Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-11-02
TIE GAVE JEWELLERS.
WHERE CONFEDERATE suiBKERs
LIVED.

huIl places. Inc NlCntnOuu govern.
ment set theoretically 70 work to bring
every available man 10 the front.
President Davis, by proclamation,
urgcd every man TO hasten 10 his
country's defense, and promised par.
don for all past delinquency, provided
the offender now hasten ~ do his
duty. Stringent orders aud threats Of
punishment infused energy Into the
ollicers Of the Home Guard. Detsch.
ments Of Confederate troops visited the
neixhborhood nj short and Irregular
intervals, while the homes Of the
desertors were watched aud repeatedly
searched.
Then II was.ihat the deserters, Ne we
called all who shifkod military duty, |
whether they had ever actually been
Ia the army or not, had recourse TO
mode OF hiding which they had |
learned from runaway slaves. The
fugitive In this region having neither |
the swamps Of the east nor the noun
taius of the west for refuge, like all
the hatd.run creatures, naturally took |
10 earth. He either enlarged or con-
ccalcd some natural cavity or dug n
cave, in which he hid by day, 10 sally |
out under cover Of darkness In quest |
ofpoultry, pigs, sheep, ftuit, roasting
ears, watormclons aud other good .
things In season. II he feared pur. |
fuit by dogs he rubbed the soles OF his |
feet with ouiOns or odorous herbs In |
order 10 confuse the scent. II moder. |
ntely wary or skilful he found little |
difficulty In temaining out I'll the |
crop. were "laid byD aud all the |
heavy work was over, or I'LL cold /
weather drove him back 10 a snugger
berth la the quarters.
The descItcr made a vast improve.
mont on tho butrow of the runaway |
negro. His cave was larger better
constructed and better appointed than |
prototyPc,but not better concealed. The |
banding together In squads Oftwo or |
three, some unffequented place would |
10 chosen, generally ON hillside u |
avoid moisture, and ms near a stream rs |
practicable, for the easiest and safest !
way OF disposing u the earth thrown |
up Ia digging the pit was TO dump IL In |
running water. Tho site being care |
fully selected and reconnoitcr-d from |
every possible way Of approach, u
watch was set aud work was begun |
and pressed with the utmost dispatch. |
First the leaves Of pine needle. were |
rnked back aud n space "lincd oh,"
usually six by eight feet, hut often
considerably larger. Then the ubiqi. !
tous bcdquilt was spread 10 catch every |
particle Of the tell.tale clay, and grub |
bling hoes, spades, aud all available |
implements were put In rapid motion. |
As any prolongation Of the work In. !
creased the danger Of discovery, the
object was 20 get II Jug and concealed !
at the earliest possible moment. Every
hand that could be tru-ted--oid men,
women aud children was called In 10 !
assist. 10 these nuxillarics fell tue
hardest part Of the task, that Of dis
posing OF the dirt, which Of course
could not be- left near the cave. This
was generally "tOtcd" away In buck.
cts mud piggins, and dumped In the
adjacent stream, anl rs the direction
from which the cave was approached
had 10 be constantly changed lest the
faintss At vestapc OF n path should be-
tray the spot, th labor Of transporting
eight or ten GU 'ic yards u earth Ia
this primitive lashiOn was no light
undertaking.
The proper depths, commonly about
ak feet, being attained, fife place
was cut In the oarihun sides Of the
cave and connected with "a Hue cut
through the adjacent earth. Across
tho pit. aud eighty below tue sur.
NNlt Anth ItANfh rNNAN liAlFtf hul
on these thereof OF pine boards, while
over all theesrth and leaves were care
fully replaced 80 aA 10 conceal all signs
Of having been disturbed. Pine.
needles made q very good carpet. A
brd was constructed by driving fofked
stakes iuto the ground, aud upon these
were laid small pieces topped with
pine boughs.
What gave the cave dweller the
most concern was the disposal OF the
smoke from Ills chimney. Even
under the best Of circumstances, In the
fairesl, warDiest weather, anu Ia the
dri.st soil, cave was dismal abode.
There was u darkness, n chilllness, n
strange aud gravr.like silence down
there which made fire, the only light
ObtAinable In those hard times, an In
d,spensible companion. When rainy
weather came and tho walls oozed
water, only heat made II habitable.
Care was taken 10 use the driest aud
most smokeless fuel, but NJ even that,
though burned ever 10 sparingly Ia
the day time, would cause sons smoke,
various plans were hit upon 10 mini.
mice the danger OF betrayal from this
source. When practicable the cave
would be dug near u dead tree, which
VIM W put
could he found already partially burned
by the chance iir- of soma coon or op.f
postum hsnlor. Failing this sn old
tree stump, after being oharred, was
ingeniously planted over the chimney
mouth, 10 that this smoke might rise
through or around II. The object OF
these devices was, OF course, that
should any unfriendly eye discover
the smoke, II would be attributed 10
oof the accidental fires which some.
times smouldered In dead timber for
weeks at time. But rs u rille the
occupants putting their DEF endencc
on good eyesight and legs would,
when no special danger was apprehon-
dcd, bstake themselves 10 the woods
during the day aud use the caves
only ms sleeping places.
Entrance 10 the cave was usually
had by means Of n trap door In the
ROOT, In the cOncealment Of which
much care aud ingenuity were also ex.
pended. In addition to the leaves
always kept on II, u tree would often be
felled over the spot, the boughs ser
wing not only TO screen the entrance
from view, nut likewise 10 lessen tn 9
danger Of any one walking directly
over the cave. As II was all impor-
tant that no trace OF path should loo
seen thereaboui, the trunk Of the tree
afforded safe walk.way, care being
taken alWnya In auurOaeh n from, lif.