The National tribune., 1885-07-16
THROUGH THE LINES.
Adventures OF . Party Of Loyal Tennesseeans.

Adventures or . Party OF Loyal TennesseeanS.
To THE EDITOR: have been reader of
THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE for nearly five years,
and have read with delight hundreds of SOL
diers' letters from all over the country, giving
descriptions of what they saw and what they
did, but have never seen single letter from
an East Tennessee ex- UNion soldier giving de-
scription of his exodus from home family and
friends when the rebel conscript officers sought
to force us loyal men and boys into the rebel
| army, where more men were needed to keep
the blue bellied Yankees" north of the Ohio
River. will venture to give short sketch of
how my father and myself got out of Dixie.
Ny father lived in Bradley County, Tenn,
from 1857 to 1867, about 18 miles from the
Georgia line. In 1868 the conscript officers of
our County notified all men between the ages
of 1S and As years to report at Cleveland, the
County-seat, on the LIST of July, to be enrolled
in the rebel army. This call took both my
father and myself; but we did not intend to go
in the rebel army, SO our neighbOrs all agreed
to start with us for "Abraham's BOSOM" On
| the night of July 90 1863, so loyal men and
boys collected in field, with two loyal pilots
to guide us through the rebel pickets stationed
on the Tennessee River which we crossed on
the night of July 80 about two miles below
Blyths Ferry. The river was nearly three
fourths of mile wide, and it took US all night
to cross in little leaky skiff, which could
carry only seven men at a time.
Next day we hid in the woods near the big
road. where we could hear the rebel cavalry
passing. When night came we got in q line,
single file, with our pilot in front, who told us
not to speak above a whisper and to drop in
stantly and hide if ne gave the danger signal
which was made by taking two stones and
striking them together twice or three times.
We travelled on that night with but two or
three little scares. Next day we lay in a cove
on Waldron's RIDGE where the rebel cavalry
oil DIT I, So
which was not spoiled in crossing the river
was consumed, and the loyal people of that
mountain region had to feed us, which they
did One Squire Pitts, who lived near our
hiding place, on that day had his two daugh-
tiers cook good dinner for the whole of the 80
refugees" Lincolnites," as we were called by
our rebel neighbors. Just as the girls had our
dinner ready, up came company OF rebel cav
airy, who dismounted and ate it up. AS soon
as they left the girls went to cooking again,
and about 2 o'clock Squire Pitts and his two
daughters came out in the woods where we
were with three big baskets full of beans, cab
bage, potatoes, onions, pickles, bacon, bread,
etc, which cheered us up wonderfully. hope
may live to return the favor to Squire Pitts
or some of his family. If any of them should
see this letter they will oblige me by writing
me ut Charleston, Tenn.
When night came we fell into line and fol-
lowed our leader, crossing the Sequatchie VAL
ley and travelling through fields Dragging a
brush behind him was the duty of the last man
crossing road, to obliterate our tracks. At
last the day came and we lay on the Cumber-
land Mountains, but had nothing to eat since
the day before. That night we got little
bacon and corn bread. The people on the
mountain were loyal, but they were poor and
lived much scattered. Bacon and bread tasted
good after fast of 36 hours
We left ON the fifth night and travelled all
osrY,t h.s,1 c,f, rod hot ,rYrlA
60 to sleep walking and fall over rocks and
logs. The next day VIC hid in a laurel thicket,
like wild beasts but the rebel cavalry had
heard of u.s. and to dodge them and travel north
at the same time was q dangerous undertaking.
We manuvered all Of the sixth night, only
making about 10 miles. The sixth day we hid
in the mountains, with nothing to eat. We
had had but one scant meal for ~ hours. We
were afraid to raise our heads above the grass,
as the rebel cavalry were securing the country.
For US to stay in the mountain would be to
starve, and to go on was perilous in the ex-
treme. particularly as we had no arms. We
started on the seventh night at dark, travelled
all night in a zigzag course, 25 or 30 miles, only
about 10 in a straight line, secreting ourselves
on the seventh day and eating few roasting
ears. On the eighth night We headed for Nc
Minnville, Tenn, and travelling all night at
daybreak we were within IL miles Of the Fed
eral lines and concluded to go on in daylight.
Our progress was slow, as our feet were bis
tered and sore The rebel cavalry were on our
trail, but did not get near us until we had got
in sight of the Union army. We reported to the
Commander of the post, who sent out party
after the rebels and captured about so of them.
We then drew rations and had quite a feast on
beans, crackers, sow belly, and the first Lincoln
coffee We had drunk in two years. We were
heartily glad we had succeeded in getting
through, and most of us volunteered.-W. L.
LACEwELL, Co. A, 7th Tenn. Mounted Inf,
Charleston, Tenn.