Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1891-11-19

along; we can't afford to take no risks.
If you're all right, why, we'll and good
for you; and if you amt all right, weE
and good foz IA"
But 49, = T1- propose to take
es?' | asked.
'sTo the court house"
Where is that"
"Abbeville court house; it's nigh bout
fifteen mile from har, and the jail's com
Portable. So there's no way but to come
right along
The men mounted Bell offered Wig
orous protest and | tried to make light
Of the whole affair, though my heart
was "down in my boots" and we started
off, the horsemen formed in front and
rear, as if we were brace of the most
daring criminals.
As it was now about the middle of the
afternoon it would be impossible for us
to make the distance on foot before o.
10 o'clock, and although Bell and could
have travelled fast enough if there was
anything to be gained by making run
we chose to go along slowly. Holland
tried several times to urge US into a
faster gait; the others. with more hui
manity, protested that we were doing
our best, and one of them said, with q
motion of his whip at myself:
''lt looks to me powahful likes if that
boy would gin plum out before we've
gone half the distance" He was kind
ly man, but noticed that he did not
offer to take me up behind or to give me
turn in his saddle.
The country we passed through was
known as 1.-THE Calhoun settlement" 1t
had been the home of the great Nullifier,
and so might be called ''the cradle of Sc
cession.' Just before sunset we halted
at the plantation of Mr.. Patrick Calhoun,
and that hospitable gentleman, after a
careful survey of Bell and myself, in
vited the party to remain for supper.
The horses were taken to the stable and
we were left on the wide piazza in
charge of a guard. A black woman
brought us out an ample meal of bread.
meat. milk and berries.
After supper Mr. Calhoun and the
guards came out and smoked and talked
with the greatest freedom about the
war. They were very certain that Lee
had the best Of it in Virginia, and they
were equally sure that some fine day
"when he got good and ready" as our
host put it, he would rise up and wipe
Grant and his army off the face Of the
earth. Affairs in Georgia did not please
these gentlemen. They discussed Sher-
man and Joe" Johnston with an intelli-
proper thing to do great deal better
than the man in command Johnston
has lost his grip" "He's never got over
the wound the Yanks gave him in the
seven days fight" Hes a-gittin toe
old; we want younger man." but |
noticed that they never once took into
consideration that Sherman had a
stronger and better army.
Though all the speakers seemed to feel
certain Of winning in the end, there was
an undertone Of sadness and depression
in their voices that told they were
whipped if the men at the front were
not. From the war the talk drifted to
the gangs of deserters then plundering
the planters and they said that these
outlaws were mountaineers from Ken
lucky and Tennessee who had deserted
and were now proving themselves a
greater curse than the Yankees THE
pnly thing to do with these wretches. /"
urged our host. ''is to shoot them down
ur hang them up like dogs as soon al
they are caught.
The same authority was sure thai
there were fully hundred of these
outlaws" then hiding in the Abbevillt
district. and he advised Holland to leave
Bell and myself in charge and keep OF
the search with his men till they haC
cleaned out the neighborhood III
won't look like business" he said ''tC
have six strong, well armed men going
up to the court house with a couple ol
such creatures as these" and he mo
honed at Bell and myself with his pipe
This proposition was agreed to. an(
then Mr.. Calhoun sent for lantern, anC
conducting Bell and myself to smoke
house he told us to 90 in and keep quiet
an order which we obeyed without {
word After few minutes Holland ani
our host appeared again. and blacl
man who accompanied them threw dow
on the smokehouse floor bundle of fod
der, which we were told was to be oul
bed
You'll be locked in" said Holland
land the first of you that shows sign
of getting out will find bullet in hi
head"
The door was fastened with paddock
and then the men went off, leaving n,
guard that we could hear outside.
was as dark as it well could be, and th
heat was intensified by the odor Of ran
cid bacon and creosote. 1t did not TAX
Us long to decide that it would be i'm
prudent for rs to attempt to get out o
the smokehouse that night. But,
said Bell. ''if you could play downright
sick tomorrow they might let up on u
so as to give us chance" My appear
ance was in my favor was far iron
being in good health and determines
to try it, and we went to sleep; but it wa
only to wake up again and again in th
NOoAoO VI llAC AOi1t,F b4dCh AltE5Alb WIN
feeling Of awful depression and the con
sciousness that we were being slowl
suffocated to death.
The sun had been shining through tn
smokehouse cracks for an hour or more
when the door was opened by one 0
Hollands men and a refreshing curren
of air blew in. A black man brought u
some breakfast, which we were per
mitted to eat sitting in the doorway
We were about to be locked up agail
when begged the man to have us take
to some place where there was fresh all
and urging that was sick, as in truth
was He said he would see about il
then locked us in and went away. FL
came back soon, saying he had permis
sion to take us to the stable. Here W
were sent up to loft, and asked tn
man on guard below if he could not SEN
for doctor, but he said, sit wouldn'
be no use, for thar was only one doctal
this side of Abbeville. and he was dea
down on horse thieves"
We were kept in the loft all day,
man with his long hunting rife betweel
his knees sitting on box at the foot Q
the ladder. After we had had our sur
per and just before dusk the guard wa
relieved by an elderly man. who cam
| provided, in addition to his rife, with
book and lantern. During the day W
got good idea of our bearings, an
when we saw our guard and reali-a
ff1c a.+ {t.s.k Co