The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1875-12-18
SAVED BY HIS WIFE.
THRILLING REMINIsCENCE OF GUAM
TRELL'S RAID.

At the Methodist Preachers Meeting,
at the Methodist Book Concern, Rev. DIR.
Fisher, of the Pittsbnrg Conference, says
the Cincinnati Gazette, was introduced as
the "man who was wonderfully saved dur
ing Quantrell's raid by the heroism of his
wife"
After some preliminary remarks, DIR.
Fisher began the story. Said he: l was
always an anti slavery man of the most
ultra kind, and after | moved to Kansas,
without any prominence having been shown
to my sentiments by myself, found myself
the object Of the most vindictive hatred of
the pro slavery party where resided. My
life was unsuccessfully sought several times.
When the war broke out went as chap
lain. Most OF the male members of my
church went to the war, and l went as one
of jim Lanes chaplains.
The news of my connection with the
army and of my being put in charge of
contrabands who were sent to Kansas, got
abroad, and the rebels hated me worse than
ever. They got my photograph and dis
tributed it throughout the country, and it
was fixed among them that l was to be
shot whenever met. Once when l was sent
up the river with body Of contrabands,
not being well, l went home for a little
rest. was living in Lawrence. The town
had few guns in the armory and there
was an understanding with the farmers of
the surrounding country that upon the
ringing of an alarm, they should come in
and defend the town, but the coming of
Quantrell and his men was complete sur
prise.
When the alarm was rung the arsenal
was already captured and on fire, l was in
bed, and heard, about three o'clock in the
morning, horses galloping very rapidly,
and awoke my wife, telling her it was sin
gular that horses should be galloping SO
fast so early in the morning; but she said
she guessed it was some farmers who had
been to a railroad meeting the evening be-
fore, and were hurrying back to their work.
We lay and talked for some time. The
children were going out that morning to
get some grapes, and my wife thought she
would call them earlier than usual, and
therein, brethren, l see the hand of Provi-
dence. 1t was not yet daylight, but day
was dawning. Having called the children,
she went and looked out of the front door,
and instantly called to me: g Pa, the rebels
are in town" l said that could not be;
but, nevertheless, l sprang from the bed,
and ran TO the door,
There they were, just across the green,
and just then they shot the United Breth-
rem preacher, as he was milking his COW in
his barnyard. I rushed back into the
house; my wife caught up her babe; l have
four boys; one was on my wife's breast,
another was by her side, and the two eldest
were about twelve or fourteen years old.
We all rushed up the lot on which our
house stood. Then l left my wife, and
with the two oldest boys ran up the lane.
But something seemed to tell me that l
was running away from safety, SO l told
the boys to run on, and I would 60 back to
mother. 1t was then in the gray light of
morning, and the rebels had divided into
little squads, and were ransacking the
town, killing every man they found, and
burning houses. My boys separated, the
oldest going with neighbours boy, Robert
Winton, and while the two were running
for life, the soldiers saw them and fired
volley, killing poor Bobby, and frightening
my boy almost to death. He ran in and
hid among some graves in the graveyard.
My youngest son ran off on the prairie.
In fixing my cellar l had thrown up a
bank of earth near the entrance, and l
crept down there and laid myself behind
the mound of earth and the wall in such a
way that the earth would partially screen
me. l lay up close to the kitchen floor
| had not been there long when four of
Quantrells men rode up to the house and
demanded admttance. My wife went to
the front door and let them in. They de-
manded whether l was not in the house or
in the cellar. She replied: "My husband
and two elder boys ran off as soon as the
firing began The leader swore he knew
l was in the cellar. My wife replied that
she had two younger children by her, and
that she did not want any more oaths ut
tered before them. "You have doubted
my word" she replied; "you can look for
yourselves. l lay so near the floor that 1
could hear every word that was said. The
men called for candle.
My poor wife then went and got the
lamp, which they lighted and started on
their search. They all cooked their revolv-
ers and passed the word to kill on sight,
and started for the cellar. l laid myself
fiat as could be, and turned my face to the
wall, for l knew my face was thinnest from
ear to ear. The light came to the door.
The man who carried the light was tall,
and providentially stopped so low in enter
ing the cellar that the light shining against
the bank of earth threw shadow over me.
They searched the cellar but did not find
me, and went up stairs. My wife after
wards told me that when the men went
down into the cellar, she took her babe and
went into the parlor and stood there hold
ing her hand against one ear, and the baby
against the other, expecting every moment
to hear the report of the revolvers in the
cellar announcing the death of her hus-
band.
The soldiers set fire to the house in sew
eral places, and leaving one of their num-
Der to prevent my wife from putting it out,
departed. The man seemed to be touched
with pity, and told her if she wanted to
save some furniture he would help her.
My wife thinks that holding the baby in
her arms had touched his heart. She plead
with him if he had any consideration for
her or her helpless children to leave her
house and let her put out the fire. He
consented, and left
1t was not long before another party of
Quantrell's men came along and in drunken
tones-for the marauders had become in
toxicated by this time-demanded whether
| was i'll the house.
"Do you suppose said my wife, conf
IDENTIFY that he WOuld stay here and Won