The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1883-05-31
GOODBYE TO DIXIE.
Safe Within the Union Lines at Last.
A Strange Reception.
by John F. Hill, Co. K, seth o. H.Ll

X
As soon as the excitement occasioned by Mr.
! Richmonds arrival had subsidized, we resumed
/ our seats around the cheerful fire and took part
! in the general conversation. 1t was evident that
/ our host was man of more than ordinary at
tainments and Union tooth and toe-nail, as
| the Virginia phrase is. His two companions
| were, like himself, exiles from home, and
| shared his refuge in the mountains. During
the entire evening sentinel stood guard
| short distance from the house-two negroes re-
! leving each other at interyals-while one OF
the young ladies kept an independent watch IN
the yard. We were told that this was only
done when Mr.. Richmond was at home, or
| some other Unionist about the house. The
signal used to announce the approach of stran-
gers was peculiar whistle, which, being first
given by the negro sentinel, was repeated by
the young lady in the yard, so as to give the
inmates Of the house an opportunity to fly,
hide or prepare for fight. | never spent a
more agreeable evening in Virginia than the
one which we passed around that good mans
board. We each had some interesting story
concerning what we had seen and experienced
since the outbreak Of the rebellion but our
tales of gallant deeds and hairbreadth escapes
| dwindled to nothing in comparison with what
Mr. Richmond had suffered.
We ate supper about six, talked until ten,
and then lay down in a corner to take an hours
nap. The excitement under which we labored,
| however, made it impossible to sleep, and we
scarcely closed our eyes. We were to be up by
eleven, when another meal was to be ready,
and then Mr.. Richmond himself was to act as
our guide to New River.
A MIDNIGHT TRAMP.
The programme was carried out to the letter.
The young ladies prepared a very palatable
midnight repast for US and everything being
in readiness, we started about the smallest hour
of the night The journey proved pleasant
one. For about five miles we followed the sum-
nit of the Sewell Mountains and then the land
began to break away in gentle slope south
ward towards the river, which we reached
sometime before the break of day, at what had
formerly been called Richmond's Ferry, after our
guide-Thomas Richmond. As we sat for a
few minutes resting upon large rock, Mr..
Richmond pointed to the place where once his
large farmhouse had stood. Nothing was
to be seen but two tall stone chimneys-sad
monuments of his once happy home Here
and there had stood the buildings in which
were once stored his goods, but now nothing
remains but pile of ashes.
O. And there" he said, grasping my arm at
the same time that he pointed with the
other hand, near that fire burned locust tree
my darling boy was killed"
Methought that the blood of that young
man was even then crying aloud for ven
geance!
At last, having received full instructions as
to our route for the day, we babe our good old
friend adieu and started off for our third Sun
days tramp between the lines. Our course lay
down the right bank of New River. Like
many other mountain streams it is hemmed in
by high banks. tail cliffs, and lofty mountains.
Level bottom-land was an unusual thing to
meet witi-hardly room enough was found in
places between the waters edge and the bluffs
for a wagon road, or even FOOT path. We
walked RAPIDLY on and passed two or three log
7 houses before the break Of day. a distance OF
seven miles further brought us to the house of
Israel Owens, TO which we had been referred
by Mr.. Richmond as place to get breakfast
and to be ferried across the river. We reached
this place about 10 o'clock and as the morn
ing was cold and chilly, we asked permission
to enter and warm ourselves, which was readily
granted. AS we sat there we gave the league
sign of recognition, and were not surprised to
find that the woman gave the response as soon
as her husband. Man and wife-shoulder to
shoulder-hand in hand-they We're willing to
suffer, fight, yea, and die, undivided, for the
Union. good meal was soon prepared. Fresh
venison, honey, and buckwbeat graced the
table-a feast fit for king-and we ate with a
relish. After breakfast we thanked the good
lady for her kindness, and her husband then
took US across the river in his skiff. 1t was a
vast improvement on our means of crossing the
Greenbriar and Roanoke. Down the left bank
of the river we now wendell our weary way.
For ten long miles we saw neither house nor
human being. Late in the afternoon we came
to snug little cabin, hid between two over
hanging cliffs. As we approached from the
riverside, we saw four men pass out of the cabin
by back door, and run with all their might
up ravine in the rear of the house. We
thought this strange, but still supposed there
were other persons in the house. We went to
the door and knocked, but there was no answer
We knocked again, and all was silent still. We
opened the door, but could not see living soul
There was bright warm fire burning on the
hearth, and we could not resist the temptation
to make ourselves at home beside it. We sat
there nearly two hours, waiting anxiously for
some one TO come in but no one came There
was something amiss here. Why did not these
men return? And why had they run away on
seeing US? We came to the conclusion that they
were i'll constant dread of being surprised by
enemies, though whether the latter were wear
ers of the blue or the gray, we had no means OF
knowing
A NIGHT WITH REBEL.
It was sunset when we left this house, and q
walk of couple of miles brought us to another
house on the river bank We found the owner
in his stable-yard, feeding his cows and we 20
itely asked him to allow to stay all night with
him. He hestated a good deal about receiving
us, end made many excuses. Probably he did
not like our looks and we, on our part, in
!
a house that was six miles farther on, but il
was so late in the day that we felt that we could
. not reach it, and so had determined to try oul
luck here. We walked in, feeling that for once
we had hit upon a place where we were not
welcome. The result was poor supper, poor
company, and poor accommodations all round
Our hest was a rebel at heart and afraid of us
as we were afraid of him. He would go out OF
doors every few minutes, and one of us would
always follow him, for we did not propose to lei
him 20 out Of our sight. He had wife and
grown-up daughter, and we watched both oil
them constantly. We told him who we We're
where we had been, and what we were aiming
to do; but he hooted at our story So passed
the evening-all of us sour, gruff and morose
When bedtime came, cur host offered to show
us sleeping place upstairs; but we preferred
to sleep on the floor in front of the fire, in the
same room in which he slept, and he furnished
us two blankets, with which we huddled down
upon the floor Before we laid down, however
we held private outdoor conference, at which
we reached the conclusion that, as there was
danger that the man women might go out in
the night and secure help to make prisoners OF
us, one of us should remain awake all night
. and watch. If it had not been for the cold, we
would have kept sentinel in the yard also
: But the night passed without incident The
| daughter took the bed upstairs, and we remain
ed in thereon with the old folks.
The next morning We were all up early. We