Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-02-16
THRILLING ESCAPE.
ATRUE WAR STORY THAT READS LIKE
AROMANCE.
Tho Adventure Of Old Man Chem. Osborne
With Federal Cavairy--stoaeusns
Generous Order.
Written for no sunday plspaich.l

Written for mo sunday Dlspatch.I
CHARLOTTE. N. O., February IA. 1880.
II Is doubtful IL any civilian encountered
q moro thrilling and hairbreadth oscaPs
during our late war than old man Glen;
Osborne, of this State, and now goqo
citizen of North Fork, Ashe county. Inc
story coming from the lips of MIR. Osborne
himself makes it intensely interesting. =,
In the early spring of 1865, Just before me
final surrender of Lee and johnson,
of Federal cavalry pushed his way
from East Tennessee through the range
of mountains separating Tennessee ana
North Carolina, in movement made 70
cooperate with Sherman's advance from
South Carolina. He expected no serious
opposition until after the barrier of the Blue
Ridge had been passed, at tho foot Of this
range of mountains in the manufacturing
village Of Patterson. in Caldwell county,
this State. Here was situated the ONLY,
cotton-mill in radius Of near one hundred
miles. and it was run 10 its capacity day
and night to supply cotton thread and do
nestle cloth for large portion Of the
Carolinas, Tennessee. Virginia, ana Ken
lucky.
GUARDING TIE MILLS.
Inc fHlllS NJ IhItffNOu HtTt OIL buIn oS-
riOus importance that their protection re-
ouired constant vigilance. and there were
in the vicinity kept almost constantly
there squads of what in the local par
lance were called "home guards" men e1-
empt from the Confederate CONSUMPTION.
About the mills could be seen at all times
then wagons and teams OF citizens and
traders from the surrounding territory. III
was not unusual to find buyers there from
a distance Of more thana hundred miles ID
north or westerly directions. The day pc
fore Stoneman's arrival at Patterson hs
scouts and spies had been in the village.
Conflicting accounts were given hlm
about the Soldiers" or home guards
around. The factory-wOmen reported
that many soldiers had been seen near
These were the furloughed mon OF the
SOuth going TO and from their homes. The
day the general arrived there had come,
inst in the advance and not suspecting the
Federal cavalry in hIs rear lame and
stammering man, well known throughout
the whole region. His name was Glen
Osborne. He had with hun vaiuaois
wagon and team. For his protection
he always kept with him ssgacious and
strong dog, and a good shooting-plstol.
II should be remembered here. that there
were about the time referred 10, bands
of plunderers known ms "Vaughn's men.
who were constantly prowlIng through TINS
region. They were the stragglers ana
outlicrs from q brigade OF Confederate
cavalry. These marauders away from tner
officers robbed friend and foe alike. Inc
southern people had begun TO dread these
skulkers and plunderers as much as they
did any other band ofthieves and robbers,
who refusing 10 enter either army, Federal
or Confederate vet availed themselves OF
the license Of war and the ab-
sence OF authority and law in the
State to plumber the Confederate
svnpathIZers with remoTseless hand. They
were variously known as Tories" Bush
wbackers.r and THE Robbers" II often
occurred that robberies were made in the
nighttime. and st was difficult to tell
whether the villains were vaughn
men" OF 1.-The Robbers" The southerners
hated the one no less than the other, and
they were as ready to fight the one as the
other. Osborne was " intensely southern"
MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE.
He was encamped at Patterson when the
Federal cavalry arrived. The advance
Guard rode into town just af-er dark, aud,
In the language Of the factory people. no.
body knew lust what was up" but re-
port at once reached Osborne that the
robbers" were upon the citizens. lie has,
tened TO his wagon and when he reached
il his faithful dog within was barking furl-
ously at some one endeayorlng TO GET
into the front opening Of the wagon
body. Osborne, seeing the man, took
out his pistol, attempting to drive
the man away, and surprising him
to be one of the band Of robbers. The
stranger ran out into the dark few steps
and fred a shot back ut Osborne. lmme-
diately a cry arose. "ODe Of our men Is
killed >" Instantly some cayalrymen rush
cd toward the wagon and struck Osborne
several blows over the head and shoulders
with their sabres-One cut severing his ear
almost completely from the head. Al
though q cripple, badly famed from the ef-
fects of white swelling" Osborne man;
aged to make his escape. running toward
the main factory building when
was family up. As he fed sol
der with o carbine fired shot
at him. The fugitive was not a rod
away. The shot struck him, and Osborne
fell at once to the ground. uttering u nor
rible grOan. Now" said the soiuler,
"d-n him! He'll run no further " o.
borne. however, had fallen into the shadow
of one of the walls. and could not be i'm
mediately found. But the report ran at
once to General Stoneman, who by this
time had gotten upon the scene OF action,
that citizon was killed. The man was
not killed. He had been well-nigh fatally
struck, and so close b the muzzle of the
fr;np.piece had he been that his
clothing was on fire, and he was
in danger of being burned TO death. lie
crawled into the building and begged an
operative to put out the ire. which wa, was
bly this time ablaZe in his apparel. The
workman had a double fright, the shoot
ing on the outside and the man on fire on
the inside OF the cotton-mlll, and in the
lapper-rOom where.tke danger was double,
and the whole event transporting almost IN
the twinkling of an eve and SO suddenly
that the inmates of the mill did not know
they were surrounded by the army IN blue.
DRIVEN PROM THE ROOM.
The lapper-tender drove Osborne from
his room. Osborne went TO the outer door
and there he saw the guns of the soldiery
awaiting him. He wheeled about, running
through the main building toward the gar
ret of the mill, the soldiers pursuing him.
Bv this time the light in the upper story
had been extinguished, and as Osborne
was familiar with his surroundings he had
nm opportunity 10 find place of conceal
ment on thr roof of the mill. The soldiers
got a candle and made diligent search for
him within the building. Failing 10 ind
the man therein, the men were SO enraged
tn6N SWOle JutJ WONlu hiSCONti MIN WIN
fire if nothing else would produce him,
whereupon they stuck the candle in lot
of cotton waste on the floor and immedi-
ately descended to the ground below.
There were two alternatives that were now
left TO the man. One was to get down
and out OF the building, and that
quickly, or else perish III the flames.
There was lightning-rod running
from the roof 10 the ground. and
as quick as q fash he thought OF descent
down il. He cut the tops .tom bis boots OF
once and made cushions for his hands,
fearing that in the downward slide the
friction would burn him in that effort. 1t
was perilous project, however, aud yet
this might fail him, for would he then be-
come in the descent conspicuous mark
for the aim for the enrased soldiery?
GoDsEHD REVELATION.
A revelation befriended him. He saw
the flames beneath him in the cotton were
making slow Roadway, and so he had time
for reelection. His decision was that he
would cry for mercy; that he would beg
for quarter, and appeal in every possible
way he knew of. He shouted to the
frenzied crowd gathered below-to the
troOps who were under false impression