Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-05-29
THE TALE OF A GUIDE.
Recital of PeriIous Adventure In thu
Opening Days of the Civil War.

A Recital of PeriIous Adventure In the
Opening Days of the Civil War
Having lived in East Tennessee for sew
eral years previous to the war, although
residing in Ohio when hostllltles actually
began, knew the country from Knoxville
to the North Carolina line on the east and
from Knoxville to the Kentucky line or
the north very thoroughly. | had gone
over almost every mile of every highway
and knew many Of the mountain trails
and short cuts | had been surveying and
mapping public and private lands, and
this was a work calculated to famlllarlze
me with the country. | was IN Rogers
vile only three months before the opening
gun and | knew that "a strong union sentl-
ment prevailed among the mountalncers.
While the people of our sections OF the
south were enthusiastic for war, and the
mountaineers of East Tennessee and west
ern North Carolina, with very few excep-
tions, were against 1T. They argued SO
we'll and so persistently as to call forth the
bitter enmity of the confederate govern
ment, and each of them as they entered
the confederate ranks were forced to join
under penalty of being shot down In their
tracks, When they realized that war was
inevitable. and that they must take sides,
the north, and join the union forces. The
hardships, perils, and tribulations of these
refugees have only been family outlined,
Where one got through the lines five were
killed with the soldiers on watch to IN
tercept them. Where one family reached
the union lines entire, a dozen were brok-
en- and scattered, never to be reunited.
In the summer of 1862, acting under
military orders, | made my way from
Richmond, Ky. into the Blue Ridge
Mountains to gather and bring out as
large a band as possible After more or
less personal peril, mostly from guerrillas
and bushwhackers / reached the locality
| had in view, which was a nelghborhood
in a cove on one of the branches of the
Tennessee river. A few young men had
been recruited for the Confederate service,
but as yet no force had been used to secure
recruits Several men of local renown
were beating up the districts for recruits
for guerrilla cavalry companies, and every
avenue of escape to the North was closed
and carefully guarded. | went into the
mountains IN the guise of a purchasing
agent for the Confederate Government,
and as | had been literally supplied with
both Confederate money and gold, | was
in position to carry out my role. Those
who knew me personally did not know
what my sentiments were until secretly
informed, and as | appeared to be busy
looking after horses and mules, the Con
federates seemed to have no suspicious.
Within Il week after my arrival | found
that twenty-one men were DESTROYS OF
making an attempt to reach the Union
lines in Kentucky The matter had been
talked over previous to my arrival, but no
decided steps taken The leader in the
movement was a man of about 30, named
Joe PenfeId. He had been married only
about four months before my appearance
at the cove. While uneducated,
he was intelligent far beyond his
class, and he realized that the struggle
would be fierce and bloody and one to last
for years He felt that every one capable
of bearing arms must take sides, and as
his love for the Union was strong he was
impatient to get away. One of the great
est difficulties encountered at the outset
was the fact that at least half the men
wanted to take their families along. We
had journey of over one hundred miles
on AN air line before us. AS we should
be obliged to travel the distance would be
fifty more, and every mile of it In peril
of our lives Our way would be over
mountains. through forests and thickets,
across creeks and rivers, and exposed to all
sorts of weather and hardships, and | OPP
posed the drag on our movements which
the women would be certain to prove. Of
the thirteen who wanted to go nine had
from two to nine children. | fatty re-
fused to lead any such party knowing that
we would be captured and shot within a
day or two. This caused a division of
numbers A mountaineer Henderson,
who had a wife and four children of his
own, agreed to lead those having families,
while took the others. When ready to
start had en- men, and three O. them
were to take their wives along. The
women were Mrs. Penfeld, Mrs Graham
and Mrs Bross, and were all under 80 and
men s clothing and carried a shotgun.
Our party was to have two days start
of the other 1t was ticklish business
holding meetings and perfecting arrange
ments, for there were plenty Of Confeder-
ate citizens mixed up with the Unionists,
and Confederate soldiery were marching
and riding over the county. In most
cases the men disposed of their live stock
but everything else had to be abandoned
Some of them had good crops and coy
homes, and had worked hard for a score Of
years to accumulate what they had.
did not. however, hear one single regret
expressed at having to leave liberty ano
comfort behind. except that the Confeder
ate Government might profit thereby
Our party got away soon after dark on the
evening of August Is. We had appointed
rendezvous on the mountain, and at dusk
everybody was there, fourteen of us in all
Each person carried bundle containing
clothing. blankets and provisions, anC
each had a rifle or shot gun. The womeI
could not have been told from the men b,
their dress, and each had on /, pair of new
stout boots purchased for the occasion
Every family would be missed next day
ard the conclusion in each case would b,
such as to encourage every effort for re
capture.
At about 8 o'clock having planned tn
order of march and given instruction
bearing upon emergencies, took the leaC
straight up the side of Smoky Mountain
which Is one of the spurs of the Aleghanie
beginning near Clinton and running int
Kentucky and Virginia. We had tire
of these spurs to cross before reach
ing the Cumberland Mountains. on tn
state line, and between each spur was
valley and river. Our route for the frs
twelve miles was over a country thinl
inhabited. and we had no alarms w
had made about sixteen miles and had DIES
cended the spur almost to its norther
base when we had
OUR FIRST ENCOUNTER.
and | saw of what material the men wer
composed. We were following the noun
tain trail, walking by twos, and every on
on the alert, when we caught sight of
FIRE at a bend In the trail ahead of lis