Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-01-22
STORIES OF THE WAR.
Prepared Exclusively for the
Burlington Free Press from
Entirely Original Sources.
No. o---How One Slave Gained
His Freedom.

When arrived Mt Cincinnati in Sep
TENDER, 1862, things were at pretty pass.
OF course it is II matter of history that
Bragg entered Kentucky from Tennessee
in that month that he and Buell. raced
across the State that Bragg defeated the
inadequate force defending Lexington aud
occupied that city that Buell. threw him
self between his adversary and Louisville,
and that the battle of Prrryville was
fought.
1t Is not so generally known, however,
that the approach of Heths Confederate
division (the advance of Bragg's army
towards Cincinnati caused tremendous
panic, The movement was wholly uneX-
pected, and the city wholly unprepared for
it. There were few troops but, the very
day that | arrived, Gen. Lew Wallace had
taken command and established headquar-
tiers, and he at once proclaimed martial
law. There were IN the city "A great many
copperheads, secessionist sympathizers,
and doubtless active Confederates. one
of the officers of Bragg's army told me
quite recently that he visited the city after
the war on business errand and was en-
tertained at the house of a well known
resident The wife of this gentleman
treated him rather coldly, because, as he
supposed, of his having fought on the
Southern side. After a while, to his great
SURPRISE she said she had found it hard to
greet him kindly because he had not taken
the city in 1862 and burned every house
in 1t
Cen Wallace issued Il perfectly conpre-
hensive and epigrammatic order. lt was
eight or Dig" The citizens of Cincin-
natl, said he, shall help save thelr own
CITY. If they cannot or will not shoulder
muskets, why, by heavens, they shall
work in the trenches-and they did. Hun
tlreds of prominent residents VINO, IKE
the newly arrived lrishman, We're "agln
the government were set to work on the
Notifications hastily thrown up on the
Kentucky side of the river. Men poured
in, too, from the rural Ohio, from Indiana,
and elsewhere and soon there were ou,-
600 of them, militia, improVlsed troops
squirrel hunters" ana the ike, handllnG
either the rifle or the pick and shovel
Pontoon bridges, hastily constructed OF
coal barges, were thrown across the ONO ;
and, in fact, everything possible was done
to prepare for the expected attack
As said ! arrived the evening OF the
very day on which Gen Wallace took
command and the first acquaintance
met in the street early next morning was
Mr. Rufus King. He could hardly wait to
shake hands, but would have me 90 with
him, post-haste,, to Wallaces headqulr-
tiers.
General" said he, here the very man
we want-a cavalry officer" The Gene
raj wasted little time in greetings or pre-
lminares. He had no mounted force, he
said and sorely needed one for recOnnOlS-
sauces. We speedily arranged matters,
and set out to organize the company
which | was empowered to raise, equip,
and command. 1t had become known
that ! wanted good horsemen, and mum
bers of young gentlemen with whose
fathers or families was acquainted APP
piled promptly to me. accepted 80 or Al
of them, and the rest of the 50 embryo
troopers whom had ready to be sworn
into the service ut ! O'Clock y. m Were
stalwart young rough riders, hardy and
plucky, picked up in stables, on the
streets, and wherever could find them.
The stable-keepers lent me great ana III
this. a capital youngster from Boston
Williams bv name, who was III Clnclh-
matt on business, aided me i'll recruiting
and became one of my licutenants. BE
fore the afternoon of that day my com
mand was enrolled, sworn into service,
mounted, equipped, armed, and oil across
the pOntoon bridge for scout INTO Neh-
lucky. am not, however, writing Il ms
tory of the general doings of tins 1orce-
which was eventually 300 strong and OF
much service-but of Il single curious cpl
sode of one of our raids.
After preliminary reconnaissance
was ordered to report to general O1llcel
who had come to assist III the defensive
operations, and who, to my mind, Is one
of the best and bravest men that eNel
wore shoulder-straps-I mean y. j. Smith
He was then. | should think, about l.
years old, and looked older than he really
was. He cared nothing for appearances
but he was Il fighting man IRON iht
crown of his head to the sole OF his foot
He sent me. with my command, on an I'M
portant duty, III the performance of which
NAV mention we succeeded in gettin2
we'll to The rear of lIeth'S column. hat
strict orders to look out for any Conled
crates, and these orders meant TO carry
out so we kept Il sharp watch aud search
eli all the dark corners and Dack roads IL
we swept to the southwark.
One day we approached large ant
stately mansion, standing, OF course
some distance back from the road, Will
the usual outbuildings. | halted the
troop and sent an officer and two men Il
see if there were any of our southern
friends in the house. When they nae
reached the entrance ! saw colored man
evidently a hOuse-Servant, standing IN III
outbuilding and gesticulating most earn
estly, pointing in the direction OF TN
house and making strenuous efforts TO Il
tract and retain our attention. In due
time my officers returned aud reported
that there were no Confederates in thu
house. | felt some doubts on this scor
and could easily see that these doubt
We're shared by the more intelligent OF III.
men. There was no mistaklng the earn
estness of our contraband friend, ana
had IA strong impression as 10 MS mean
ing. Accordingly ! went myself to tn
house and was admitted To my aston
ishment there came TO greet me a Nenera
BILE lady, the widow Of an Old kentucklal
of great note in his day-a man OF Wealtl
and culture. She was accompanied b.
two other ladies all these We're wei
known to me, and | had been on terms q
intimacy with them in former days, whe
no wars and rumorS OF wars were dls
tracing the country. The elderly LAD
greeted me enusively She was surprise
and delighted to see me, How was
and my good father and mother 1t WA
so pleasant to see me- must sit dow
and tell them Of the welfare of mutua
friends This reception was rather en-
barrassing, but replied to then question
as well rs | could, and in due time toll
them that ! was ordered to ascertain
there were any Confederates in that yicil
ity or in that house. They said with grea