The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1885-01-29

ualiy bound, my tongue was still at liberty.
| had Re experience in managing mobs, but
/ felt. by kind of instinct, that mobs and dogs
| are very similar,-neither likes to attack q
person who quietly and good -hAmoredly faces
| them. j had proved this with savage dogs
| several times for mere sport but this was
| more serious matter. / was not much In the
| humor of talking, but it was better to be led
by policy than by inclination. Selecting. there
| FORE some of the nearest persons spoke to
them. They answered with curses, but in the
very act of cursing they grew milder and more
! willing to converse. / answered their inuen-
does cheerfully, jesting whenever opportunity
offered, about the manner was being secured,
the bracelets they were giving me, the care
| they had for Yankee" as they persisted in
calling me, and tried to look and speak as if
the whole matter were mere comedy. soon
! got some of the laughers on my side, and before
| long had the satisfaction of hearing one man
say, regretfully, Pity he is Yankee, for he
seems to be good fellow and another agree
to the sentiment. Yet was not sorry to hear
the driver announce that we were now ready
to start.
The manner in which was tied indicated
| that my captors intended to make assurance
doubly sure, and take bond of fate" One
end of a heavy chain was put around my neck,
and fastened there with paddock; the other
end was passed behind the carrage-seat, and
! hitched TO my foot in the same manner the
was in a sitting position thus rendering it i'm
possible for me to rise. My hands were tied
| together my elbows were pinioned to my side
by ropes and to crown all, | was firmly bound
to the carriage-seat, while two horsemen,
armed with pistols and carbines, followed the
carriage at a short distance, and my evil genius
the little Major, took the scat beside me, like
wise armed to the teeth l ought to have felt
secure, but did not. The same exaggerated
caution often noticed afterwards.
As we left Lafayette behind, the sky which
had been couded for days, suddenly cleared.
! The sun sbOne in beauty, and smiled on the
first faint dawnngs of Spring that lay in ten
der green on the surrounding hills. What
would not have given for such day As hours
earlier! But even then it was very welcome,
and my spirit grew more light as | breathed
| the fresh air and listened to the singing of the
| birds.
My companions were quite talkative, and I
responded as well as / could. They even tried
| to make me think that the extraordinary man
ner in which l was tied and guarded-with
which l reproached them-was compliment,
! showing that they had formed high opinion
of my daring character! Their conversation
was pleasant and courteous enough, except that
| when they passed houses they would cry out,
We've got a live Yankee here!" Then men,
women and children would rush to the door,
! staring as if they some great monster, and
! asking
| "Whar did you ketch him? Coin to hang
! him when you get him to Chattanooga" and
/ similar expressions without number.
cared little for this at first, but its perpetual
| recurrence was not without its effect in making
me think that they really would hang me- In
| fact, my prospects were far from encouraging;
! vet | considered it my duty to keep up my
| spirits and hold despair at arms length while
any possible ground for hope remained. The
afternoon wore slowly away as we journeyed
amid grand and romantic scenery that in any
| other circumstances would have been enthusi-
astically enjoyed. But now my thoughts were
| otherwise engaged.
was not so much afraid of death in itself rs
of the manner in which it was likely to come.
! Death amid the smoke and excitement and
| glory of battle never had seemed half so terri
| bic as it now did when it stood, an awful spec
! ter, beside the gallowsl And even sadder it
was to think of friends who would count the
weary months waiting and longing for my re-
turn, till hope became torturing suspense, and
| suspense deepened into despair. These and kim
| dred thoughts were almost too much for my
! fortitude; yet, setting my teeth hard, resolved
to endure patiently to the end.
The sun went down, and night came on
! deep, calm and clear. One by one the stars
! twinkled into light. 1gazed upon their beauty
with new feelings as / wondered whether a
| few more suns might not set me free from the
short story of earthly things and make me a
dweller beyond the sky. A spirit of prayer and
| the faint beginnings of trust stirred within me.
! Hitherto ! had been looking ut passing events
| alone, and refusing to contemplate the great
new experiences death would open. But now
my thoughts took new direction God was
! helping me, and inclining my heart upward. |
! was to pass through many more terrible scenes
! and taste bitter sorrows before could recognize
His voice and fully respose on His love- l was
| not then member of the church nor professor
of religion. believed the doctrines of Christian
/ ity, and purpOSed some day to give them practi-
cal attention. II had been easy to postpone this
/ purpose, and, latterly, the confusion and hustle
/ of camp-life had almost driven the subject out
! of my mind. But now God appeared very near,
1 and, even amid foes and dangers, seemed to
/ have hold of some hand, firm but kind beyond
/ the reach of vision. What influence was most
/ powerful in turning my thoughts upward l
| cannot tel, l,-wbether it was the familiar out
lines of the grand consultations the quiet and
\ stiffness all around SO congenial to exhausted
/ nature after the excitement of the last few days,
/ or a yet more direct message from the Highest,
/. I only know that the memory of that even
Z. ing, when / was carried, chained, down the
i long hill 10 the valley III which Chattanooga
/ lies, there to meet an unknown fate, is one of
! the sweetest of my life. My babbling guards
/ had subsidized into silence, and, as we Wended
4 along through the gathering darkness, high
and noble thoughts of the destiny Of man filled
my breast, and death appeared only mere
! incident of feXistence,-the gate out of one de-
! partment of being into another. / was nerved
! for any fate.
/ 1t may be thought strange that in these mo-
ments of reflection and spiritual ycarning had
no feeling of remorse for any of the deceptions
of which | had been guilty. But | had not.
! 1t did not even occur to me to consider them as
sins at all If necessary or expedient l would
1 then have added to them the sanction of an oath
! puUgl lpGSnpSS
rather than reasoned out-abOut the lawfulness
Of deceiving or injuring public enemies or
4 rebels in any possible way-a conviction that
they had forfeited everything, even their right
/ to be told truth-must have controlled me-
| Before starting on this expedition / had placed
/ the highest value on truth, and would have
| regarded wilful lie with scorn and Ioathing
! But | accepted deception as one of the Incl
dents of the enterprise, and all sense of its
wr0ngfulness passed away, and did not return
! until long afterwards
We arrived at Chattanooga while a feeble
! glow of the soft Spring twilight fingered in the
! then District Commander, was in one of the
! principal hotels of the town, and we at once
drove there. / was left in the carriage while
! the Major ascended to inform him of the ar
rival
The town had already been informed The
| curiosity to see one of the men who had cap
tured the train and frightened the women and
| children of Chattanooga into the woods only
! two days before was intense and a very large
crowd soon assembled They behaved as such