Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-02-02
Saved by His Wife.
Az INcDrN1 of QcAsrnfIl's nAln

lew days ago, the Rev. DIR. Fisher of th
Pittsburg conference, was introduced q
the man who was wonderfully saved du
ing Quantrell's raid, through the heroism
his wife" Methodist preachers always hav
time to relate or hear an experience an
such an introduction Of course, set doze
or more Of them calling for the story, whic
tile doctor reluctantly consented 10 tel
The Cincinnati Gazette thus reports IL
After some preliminary remarks, ID
] Fisher began tho story. Said he | wa
/ always an anti-slavery man Of the mos
anti kind, aud after | moved to Kansas
/ found myself the object Of the most yindic
tive hatred of the proslavery party Of tn
region where ! resided. My life was sough
several times. When the war broke out
went as a chaplain. Most of the male mem
bers of my church went TO the war, and
went as one of Jim Lanes chaplains. Tn,
news Of my connection with the army, anC
of my being put in charge of contrabandi
who were sent to Kansas, got abroad, anC
the rebels hated me worse than ever They
got my photograph and distributed i
throughout the country, and it was fxeC
among them that was to be shot whenever
met. Once when ! was sent up the rive
with body of contrabands not being well
| went home for a little rest. was living
at Lawrence. The town had a few guns il
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 aud defend the town but
the coming of Quantrell aud his men was q
complete surprise. When the alarm was
rung, the arsenal was already captured and
on fire. | was in bed, and heard, about
three o'clock in the morning, horses gallop-
ing very rapidly away, and / woke my wife
telling her that it was very singular that
horses should be galloping so fast so early
in the morning, but she said she guessed il
was some farmers who had been in TO rail.
road meeting the evening before, and were
hurrying back to their work We Law and
talked for some time. The children were
going out that morning 10 gather grapes,
and my wife thought she would call them
earlier than usual; and herein, brethren,
see the hand of Providence. 1t was not vet
daylight, but the day was dawnng. Ilav-
ing called the children, she went and looked
out of the trout door, and instantly called
TO me, 1" Pa, the rebels are in town" | said
that could not be, but nevertheless, sprang
from the bed and ran TO the door.
There they We're, Just across the green, and
just then they shot the United Brethren
preacher, as he was milking his COW in his
barn-yard. rushed back into the house.
my wife caught up her babe. have four
boys, one was on my wife's breast, another
by her side, aud the two oldest were twelve
or fourteen years old. We all rushed np the
lot in which our house stood, Then left
my wife, and with the oldest boys ran up
the hills but something seemed to tell me
that was running away from safety. So |
told the boys to run on, and would go back
to mother. II was then in the gray light of
morning, and the rebels had divided into
little squads, and were ansacking the town.
killing every man they found, and burning
houses. My boys separated, the oldest get
ing with neighbor's 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. lie ran in and bid among some
graves in the graveyard. My younger son
ran off on the prairie.
In fixing my cellar | had thrown np a
bank of earth near the entrance, and laid
myself between the mound of earth and the
wall in such way that the earth would
partially screen me. lay up close to the
kitchen door. | had not been there long
when four of Quantrell's men rode up to the
house and demanded admiltance. MY wife
went to the front door and let them in.
They demanded whether | was not in the
house or in the cellar. She replied "My
husband and two oldest boys ran off as soon
as the firing began" The leader swore
that he knew | was in the cellar. My wife
replied that she had two young children by
her, and that she did not want any more
oaths uttered before them. "You have
doubted my word" she replied; "you can
look for yourselves" ! lay so near the floor
that | could hear every word that was said,
The men called for candle.
My wife replied that we didn't burn can
dies. Then they wanted lantern, but she
said We hadn't any. They asked then, with
an oath, what we did for light. She re-
piled that we burned kerosene in lamp.
Then they called for a lamp, aud my wife
had to get it, but the men, in their eagerness
TO light it, turned the wick down into the
oil. Failing to light it themselves, they
called upon my wife TO light it.
Why, you've ruined the lamp" said she
sit can't be lighted with the wick down into
the oil"
Haven't you another lamp" said they.
Yes, there's one up stairs" said she, and
they ordered her TO go and get it.
"Gentlemen," said she, al can't do 1t.
Your rudeness has so frightened me that
can scarely hold my babe"
One OF the men then offered to hold it for
her, aud took ii from her arms MY poor
wife then went aud got the lamp, which they
lighted and started on their search. They
all cooked their revolvers aud passed the word
to kill on sight, aud started for the cellar. |
laid myself Just as Hat as could be and turned
my face to the wall, for knew my face was
thinnest from ear 10 ear The light came to
the door | tell you, brethren, Just quit
living. My past life came up before me-
The speakers voice trembled, his eyes be-
came snifused, and his whole frame shook
with suppressed emotion as he continued
stood then before the judgment seat.
was dead man. My heart ceased to beat
already stood before my judge. Brethren,
what could do, but just trust myself to the
Lord The man who carried the light was
tall, and proyidentally stopped so low IN en-
ieiing the cellar that the light, shining
against the bank OF EARTH threw a shadow
,vsr me. They searched the cellar but did
not find me, and went back up stairs. My |
wife afterward told me that when the men
went down cellar, she took her babe and went |
HtO hHo phlpl, anu otoou liltlb HoluluE her |
land against one ear and her babe against the |
thor, expecting every moment to hear the |
eport of the revolyers in the cellar, announc. |
ng the death of her husband. The soldiers |
et fire 10 the house in several places, and |
eaying one of their number to prevent my
wife from putting II out, departed. The man
semed touched with pity, and told her that
she wanted 10 save some furniture he
you'd help her. My wife thinks that hold
ng the babe in his arms had touched his
cart, She pleaded with him II he had any
for her or her helpless children
0 leave the house and let her put out the
re- lie consented and left. My wife came
, me and asked me whetherit was all RIGHT
etween me and God. 81 am afraid they
ill come back and kill you yet, and il viii |
e the greatest comfort TO know that you felt
repaired to die" told her felt that | was
repaired 10 die,
Telling me TO pray, she left me. II was
l.e ..tn