Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1880-09-10
COMPULSORY PRAYER.
An Adventure of Tom Wood, the
Confederate Scout.

when scouting inside of the enemy's
lines, did anybody ever detect you as
confederate spy"
''Never. But I was mighty near
being caught up once, and the only
way / escaped was by being mistook
for my brother jim" Here the
smile on his face spread into broad
grin, and the old man chuckled as
his mind went back to the serio-comi-
cal adventure. Tom Wood or ''Uncle
Tommy" as he was known in Gener-
al Lees camp, had never been with
the army in Flanders, but he had
learned their habits all the same, and
was. perhaps, as wicked hunter as
ever shouldered rife.
But I'll tell you about how [ liked
to have been caught. It was late III
December, and it occurred to me that
I would take my Christmas frolic by
making a little scout out to my home
in Randolph county. We were camp
ed at Warm springs, and had!nothing
to do in camp, and I felt lonesome
like. AS Christmas drew on got to
thinking about my oldwoman and the
children at home-they were away
inside the lines of the enemy-and I
thought that Christmas would appear
more like Christmas to them
if I could Unexpectedly drop down
among them. So I shouldered my old
gun and away I went, out through
Pocahontas and down into Randolph.
I got along frst-rate on my way out;
saw my family, and after enjoying
myself for season started back.
"Of course I kept out of the way
of all the settlements, and stuck to
the mountains. 1 stopped at no
body's house unless knew them to
be true blue southerners. One night
I came to the Greenbrier river, and
Just as dark came on a heavy sleet
set i'll. I was cold, tired and hungry
and the only house where l could find
shelter was the house of Billy john
son, whom I knew to be the most
ultra union man in all that region. I
had no personal acquaintance with
lhim, and duu't think that he had
, lever seen me, so I concluded to risk
myself under his roof that night any
way. It was my purpose to give
him fictitious name, for felt pref
ty sure that if he discovered that ]
was Tom Wood, the rebel scout, ]
dwould not live to see daylight
aMustering up courage, and helped
along by the wet and cold, sought
refuge under Johnson's roof and was
Hospitality received. While sitting
] by the fire warming myself, johnson
kept looking into my tace very earn
, estly, when all at once he arose from
his seat, approached, and standing
directly in from of me, says: AIN
, your name Wood? s-.< ~.-.
''Here was poser, and was caugn
knew that if he recognised me i
would do no good to lie about 1t
> so I owned up, and said that was M.
y name. WELL said he, that is Brothe
I Jimmy Wood, amt it, This reheve'
me. You see he had mistook m
II for brother Jim, and seeing how
was, humored the mis Ike, thong
Jim is blasted sight 7 Ter man no
. me. But wasn't standing on look
ut then, the circumstanf es didn't admi
r of it. We'll, really, says he, .Brothe
e Wood, I am glad to see you. i EN-
d. seen you since the camp-meeting Il
10. t1e hills, nigh on to twenty year
ago, And he took my hand and shoe
it like he was glad 10 see me- But
could hardly keep from laughing i
bis face at being taken for a elias
leader. You see Jim is Methodist
III and leader in the church, and so
81 johnson, and that's how he GALE
Inc Brother Wood And then b
J set down and talked over old time
and the camp-meeting in the hills
and as the old man was willing to d
most of the talking, I was willing TO
ttv him to do it.
to Il got along very we'll until W
ID sot to supper, when Johnson Gale
q n on me to say grace. I had don
ed many hard days work; had bee
l ad on many long scout; have been i
mt some mighty hot fights; but tie
'7u you honestly boys, the hardest an
= hottest work I ever done was to g,
tai out that blessing in genteel W a
ms But this was no time for finching, {
nat nat I got through with it. Everythir
in moved on smoothly enough un
sei bedtime came around. Broth
rod johnson put the Bible on the stan
: IS snr fed the candle and asked me i
I'D ead in family worship. I had broi
the ice by asking the blessing
and the supper table, SO I read chapt'
ney IN the book, and kneeling down O
, eGr tered up the first prayer of n
1 h life. By jings, it was a GOO
dial one. l didn't forget to pray for II
restoration of the union and Il
;. destruction of its enemies. eMayl
a 10 it was answered L had good night
'o6, rest, and when I left in the mornir
lost felt better than ever did in my LID
sts. In fact, boys, I believe it does ms
siPt good to pray little once and a Vii
ms even if he is forced to do it, me-
o. to do more of it here after But th
less is the way I escaped, by being misto
n