The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1874-02-12
From Il ,e Niddletown CSlc.l Register.
Deau OF Mr.. Se0fSe Blessing,

Th.s FIighly esteemed gentleman
Gied at Is residence, near Wolfsville
CatOctln District, n this county, OF
Fhursd@ last, in the S0ih year Of hi
age. hI Blessing was one of our bes
citizens, and viii be remembered a.
the Her Of Highland" in eonnec
tion with the barn-yard fight with th,
! rebels in 1861, an account of which
appeared in The Examiner at th,
time. ii Ie rebels were securing tins
/ county 70 T horses, and, SIS Mr.. Bless.
I 1ng's pren lises laid in their track, ht
was called upon by several rebel sol
diers who demanded his horses. Nol
/ feeling dis posed to comply with tht
modest dei nand, he told them In VERY
PLAIN lang Iage that they euuld not
! get them, and threatened to shoot the
first man who attempted to take
them. He ediess Of the warning one
Of the solo iiers started towards the
stable, and while in the act OF open
ing the stat lie door, Mr.. Blessing fired
killing the intruder. In q few mo-
I mentS anot her rebel made his appear
ance, who was also fired upon bV Mr.,
] Blessing, but he was only wounded,
and was brought TO this city the next
day by his captor. This is srbstan d.
F, ally whSt we said about the matter.
bur ON the following week we recsiy-
ed the subj0fned letter in relation to
the matter from Mr.. Blessing him
self, which, will doubtless, be read
with interest. .---.. -.-.
HIGHLAND, CATOCTTN DISTRICT.
lfessrs. Eds. Of the Examiner:
: fof -
fight of the 9Th instant, is not cor
rect. The facts OF the dreadful scene
are these: t---
On the morning Of that day q eom-
pany of Cavalry, commanded by Ma
j0r Harmon and Captain Walker,
came in sight of my farm, where they
detailed five men to come and steal
my horses. As they rode up, Igsye nay
son two guns and took six and went
in the name Of the Lord God OF
Hosts to meet them, and as they rode
up in haste We fired upon them in
quick time, one was mortality wound
ed, Che died at Middletowh,1 y the 9th
er so bad, they rode under the over
shoot of the barn where we had q
eFoss-fre on them. As they were re-
treating, l fired, Killing one on the
spot and took the other prisoner. The
balance got back to the Company,
which was from forty to sixty strong,
and before l had reloaded my guns
they returned, nineteen in number,
and had pressed in their service four
of my nelghbors as guides, .and
marched them in advance. Fl gave
my son two guns, and another young
man one, but they both retreated. i
then took four guns and went to a
group OF cherry trees as their guhies
came upI halted them under pain -nf
death If they did not stand. One Of
them broke off and ran. fired on
him without effect. As soon as he
reached the rebels they opened
fire upon me to their hearts content
the splinters from the trees and fence
! flew in my face, while some OF the
balls fell at my feet had three guns
which / held back for sure work.
After firing some fifty shots they
rode off, leaving their dead and
wounded in my hands. They sent
me word that they would bring up q
battery and shell me. I sent word
back that had their wounded man
in the barn; IL they chose to burn
him up they could do 50. A little be-
fore night Coles Cavalry, under COM
mand of Lieut.. Colonel Vernon, came
In sight. I thought it was the rebel
battery, and took the dead rebels
earbine and concealed myself in q
bramble bush close to the lane to
make that the closing scene Of that
bloody day. When I saw my, happy
mistake, / crawled out; they gave
me a hearty cheer, rode. up to the
house, helped to bury my dead, and
stayed over night. Thus closed the
most tragic scene in the history Of
my life. am 20 years Of age. do
not wish to correct your error to
boast, but DO it to encourage our
soldiers and people to fight better and
look to God for just victory. .
Yours, &c,
GEORGE BLESSING.