another holler,
found 'em. There was about as man.