Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1891-10-29

after bit. But don't give up Ii swear.
ing comforts you at ALL know it has
been great satisfaction to me at times
why swear in all the languages you
are master of; or if you think praying is
better hold, and no doubt it is, pray
for all you are worth, but don't ask God
to forgive your enemies-that would be
little too much-till this war is over.
and then we won't have any enemies"
laid my hands on young Muth's
shoulders as spoke, and to my great
delight smile lit up his face. and lie
shot out an oath and said:
II guess you are right; I'll try itl'
We became chummy at once, and he
led me down to the farthest end of the
ward, and after some care selected two
army blankets, and rolling them up, laid
them in an unoccupied corner. He told
me that every blanket in the place was
in an indescribable state of filth, but this
did not shock me; it certainly would
have surprised me if they were in any
other condition The nurse introduced
me to tall young man, Lieutenant
Bell, who slept near where my blankets
were placed, but who, though evidently
a very sick man, had strength enough to
stand up, for he was looking disconso-
lately out Of the window when we ap-
preached him
As Lieutenan. Bell and myself were
intimately associated from this time on,
and particularly in the escape which |
shall presently describe, may be par
doned for giving more than passing
notice to one Of the bravest and most
original characters ever met He was
at this time about twenty-five years Of
age, but wound in the right breast,
which had not healed after seven months.
and the hunger and disease gave him
the appearance of man of forty-fiye or
more. He was about six feet in height,
1.-THE, and with form that denoted
great powers of endurance The hair
was long and dark, and the beard, of a
warmer shade, was soft as silk. He had
steady, blush gray eyes, and the strong
features of men Of that cast usually
found among the Scotch-lrish.
At first Belize said his name was
Tom Bell and not Thomas-was in
clined to be distant, and he rather re-
PEELED my well meant advances, but was
neither angered nor discouraged, for
knew just how he felt His speech at
first seemed painfully slow, and he had
the unmistal1able accent of the East
Tennessee and North Carolina noun
taineer, with the same tendency to use
words long since obsolete in the outside
world, such as the old Saxon form shit
for it, lyon" for yonder, and to add
"uns" to the plural pronouns. He was,
think. the most accomplished and un-
conscious swearer | ever met, and curl
ously enough the mans nature was in
tensely religious; indeed. never knew
him to lie down for the night without
first dropping on his knees and mutter-
ing prayer; still, he often confessed to
me: ''Ef the wah don't turn out lest
bout right, my faith in the wisdom and
goodness of an oyerruling Providence
will be SO shook up that hit won't be
mighty good TO much after.
While was trying to break the ice
with Bell the hospital steward returned
with four opium pills, which was to
take--one every night for the dysentery
and a baJsered tia can containing some
scraped sweet potato and vinegar. which,
be assured me, would "knock scurvy
higher'n kite A spoonful every three
hours was the prescribed dose, and as no
~ Ir. - 4. f1rt 4
''guess at it," adding, lit won't hurt you
If you take it all at once, and this
found to be the case, for Bell and | ate
it for dessert after we had finished our
pone Of corn bread and thin soup that
evening
The workhouse hospital was wretched
when the sunlight strained in through
the window bars, but if possible it was
still worse at night A few lean can
dies fastened to the walls in tin cans,
that made them drip and burn tout of
plumb" as Bell put it, served to reveal
the spectral figures lying without a
moan and with scarcely sign of life
along the floor After 9 o'clock the
guards outside began their half hourly
cry of "All's well, signal that had
grown very familiar with in Libby, but
here it sounded even more like mock
cry.
The night was nearly as hot us the
day, the air being heavy with sugges-
ton of sulphur in it. for some shells had
exploded near by that evening. Bell
and myself had become quite good
friends by the time 0 o'clock came. so
we made one bed of our blankets and
lay down side by side. using our boots
and coats for pillow In this position
Bell became more communicative and
told me his very remarkable story
Briefly, it was this:
He was born in the western part of
Buncombe county, in the mountains of
North Carolina, as his father and grand
men in that section were right straight
up and down, no-inistake Andrew Jack
son Democrats, and some of we uns
didn't never own no slaves and didn't
want to- They were opposed to seces-
sion, and 'didn't want no new flag so
longs the old one was a-fyin some
w'eres in Gods breeze Many Of these
North Carolinians fled into east Tennes-
see. and, uniting with the Union men
there. they fought their way to Ken
lucky and joined the Union army.
1t is not generally known that every
southern state. South Carolina excepted.
had white military organizations in the
Union army The First North Carolina
did excellent service in the fall cam
paign with Burnside in 1858 and subse-
quently, and the Second North Carolina
was authorized by the president, and
men were commissioned and sent into
the Blue Ridge to recruit it from the
hardy mountaineers who had stubbornly
refused to volunteer or to be drafted
into the Confederate army. Bell had
been a sergeant in the Second East Ten
nessee, but rs he was peculiarly well
qualified TO help recruit the proposed
regiment he was commissioned first
lieutenant and sent ON that mission
To guard against being regarded as
spy if captured. he wore the Federal
uniform, and once on the ground he
took no pains to hide his purpose or to
conceal his sentiments.
He was meeting with good success and
was in hopes Of filing his complement
by the end of December, when rashly he
yentured too far to the east He was
betrayed by a man be thought his friend
and captured one morning while lie was
in the act of dressing. and when he did