The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1886-01-20
A STORY OF TIE WAR.
~ an Es-Rebel.

will stories of the War OF the Union css'se
to betold. with the 50 circumstance Willc 4.
gives them an interest not 70 'De l0'O'lA -
history. Here is a good ore;
Alter Sheri6an's troops had carried out
+l,a4 order. ia burn ten square miles OF the
Shenandoah Valley there was more Dlt'
fer turn to the war waged In that localisy,
MANY of the Confederate farmers who nad
been neutral, or had tried TO be, now De,
came guerrillas and bushwhackers ana
lost no opportunity Of killing Feuera L.,
After that burning Mosby had no dl l,,
Guilty in securing all the men ne ceulu
handle. other guerrilla bands slranS ny ~
life in the various valleys ana scIuPleu a.
nothing which would cripple inc euelny'
/ know that scores OF Federal pIlsoii9l7,
who would otherwise have been Irealeu az
prisoners, were shot down as soon 40 cup
tured on account of that burning,
Among those who turned Duslln 'iS !; ms Ms
was an old man named HuinpliEes r. il, zig
about two miles from StIasouls' L9 s. wa
CO years old, quite lame IN one Ivy i -
hin disease and up to the burning was LOOK,
ed unon as n kind-heaIted, good-natureu
and foroixinp old man. The Fedefals
burned Inc houses and barns 0t ms Two
sons. further down the valley, ana one
dav two or three drunken soldiers came
to his house and demanded dinner. ne
refused to give them anything. one OF
them drew q revolver to shoot MIN uoWIl'
Int tho weapon was accidentally dls'
CHARGED and Mrs. Humphrey was hot'
tally wounded. -, "a 15,,,,
phrey disappeared and Was heAt neaLl "a y,
y tbs maintains. He lived In a cave ana
became bushwhacker. That term Is
hardly strong enough. He became a man,
hIr.tnr While a Confederate In sentif
n,nnt he had little to do with them, secdI'
H., his arms from his Federal NActliils,
and his few provisions from the lafln
houses n his old age the man became
an ayenging spirit. There was SOME.
thiu1 apDallinc in his tireles5 NlndletNe
trailinG Of Federals He hung ABOUT
camns and picket-posts and marching
columns. and he took desperate chqiieeS
to crafty his thirst for blood. II ne
came across three foragers together two
would certainly bite the dast ana nc
would not hesitate tie attack even "hete
the number was five. uod4h,,t,,
six Federals. make the statement oli
the authority OF people who saw I5'e t1ll I
/ The old man preserved o reno from es'ea
body-knife, ring, watch-ehalh or pu' ~ y
and there was no chance to MISTAKE Inc
number. rr,ss
Ore dav, In making scout near cross
rn~s. II, IS discovered 10y O scouting par.
~ ii ten Fedcrals, and ran IiIo slle
mountains, The pursuit did not emu mere :,
Some OF them dismountei ana huli9 ~
nv trail for another hour: lC was ~, ~
avoiding these men THAI 1 acelHsii 10.
stumbled upon old Humphrey nlulri
place, 1t was yeritable eaYc' warm ia a11J
ddrv and well hidden, and | had entered
| II before l knew IL was occupied. ne
nld man was not at home. but I ha9
Scarcely detected signs that the Place llaa
an iuhabitant when voice called from
+Lo r,loom at tho sessF- Sfr'f
inc Z I nT otSG9osl's sake, who is it--Hank OF
RcbfR 80
"Then there Is no hopes' he groaned.
Istruek a match and advanced towards
him. On rude bench was dish OF lat
with rag in it for wick, ana as soon
as I had lighted this | could see every
thing in the cave. On the hard stone
floor lay prisoner tied hand and foot.
He was a Federal, O second Lieutenant,
and belonged either to the Twenty-flfth
vania Cavalry Having afterwards lost
my notebook ] am not sure Of the regf
ment.
The cave contained bench or two. a
pile of straw and two or three quilts for
bed, and 2 lot Of trophies in the way OF
guns and sabers
Who are you p asked OF the man as
] bent over him.
Lieut., johnson, q sherman's eaval.
ry,' he answered.
"How came you heren
~ was riding with a dispatch last
evening when ] was bushwhacked and
made prisoner. ] have bullet In the left
shoulder"
WHO brought you here?"
An old man, who acts as II he we're
crazy
1t was the first prisoner old Humphrey
ever took, and greatly wondered 1t.
His policy was to kill, and how came he
to spare this mans life?
''Who are YOUR suddenly asked the
lone OF Gen. Early's scouts
"Then have no hope. You may have
the heart, however, to hand me a drink
of water. am burning up with fever.
There was a gourd on the bench and the
purest, coldest water ran down the rocks
at.the door. raised the mans head and
he imbibed more than pint.
His hands were tied together at the
wrists and the cords had sunk deep into
the flesh. / severed the bonds with my
knife and rubbed his hands until the cir.
culation of blood was restored.
''God bless you for thatl ! have suf-
fered death twice Overt! he said, sort o
breaking down like woman,
His wound had not been dressed. ]
propped him mp, cut away his coat and
shirt, and washed off the blood and dressed
the wound as well as possible under the
/ was finishing the oper-
alton when / heard a step behind me. and
as roso up and turned my head old
sprang upon me. lie had a
gun witt, him, and why he didn't shoot
me down / could not guess unless 1t was
In the hope of making another prisoner.
The old fellow sprang atmelike an en-
ragged tiger, and during his first fury he
got the better of me. However, after q
struggle of three or four minutes he lost
bis wind and tied him hand and foot.
Then he broke out in revilings, and such
oaths and impreeations never heard be-
fore or since, He boasted that he meant
to torture the lieutenant to death, and he
called such curses down upon my head as
did not seem possible for human tongue
to utter.
By and by, when he had exhausted him.
self. the prisoner asked:
WHAT will you do with me?"
That was puzzler. 1 had no show to
get him into our lines, couldnot remain
there and guard him, and as for leaving
him in the hands of old Humphrey 1t was
not to be thought Of. The old man had
endured privations and brooded over his
wrongs until he had become insane. His
rawlings showed that.
"I'lltell you,T replied to the prisoner,
who was on his feet to try his strength.
: am going away for three hours. When
return ! shall take you to Port Re
public. Be ready
With that I walked out. 1t was six
hours before I returned. The prisoner
vas gone. The old man lay on his back
ust where had seen him last, and as
)ent over him saw that he was dead.
A day or two after a prisoner whom we i
,aptured stated tim. the lieutenant got
afely into stras burg. = DetroitA Free |
Press.