The National tribune., 1883-03-22

| fashion,, to keep warm when rested we would
eat a handful of meal each, and then resume
| our journey. We ate nothing but this meal foI
nine days. Think for a moment of five fam.
ished men subsisting for nine days on peck
| of raw corn meal We got into mountainous
| region in few days, and then could travel by
| day. One day, when our meal was almost
| gone, we drew lots to see who should go to the
| first house that we came upon, and try to obtain
| some food. 1t fell on Palmatier and myself
| We soon discovered small log house in val
| ley, and approached it. We found nobody at
home but small dog, which made more noise
to the square inch than any beast i ever saw
before or since We tried in vain to open the
/ DOORS but were more fortunate at the smoke
/ house, which we entered, and found q swill
| tub, out of which we fished some scraps OF
bread, and ate them with keen relish we
| also found pile of frozen onions, and took
| back a supply to our waiting comrades. We
also discovered some joints of meat fastened to
/ the wall by stout, hickory withers, which we
| tried in vain to undo. While Paimatier was
| searching for an ak, | thought that perhaps it
would be policy to leave it alone, if we should
| be recaptured the Rebs. might make this an
excuse for killing us; so we returned with only
| the onions. The other boys cursed a little at
first, but were finally induced to view the mat
| ter as [ did; so they devoured the onions
and we went our way. The same day, | think,
we drew lots again. and it fell ON Brannan this
| time to go to the next house. Some time after
dark we saw a light some distance ahead and
we all went up to within about 100 yards of
the dwelling Brannan then went on alone.
AN UNEXPECTED PLEASURE
He to 20 in and if it was all right, he was to
come out and call u.s. Wewatched the saw
him go in, and after what seemed to us an age,
he came out and gave the signal of safety. On
going TO the house we found the family at
supper. The meal consisted of dried string
beans, bear meat, bread and rye coffee, aud
when our turn came we cleared the table in
short order. We were pleased to find that the
man of the house, whose naaie was Larl.in
Green, was a s'aunch Uaionist, and had "hid
out during most Of the war, TO avoid con-
scriphon into the rebel army. 1t was relief
to find one Of ourown kind in this way. But
our hopes OF finding a portion of our army at
or near the main Blae Ridge we're blasted. Mr.
Green informed US that the nearest post was
Knoxville, which Was more than 500 miles Off
But we got much valuable information from
him, ono item of which was that there were no
large bodies of rebels in our'way--only an oc-
casinnal camp of home guards and prowling
bands of guerrillas. He gave US names of re-
liable Union men along our route, and described
their premises So B'nutely that we had no
trouble IN finding tlein He piloted US to the
main Blue Ridge, which we crossed at what IS
called the Deep Gap. The next morning we
passed through town called Boone at an
early hour and II the street we met young
man III the uniform of q rebel major who
halted us and demanded orr business. We
told him we belonged to Lees army, and were
going home to Greenyille on furlough. We had
dropped our usual caution by advice of Mr.
Green, who told us that II we put on a bold front
and went through this town rs if we knew our
business we w4nld not be molested. Our story
did not satisfy the {aaior, who eyed us suspi-
ciousy as we hurried on, and we had hardly
left the town till we heard several horns blow
ing behind u.s. and we imagined this was TO
summon the militia in pursuit. Our first
friend ahead was bir Hays, who lived three
miles oil, and you may depend on it that we
didn't let the grass STOW under our feet till
his house was in sight. He was at home with
another man, both OF whom had rifles and were
just starting fer a hunt. We told our story
hurriedly and asked Hays to hide u.s. He
laughed and said that we need fear nothing
from those cattle at Boone.
THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.
We Were now fairiystarted on the underground
railroad, of which had read, when child. in
one Of Harriet Beecier Stoves books. and while
we passed through many dangers and almost
hair breadth eseapss a. the resbof teipy we
found faithful friaysas slong the way. Men, wo-
men aud chiidrensYould go with us sometimes a
whole nights travel to guide us around camp
OF rebels or other place of danger. | neglected
to state at the right time that I had been
supplied with two boxes of matches by Miss
Julia West at Salisbury, but they were all
spoiled when | forded Third Creek Our party
could always agree as to our route except
Palmatier, who was what we might call an
" oil OK he would frequently imagine that
we We're going wrong and would stop and
swear that he would not go any further that
way he would always keep calling to u.s.
too, when quiet was necessary; and though we
often tried to "lose " him, he refused 10 be
left, and would come up to us putting louder
than steam sawiIif. Early on our tramp
nay feet were frozen and were so sore I could
hardly walk at times, and large sore appeared
on my left knee, TO which my ragged garments
would adhere. 1t panied me incesSantly At
times, indeed, it was so bad that | actually
thought ] could hear the joint creak like a
rusty hinge, but / determined to hold out with
the best, and did so. Poor Littlejohn, who
had escaped from Florence and been recaptured
and confined at Salisbury, was weaker than
any OF u.s. and we were forced to leave him. at
last but at the house of a Unionist in East
Tennessee We feared that he would never
recover. He was thoroughly unseltish and
would not permit any of us to stay with
him. I have heard that he got well and
finally reached his horne in Ohio, but do
not know positively. The others went on, but
it would be impossible for me to give
connected narrative of our travels after we
left Mr. Hays, and it would not, perhaps inter-
est the readers of The tribune Suffice it to
say that we reached the Union lines at Leper's
Mills, on the Nobchuellie River some miles
above Knoxville, on the 10th day of March,
1865. The command there at that time was
General Gillem's brigade of infantry and the
Tenth Michigan cavalry, to whose colonel we
reported Their camp was across the river from
us, ana we had to be ferried over in dug-out
two at a time. They had large pole erected,
and the stars and stripes were floating from the
top.
SIGHT NEVER TO BE FORGOTTEN
In the afternoon sunlight it seemed to me
my eyes had ever beheld, and | think SO vet.
Here we parted company; Palmatier and
Brannan went TO Knoxville with wagon
train, but Stuart and preferred to go by the
river with fat boat load OF corn. We started
at two o'clock next day. and before dark our
boat caught on snag and held lis fast. Our
captain hailed the shore, and finally got a man
to bring us a canoe, in which we transferred
ourselves to dry land. After dark the captain
wanted two of his negro crew to go back and
watch the boat, but they objected and Stuart
and went. After all was quiet ashore we
concluded that delays were dangerous ~ an-
tied the canoe, and embarked on our own hook.
We had several adventures on the river only
one Of which / shall relate. We travelled all
the time, day and nigst, one Of Us guiding the
craft with paddle, while the other slept in
the bow. Once, while I was steering and
Stuart was snooZing comfortahly and nerhans