The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1879-07-25
EBENSBURG. PA, FRIDAY, JULY %. 1879

me. One day | had picked up in camp
the daguerreotype of a man dressed in
citizens clothes. 1t seemed to be that
of farmer, but the face was one to be
remembered. As | sat in the open door
of the old house, carbine across my
knees, and looked into the face of our
prisoner, it came to me all at once that
it was his face had seen in the picture.
There was a great change in some par
ticulars, but yet L confidently inquired !:
Did you have your picture taken by
-, of Lynchburg'?
"Yes," he replied.
''Was the case of red morocco 2"
cit was.n
Then the picture had found In camp
must have been stolen from his house
by fOragers and afterwards thrown
away. The man looked at me as if
ready to answer further questions. but
L had none to put just then. I was
wondering at the curious coincidence.
when he sat up on his bed, looked me
square in the eye, and said
Il am Dan Vernon. the buShwhacker
and l killed one of your men last night
before turning in here -
dan Vernon - repeated after him.
"Y es. 1t is a good joke on your COM
rades, who took me for a scrub soldier -
was so taken by surprise that I could
not utter word. He was as cool as
ice, however, and he continued:
''It would give Sheridan great JOY to
string me up or see me shot, but my
time isn't come yet. | shall be going
pretty soon -
Now, that was pretty cool talk, con-
sidering that l was there to guard him
and had my carbine ready for a shot,
with fifty comrades within hail, but he
went on:
81 have nv rifle under the straw. and
could have shot you long ago. l didn't
want to, however | feel gOOd-natured
this morning, and you need fear no
harm"
Zone cry from me will alarm the
whole post - | managed to remark.
Pooh Let's hear you yell it once ~
Our eyes met. There was nothing
malicious in his, but they put a strange
spell on me. His voice, too. had a
strange, tender influence, and when he
asked me to toss my canteen of water
and haverSack of food I Obeyed without
the least hesitation. He drank from
the canteen, and as he chewed away at
the food he remarked:
Il am going to leave now; if you think
you can kill me, blaze away, but L tell
you, you can't hit me.''
We looked at each other for half
minute, and l felt my carbine slipping
from my grasp to the ground outside
My fingers had no strength to hold it.
Dan laughed and said
why don't you shoot ?''
You shall never leave this place
alive - l said III answer, but | hardly
recognized my own voice.
Pooh - he carelessly replied, Il am
ready to leave now! shall go out of
this door, here, and you will sit right
there where you are -
Il was looking full at him. and to
save my life | couldn't move hand or
foot. Each limb felt as numb as if
asleep.
''Well, old boy, good bye to you, y said
Dan, as he picked up his rifle from the
straw, and in another minute he was
out of sight. l was sitting there.
mouth open and eyes fixed on vacancy,
when a cOmrade came down from the
picket post, shook me by the shoulder,
and cried.
"A nice man you are; asleep and
your prisoner gone.'
Was l asleep +? NoI Was it a dream
No! But the prisoner was gone. There
was talk of a court-martial in my case.
but 1t never occurred, as my prisoner
was supposed to he only some Johnny
Reb.3 Had it been known that my man
was the famous bushwhacker L should
have been taken out and shot for per-
mitting him to escape. / permitted
him, and yet / didn't. | was as help
less as if without power or muscle
That night, when he crept in upon a
picket and stabbed him to the heart, l
wondered if the poor victim first saw
those wild, magnetic eyes glaring into
his to deprive him of his power.