The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1888-01-26

Rrmy, anu every uldu young cuouSu dnu
every boy old enough was far away from
his home, either under the southern flag
OF under southern sod. The country for
miles around Paris was impoverished or
desolats.
a guerrilla band under the notorious
Hank Wilde had made its rendezvous in
the painless eoalings which lie between
those twin ri7ers-the Cumberland and
the Tennessee; and theiY accessibility to
Paris made that little city frequently the
rallying point for their robbing raids.
Their merciless savagery. had stricken
terror and dismsy into the hearts OF the
detenseless people. These outlaws were
generally deserters from both armies.
Always vol mounted, fantastically
dressed, heavily armed and desperate,
: they claimed no country, were without
mercy and revelad In blood and plunder.
The guerrilla chief himself was de-
serter from the Confederate army. His
father, at the breaking out Of the war, was
wealthy and respectable owner of large
property on the Cumberland river. Hank
was an early volunteer in the Confederate
army, and for more than year con-
formed to the discipline Of camp, and
with reckless courage faithfully performed
all the duties Of soldier. The destruc-
tion of his fathers house and furnaces by
the United States furnished him with an
excuse to return home without leave and
start upon the war path for revenge. lie
had soon passed the dead line and placed
himself without the pale Of civilized war
fare. He was outlawed by the Confeder-
ate government and price put upon his
head.
It was on the 18th Of April that We
had learned from our scouts Of Gen. Lees
surrender OF the grand Army OF Northern
Virginia, and We realized that the curtain
was being rung down upon the lastscene in
the drama Of the Confederacy. On the eve
ofGen. Lyon IS departure for Mexico he sug-
gested to me that ] should go under flag
Of truce to Paducah, tho nearest Federal
army post, and make terms with the COM
manding officer for the surrender Of the
command. Returning from my visit to
Paducah, where had been received with
patriarchal kindness by that noble old
Roman soldier, Gen. Sol Meredith, I was
expecting every day notice of the ratifica-
ton Of the terms Of surrender Of myself
and command by Gen. Thomas, COM
mander Of the Department of the Cumber-
land, to whom the matter had been re-
ferred.
It was on the 25th day Of April, 1865, a
beautiful, soft spring evening. The moon
hung like silver crescent above the tall
Lombardy trees that skirted the lawn
which lay in front of the little frame cot
tage was occupying as headquarters. I
was sitting alone on the veranda, watch
ing the evening shadows and reviewing in
dreamy reverie my life as Confederate
soldier. looked back through the four
years spent in constant and untiring ser
vice, and it seemed an age since had gone
for soldier In the south. Visions Of the
past rose up around me, and in swift pano-
rama all the scenes Of my army life, of the
camp and Of the march, of the skirmish,
the battle and the charge passed before me.
I was aroused from my reverie by an
oflcerof the guard, who informed me that
8 lady desired to speak with me. Called
back thus to real life, ordered that she
be brought into my presence. The officer,
returning, declared that the lady refused
to give her name or come to the Office, but
insisted on my coming to her. This was
strange proceeding, and knowing as so
well I did, that had incurred the deadly
enmity Of Hank Wilde and his guerrillas,
I thought possibly 1t was trap to encom-
pass my assassination by these bloody and
desperate people. Feeling, however, in
restless, if not romantic mood, con-
cluded that would attend the summons.
The officer who had notified me Of the
lady's presence directed me to where she
was standing alone, several hundred yards
down the road beyond headquarters.
AS the lady withdrew her veil, with i'll
concealed amazement recognized the
handsome features of Pocahontas Browne.
She was not long In making her strange
demands. emipding me Of her services
in rescuing DR.. Mathewson on the occa-
sion of the ball at the old Academy she
proceeded to inform me that she was en-
gagged to be married that very night and
depended upon me for the safe and GER
tain means Of consummating her vows.
Being quite gallant young man myself
I was somewhat bewildered and embar-
rassed at thus being made confdant OF
beautiful young lady upon this most
delicate subject. Possibly I may have
sroposed to furnish the bridegroom my
Self. But if was embarrassed and be-
wildered before was now struck blind
and dumb by the calm declaration Of the
fair lady that the bridegroom had been
selected in the person of Hank Wilde.
This sweet and gentle girl, pure, beauti-
full and brave, had plightcd her maidenly
troth to the red handed guerrilla chief.
Realizing that could rot prevent the
consummatio1 Of her fixed and unalter-
able purpose, compromised the demands
Of Miss Browne by agreeing to furnish
her cavalry escort instructed to conduct
her lover within my lines to lne- old Cum
berland Presbyterian churchyard, where
the marriage ceremony was to be per-
formed Pocahontas was to be the guide,
and the officer commanding the escort WIS
to report to her within half an hour at c
point designated.
When i had given my consent to these
monstrous proceedings l returned to my
headquarters and summoned the gallant
Lieut.. Gillespie to report to me immcdi-
ately with ten mounted men. / informed
the lieutenant in few words of the pecu-
liar business in hand and instructed him
to have an extra horse for tho lady.
Everything being in readiness within the
given time, it was but n few minutes be-
fore the little column moved off under his
command. With my orderly at my side,
and disguised sufficiently so as not to be