The Newtown bee., 1888-12-21
BIBLE SMITH.

BIBLE SMITH.
Edmund xirks 1t tAs Msstisg It Tie AnRisan
Missionary Association.
/ first encountered this famous scout
Of the Cumberland army at his home in
the mountains Of Tennessee in the Au-
tumn of 1850. Riding through that coun-
try on horseback, was one afternoon
oyertaken by storm and sought shelter
at his home for the night. 1t was of the
better class of backwoods dwellings
what is termed dOuble-barreledc cabin
a log house with two rooms on the ground
floor, separated by an open passageway.
1t was simply but comfortably furnish
ed and everything about it ipdicated that
he was, in the phrase of the country,
ssright well forehanded.r His family
consisted of his wife and three neatly
clad children, the Oldest about eight
wears of age. His wife was comely
young woman, who could read and write
and had thoroughly studied the half doz-
en- books that composed the family II
brary. Bible himself could neither read
nor write. He could, he told me, "oniy
Jest make out to spell. Sally, stranger,
| he said. sshas all the larnin' of the fam
| ily, so, We see, she says par. instead OF
dad, which are the natural way" lsoon
discovered that he was an original char
acter. with a talent for humorous anec-
dote that I never krew equaled. His
stories kept me in gale Of laughter till
long after midnight
i This man is a good Illustration OF the
better class of mountain white Every
thing about his house and outbuildings
was the model of neatness. His comely
wife strove with grace and cheerfulness
to do honor to a stranger guest TSdiiy
she kept her little brood. all clad IN
homespun Of her own weaving and max
ing. The younger children climbed their
fathers knee, pulled his beard and laugh
ed at his stories.as IL they had never
heard them before. Nimbly the elder
sdaughter sprang to do her mothers bid
ding, fetched the apples from the loft and
the apple.jack from the pantry and, be-
tween whiles, helped to lull the sleepy
little ones to sleep, or to keep them,
wakeful, out of mischief. When we
parted for the night, Sally read chap
ter from the big Bible and then, while all
knelt down, made snch q prayer rs the
great All Father is sure to hear. When
1 was about to mount my horse to ride
away in the morning, all the children
: gathered about me for parting kiss and
their mother-she was young and come
>. lly woman and was then a younger man
than am now and didn't know any bet
: ter-Sally looked SO much as II she ex-
pected it, that gave her the same part
ing salute that had given the children
! and then turned and said goodbye to
: Bible. Holding my hand in warm
grasp and with face as grave as fun-
eral procession, he responded, SIN sor.
ry to hev We go, stranger and ye'd better
IN stay and settle yere. II ye will, Wei
t send We to Congress, for the man as has
8. cheek enough to kiss another mans wife
C afore his very face can git any Office il
this part of the kentry-"
ra saw nothing more of Bible till L
ca ca years later, when, soon after the battl'
,ia of Stone river, / made visit to Ge
pn on Rosecrans at Murfreesborough, Tenn
rd There found him holding the rank Q
It captain in the Union army. having a
en- ready gained, by his great services, tn
title of ssScout of the Cumberland" III
4 cool bravery, intimate knowledge Of tn
country and acquaintance with the loys
men of the district had enabled himso
=. of more actual service to the Union tha
y! any single regiment in the army. 1 mt
him frequently during the six weeks ths
was with Rosecrans and the exper
ences he related to me would I'LL vo
ume. One of themI will repeat, as
illustrates the susceptibility to religios
impressions which is Characteristic of
these people.
At the outset of the secession agitatto
Bible declared for the Union, becaus
he said. he believed in ssfree schools, fr
speech and free air for all of Gods CT
ters - and in the Spring of 1851, wh
here were NO Union troops south Of {
Ohio and the disunion fever was ragt
furiously all over Tennessee. he organ
ed 100 OF his neighbope into compa
Of home guards, pledged to resist m
tacks on the person or property OF .
Of the number. Bible was elected to
command of this company and & secul
II his district immunity from the conscFi
ion, till about the time that Roeecr'
~ took command Of the army Of the ca
berland. Shortly before thie, Bible, =
en- unawaree when at home with his q
-