The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1891-10-10
A REFUGEES STORY.
by II. NJ. SYLVESTER.

Hank 0wings had in war times been
a Union refugee. fbEa
was on his circuit, and had gone
to his home for the night, where, after
the supper things had been put away,
he told this. story OF the days when
that part OF the country was common
forage ground for all the outlaws and
guerrillas OF East Tennessee:
East Tennessee WIS Union, and
mostly mountains. There weren't
many Shareholders hereabout, so the
folks didn't care to fight, and kept
out OF it as best they could.
81 had just turned 10, and was n
strapping fellow, tall like am now
Ihaint shortened up much" with u
soft laugh.
Father and had started for the
cornfeld, just around the knoll over
there in the meadow, when q troop of
gucrrillas rode down the road to halt
in the old dooryard. They wanted to
know where the men folks were-when
they'd be back-how many boys be-
longed to the place; how old they
were, and all that. Then, with most
OF the poultry slowed away in their
saddlebags, they rode away, laughing,
saying as how they'd be back after
the boys some day.
"After that it was settled I'd better
go to Nashville than beconscripted by
the'rebs. Ireck'n there was a dozen
boys that were Union in the neighbour
hood. We had agreed upon the night,
fer all there weren't one of us who had
been any way from home; but we got
map from one of our old school
books, and after studying it bit
lowed we could get there.
=. "The old church at the mouth of
the Post Oak road was the rendez-
yous. When the night came around
the boys were on the ground, and inn
patient to be off. Crossing the valley,
single file, we crept up the side OF Wal
den ridge, to throw ourselves on the
grass at it's top just at the edge of
Lookout Rock With one long, lnger-
ing look we plunged into the wilder
ness that makes the great Cumber-
land plateau, and that covers third
almost OF the state OF Tennessee.
"a wild, mountainous region now,
it was wilder then; and whichever way
one might turn might be into guer-
rilla camp, or against one OF their
pickets.
, "The third night out we struck Dad
dy's creek. The trail westward de-
scending sharply into deep ravine,
brought us to broad shallow
stream. There was an opening in the
woods so we could sec the the sharp
roof of building against the sky.
Along the edge of this stream was n
Jungle of laurel, into which the boys
erept, while went forward to recon
noitre. Keeping in tho shadow OF the
1nurels, forded the creek to find my
self beside broad, level stretch Of
highway. The fresh hoof marks |
startled me, and made me more careful
in my movements. The building was an |
old deserted sawmill. There We're
holes in the roof through which the
's4toon shone, which, by the way. was
in It's second quarter. ! approached
the mill over the logs that once sup
ported its clumsy flume. Nearer and
nearer j crcpt, feeling each piece OF
timber that was likely to feel pound
OF my weight
"'Crack'-
"'Who goes there?'
al had merely time to drop among
the foundations OF the fiume when the
figure Of man WAS dimly outlined in
the gable Of the mill. Standing there
sometime he afterward withdrew,
reluct antiy, it seemed to me, into the
deeper shadow, yet felt his eye was
still on the broken ilume.
~ peered over the log. and in the
gable again stood the gray, ghostly |
vision | had before seen. 1t was
motionless, yet dared not move, for |
saw the CLINT OF rifle against the |
black background.
at was . sentry--a guerrilla, no
doubt. - -. ~,
There was little chance OF getting
out OF those logs without discovery, |
with the sentry within pistol shot.
How long lay there do not know.
II must have been on hour. Itseemed |
much longer. Across the creek came |
the cry Of night hawk. It was our |
signal-one for danger, two for safety.
heard it but once; then there was |
O tramp Of horses feet, grinding Of
heavy feet in the gravel, as II on de-
scendiny road, a splash In the stream,
9 squirt along the road, and a halt at |
the old mill. There must have been
n half-dozen Troopers in the party.