Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1891-11-12

al and the commodore had evidently told
our story to their friends, for we were
not questioned much. Bell knew all
about the regiments that had gone into
the Confederate army from east Ten
nessee and western North Carolina, and
let him talk about them, which he did
with great familiarity and well assumed
pride. remember that he rang the
changes on "a rich mans quar'l and a
pore mans fight" and always with ex-
cellent effect.
imagined that those men looked re-
lieyed when my companion and myself
announced our purpose tolleep on till we
reached the mountains. They made no
attemps to conceal their purpose in being
here. They had rebelled against the
rebellion AMI they were living by what
they euphoniously called .'foraging, but
which an intelligent jury would be likely
to consider stealing. The negro was a
runaway, powerful fellow and, as we
learned, one Of the most useful members
Of the gang, for he not only cooked, but
his skill as a forager was acknowledged
to be greater than that of all the others
put together.
We staid in this strange camp for three
nights, during which time the men went
off foraging by turns and never came
back empty handed. During our stay
the commodore, who was the leader Of
the gang. kept us supplied with decoc-
ton of oak bark, which turned our feet
to the color of tanned calfskin and tough
ened them in surprising way, SO that
while the effect lasted we were not
troubled again with bruises or blisters,
The gang seemed to be well supplied
with Confederate money, and dirtier
currency than that displayed in pulpy
wads by some of the men it would be
difficult TO imagine. In addition to this
money they had several packs of greasy
cards, the backs showing that they were
composed Of the remnants Of many
packs. Every night the cards were
brought into use. Poker was the game,
the commodore was the banker, and
nails of three sizes were used as "chips."
Bell and myself were invited into the
game, and on our pleading poverty our
fellow vagrants generously raised a col
lection that netted us about 5000 each
without perceptibly decreasing the wads
that had been placed under contribution.
I am very sure that it did not detract
from their value.
| had never played poker before, but
understood the rules of the game. So,
not to appear odd, | "went into the
game" and played SO cautiously that in
the three nights my losses amounted to
only ten dollars, very modest sum in
deed, when the smallest chip--a shingle
nail-represented five dollars and ten
penny nail twenty. At times there were
several pounds Of nails in the middle Of
the blanket on which we played, and
they represented hundreds of dollars.
Intrinsically they were worth more than
the paper they represented.
Bell had passion for poker. This
game, to use his own words, ''jest filled
him plum full of new blood of the rich
est kind" He forgot his sufferings, for
got how and why he had come here and
whittier he was bound, in the excite
naert Of The. play lie played. an II
seemed to me, recklessly; but he was 50
successful that the second night he was
able to return, with thanks, the gener-
GUS contribution of our entertainers and
still have snug sum left. recall that
on the third night, when he and the
commodore were betting and tossing
nails in at great rate, some one told
Bell he was blufing
"Blufing" he repeated with a pictur-
esque oath II tel. you, neighbor, if !
had ten kegs Of nails and was lowed to
raise the ante that amount, I'd chuck
'em into the pot quicker'n you could say
'skatr"
This bold declaration inundated the
commodore. He ''called" Bell-and lost.
The mountaineer held royal flush or
some equally unusual and unconquer-
able hand. Bell afterward assured me
that if we had staid in that game for a
week he would have won every dog
gone dollar them swamp angels had, and
got mortgage on their duds and rifles
besides" and | believed him.
Although treating us SO well, our
friends did not press us to remain after
our feet were "about healed" They
agreed with Bell that if we wanted to
strike the mountains with least danger
the best way was to cross the Savannah
into South Carolina, land then head
plum for the west. The river was
q l,r,,+ +xrvo ,,aiIae ha1-o,,I Aha ;1IapI ~,
which we were encainped. but they had
a scow on little bayou few hundred
yards away, and on this the commodore
volunteered to ferry US to the South
Carolina shore, where he assured us we
should find the ground "a little drier,
but not enough to brag on" When the
time came for our departure, Bell gener-
ously offered to return all the money he
had won, but the men Indignantly re-
fused it, declaring that he had swon it
like a gentleman" and that it was his by
all the rules of honorable gambling.
Then he proposed to buy one Of the
rifles with ammunition and equipments,
and at once our generous fellow vagrants
offered us one for nothing.
To the surprise of all strongly pro-
tested against this transaction, saying
that if we ran into body of Confed-
crates we could not plead "sick leave"
or furlough if we carried a musket.
"Then," | added, ''the possession of y
rifle viii make us fooIhardy. and we viii
run into dangers that would be avoided
without it. Force being out of the
question, we can succeed only with
shrewdness and cunning"
The swamp angels, and, finally, Bell,
agreed that was right, and so we took
no gun, though one of the men said,
''Thar's times when nothing else is so
handy ez gun, though I'll allow that
the man ez amt got gun is least apt to
git into sich scrapes."
Following supper the fourth night
after our arrival the whole gang, each
man carrying torch-for there was no
danger of being seen from the river-ac-
companied US down to the bayou. We
shook hands with them and got into the
lealxy scow, which we had to bail every
minute we were aboard. Our plan had
been discussed before starting and we
had pretty good idea of what we had
to do and the obstacles to be overcome.
The commodore stood with pole in his
hand at the stern; / held torch at the
bow, and Bell worked a rusty tin pan
amidships. The men waving their
torches on the island in adieus, the inky
waters Of the bayou, the protruding
"knees' and dropping branches of the