The National tribune., 1883-05-24

/ fallen during the course of the night. IL was
such morning as would have gladdened our
| hearts in our bOyhood's days, when we used to
| track small game through the woods and
/ fields of southern Ohio. Now we felt as II
/ the thing was reyersed-we were the game.
| and would now be only too easily tracked and
hunted down. However, we rose feeling much
| refreshed and only one thing disturbed our
/ tranquil spirits-a keen and growing hunger.
| But we had not long to wait for breakfast
/ Soon the shrill notes of q barnyard cock told
us that we were not far from civilization, and,
| proceeding in the direction indicated, we came
/ in ten minutes to a small cabin situated in
clearing ON the top of the mountain.
BROTHER OF THE STRING.
| As usual, our arrival at the yard was an.
nOuneed by the baying of half dozen hounds,
/ but an elderly man came into the yard, drove
/ off the dogs, and then kindly saluted US. We
| made the usual inquiry for something to eat and
received the customary good old Virginia well
| come. As we sat around large beeeh-woOd
! fire, in this combined kitchen, dining-rOOm,
| parlor and bedroom, warming and drying our
selves, we noticed that were objects of much
/ curiosity to the many tOw-headed urehins that
/ stood back of us in the rear, surveying US with
/ intent eyes. And our looks were not deceptive.
/ We were, indeed, shipwrecked soldiers. Aswe
/ sat alone with the host and hostess at the
/ breakfast table, we told our whole story and
4 all were deeply interested Finally, we gave
1
| wife, who was watching me at the moment, at
once reached across the table, took my hand,
gave me the grip, and then laughingly said
that the women had as much at stake as the
men, and that they could be depended upon to
do their share. This / knew was true from
4 my own experience.
Mr.. TalbOt-fOr that was this friends name
/ told US that we could travel in safety that
day along the top of the mountain and when
we remarked that it was our intention to make
New River by daylight the next day, he
answered US that this could be very easily done
by travelling south, and keeping on the summit
of the Sewe1 Mountain. He said, also, that
nearly all the people between this place and
New River were good UniOnists, and that if we
| wished to travel that day he would see that we
had a proper escort from place to place. So,
when we started TO go, he volunteered to accom-
pany US to the house of the next brother on
the route, some four miles distant, and as we
walked along the summit, enjoying the pure
and invigorating air, we felt as if we had nearly
reached the goal of our happiness
Mr. Talbot proved to be q great talker. He
4 carried with him his trusty old rifle, without
which he said he never left his cabin at any
time, and the distance appeared TO be shortened
by his agreeable company, so that we soon
found ourselves at another clearing and cabin
the home of Jacob Grimmeth-a very old
man and an invalid, but Unionist and loyal
brother of the league. Here, at the solicitation
OF MI. 1alDOE, we renearSeQ our SI0ry again,
and pitcher of hard cider and a basket OK
apples rewarded US. 1t was six miles from this
place to the next station, with only one cabin
between, but Mr.. Talbot accompanied us, and
we made the journey without any trouble by
noon. The good man of the house, Joseph
GFimmeth-brother of the former-received Us
with open arms The Red, White and Blue
String told him in part who we were, but VS.
were taken at first to be rebel deserters, and
when he found out that we were Union soldiers
escaped from a rebel hell, the old man fairly
danced with joy. At the beginning of the war
he had been with some of our troops in West
Virginia and had acted on several occasions az
scout for them, and he told Us that our men
had always treated him with so much kindness
that he was glad of an opportunity to repay it.
A good dinner was ordered-the very best that
could be gotten up. We had to taste little of
everything he had on the table-apple sauce,
pickles, peaches, honey, sorghum strip, &C.,
and all the productions Of his own hands.
Happy, independent, transformations Virginia
freemani
THOMAS RICHMOND.
The next post proved to be onlya mile of u
was the temporary home of Thomas Richmond,
Esq, one of the leading UniOnists of the eoun-
try. His eldest son was then in Castle Thunder,
having been imprisoned because he had refused
to accept commission in the rebel army His
two other sons had been cOnseripted. The
youngest deserted, but was followed home and
shot down in his fathers doOryard while at
tempting to escape. The second son deserted
also, and took to the mountains to bushwhack
the rebels. Poor fellow He was caught and
his body was never recovered; but, one morn
ing his head was found in his fathers ward
where it had been thrown by his brutal MUIR
derers. Was the Indian of the West or the
cannibal of the South Pacific Islands ever more
cruel, more relentless more inhUman?
A pleasant walk of q few minutes took us TO
his new home in the mountain fastness, and
we introduced ourselves to his mother and
three grown up daughters. We found them
very intelligent. The daughters had been
educated at Northern schools, and were accom-
pllShed in the arts. They had imbibed from
the people of the North also the spirit of loyalty
to their country, and they all knew the sign Of
the league, and responded TO our challenges.
Mrs. Richmond told us in confidence
the story of her life, her troubles, trials and
tribulatlOns. Prior to the war they had lived
on New RIyer-some ten miles distant-where
they had owned fine property, called Rich
monds Mills, and also ferry, known far and
near as Richmonds Ferry. They had been
wealthy, and had moved in the first society OF
the country when the war broke out but, as
they could not be eOaxed, hired, or driven into
supporting the rebel cause, they were set upon
by the seeeSsiOnists; their sons were murdered,
as already stated; their crops destroyed their
livestock run OFT; their buildings and fences
/ buAhS W tiAC anu OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
self and daughterS-had been forced in the dead
OF night and the midst of winter to flee to the
mountains to save themselves from the insults OF
the debauehed soldiery OF the Confederaey. Is
1t any wonder that such women were loyal?
Mr.. Richmond had not slept night for over
two years in his own house. His bed was 10
the caves of the mountains. Occasionally ha
would steal in, pay short visit to his family,
and then be off again before the light of day,
and Mrs. Richmond said she had an impression
that her husband was coming in that evening"
We, on our part then told our story which also
had sympathetic audience. Mrs Richmond
was anxious to know the true condition OF
things at the rebel capital. She had heard
that IN Castle Thunder, where her son was,
and had been for over eighteen months, thas
he was entirely naked for want of clothes, and
had to lie in sand-bedS to keep himself from
freezing and that his food was of the poorest
kind-nOt wholesome enough for dog. But
we felt that We could not give her any words
of comfort, for if her sons prison was worse
than had been our own, and we had always
heard it was his was hard lot indeed.
As our hosts had couple of negroes, who had
formerly been their slaves, and still Lived with
them, we expressed desire to have one OF
these men pilot Us that night to New River,
and, as they said they would be happy to DO so,
we set midnight as the time for departure.
FALSE ALARM