The National tribune., 1889-10-17

Iorlty OF people III his neighborhood, and they
refused TO allow him TO testify against n white
slan! Hewas subsequently deferred from voting
by some of his personal enemies. Ofcoursc, after
being treated in this way, he became a strong
opponent of the slave code and Che Southern
party, and he prayed for the success Of the
Union. as he hoped for recognition under il.
He was a very fair man and well liked. Ho
lived to vote and be recognized citizen, us
his father had been, and rs he was before the
unfortunate law suit proved the negro faint.
The camp pickers were plying their vocation
as the roar of battle sounded at the Wilderness,
IL miles away, where the smoke rose in clouds
over the pines beyond the Rapdan. a party
of Federal cavalry came from toward Germana
Ford OH the 9th of May, 1864. aud Just by my
house met Capt" Billy Brown who was re-
turning home with his wagons loaded with
plunder, accompanied by his wife and five or
six daughters. and a son named Thomas Fran
els Brown, chunk of fellow of % who had
escaped the CONSUMPTION by keeping in the
brush. Old Billy Brown was called Cap
tain on account of being the father of %
children; but not one of them ever served
day in the Confederate army. The officer
in command Of the Federal cavalry halted and
cried out 10 the young man. T. II. B.: Here,
You, get on that wagon and get on n horse
here, and guide Us as straight across the coun-
try as you can 20 MorIen's Ford. Adiuiant,
get him horse, If You have TO dismount
man. Thomas Francis was thunderstrnck.
He stammcred: "Wh-a-a-t did yon say Mis-
ter?" while old Capt. Billy waddled up 10 the
officer and dolefnlly begged: oh-h, please
don't take him, Gineral. He's our only boy,
and be don't know nothn', sir; sariin be
don't" The officer cried, sternly: Get down
quick, j say. Here's your horse get on him
and take us straight for Morton's Ford
OR YOUR HIDE WON'T BE WORTH CENT.
Jump up. quick" The Adjuiant had Thomas
Francis on a cavalry horse in minute aud
the command Forward !" was given. T. +.
claspcd his hands aud bursting into tears cried:
Good-by, father aud mother; gooi-by sisters
and brothers. God bless you, if / never see
you again" A big soldier sitting by r. +.
wiLkcd at me and said Amen" All the
Browns were sobbing aud crying by this time,
and the soldiers were laughing and joking them
as they went of. Thomas Francis got back
home IN q couple Of days, and il takes him
nearly that time now to relate his numerous
thrilling adventures in which T. +. figures
pre- eninently as the hero.
A few days after the last Of the Army of the
Potomac left. the Federal regiment known as
the Butterfly Cavalry" came along and
halted near my house. Seeing my stock Of
grain and feed, the officer in command asked
me where ! got it all. / informed him that il
was given TO me by officers aud Others aud
that ! had gathered it up through the aban-
dOned camps" Well" he answered, sit Just
comes in right for me. 1t saves me going fur
Their for feed. Aud so he went into camp close
by me. and gave orders % bis men To help
themselves from my accumulations i pro.
tested against the way they scattered aud
wasted il. aud went 10 the Colonel and begged
him not 10 take aud ruin il all. as I had no
other recourse for feed for my few head of
stock, and had been at great trouble to gather
il up.
NJ. ps;a "a r,a. Von a. ~ , ,..ad Al ~ al.
surance. You rebels brought on the war,
and now you want 10 be fed aud cared for while
/ you murder our men" They took and do
/ stroyed the greater part of the feed. and in a
! few days after Gen. Paync's Brigade Of Con-
| federate cavalry came along and finished the
/ rest complimentiDg me for my zeal for the
! Coniederacy in saving up 80 mnch good forage
1 from the Yankees. Then shortly afterwards
/ Chambliss's Confederate Brigade passed down.
and, as someone informed them that had laid
4 up large stores from the Yankee QHarlermaster
and COmmsaary Departments. they made a
I search Of my premises. They took nearly all
the tobacco cigars. canned fruits aud provisions
although ] urged that / had paid for them to
4 tie Federal Suffers They said / would be
/ well paid when the Independence Of the Con-
/ federaey settled but ] told them. - EN-,
] that / hoped the Yankees would settle with
/ them soon. Some Of them rode of with boxes
/ Of crackers on their saddles in front OF them.
while others took hams aud side. meat aud a
4 couple Of them stood at my gate with boxes of
| cigars in their hands giving them 10 their COM
| panlOps who rode past aud occasionally nod
! ding towards me aud TemarkiBg: " It's the old
| mans treat; help yourselves. boys. He's got
| plenty Of eGi. and he's bin lOokin for us ever
! since the Yankees left" II was no use 10 say
| anything, so j went into the house aud re-
| VOlved the situation IN my mind. By hiding
| what would be left might manage 90 live UNI
| I'll ! could raise some corn aud peas. The
| remnant Of the stock consisted Of one old horse.
| one yoke Of old oxen, two mich cows aud two
old soYs. So braccd up, and when evening
| came held council Of war with my old woman
aud the girls and boys, and we decided to go 10
work and bury all the provisions We had left
the very next lay but the next day il rain
country for some time. as Grants army had got
| down 10 South Anna despite all Confederate
victories which we were told VI, We began Ia
| feel secure.
Butoue day in June dapper Confederate
| Provost Marshal, with wagon train and
| guards. called upon me. He said that he waf
gathering up provisions for the suffering people
Of Orange County, aud as he was informed that
had amassed great stores,
DEMANDED a PORTION FROM NE,
and going through my house took about half d
/ what had. j then sccreted the remainder
not knowing who would come next aud this
1 with what ] raised, carried me into 1865.
The latter part Of 1864 was very dull NJ
troops secuted or marched through Cuipeper
aud the CODiederates on Through were almost