Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1891-12-03

ag;ln prisoners and f9 add tO the horror
Of the situation we were about to bc
marched away to fight against our own
people, for i would have been fatal to
us if we lai tDld the truth.
There were no preparations to make.
Benton was permitted to conceal DIV
mining tools in the hut; then nnarmed.
and with the guard before ana behind
ms, we Were marched down the canyon
and along the stream tg tile Etowah
river, where We found y camp ia which
there We're about 2ca soldiers ana Az
many more slIllen mountaiaeers, who
had been gathered in by the searchers.
Ay companion ana myself reasoned
that the very best thing we could do
was to seem to fan iu with the spirit
ard design of onr capturs. The captain
in charge of tile camp was u yonng man
named Reese, and after telling linn our
story | said THAT much as wv Had suf
fered and eager though Bell and myself
were to go home, we would cheerfulIy
go with him to Hoods army provided
he treated IVY like men and n0t like pris-
cuers. Tx declared that this was his
purpose, and that hewas willing to show
his faith in Us by letting as ride the fol-
lowing morning
these C0nfederates belonged TO Wheel
er's command und ware not authorized
to collect the tax in kind, yet they had
collected several hundred head of cattle
and about eighty horses for the use Of
the army. As they gave receipts Tor alI
the property taken, their conduct did
not perhaps violate tne rules of war, bnt
it served to intensity The hate Of tie
desp0iled mountaiueers.
The Confederates were in good spirits.
though / noticed that, from the officers
down, all were outspoken in their de-
nunciati0n Of Jeff Davis for retiring
Johnston - savor Of Ecod They were
firmly convinced that sherman had
played his last trump, THAT his army
was i'll u trap across the Chattahoochee,
and that he would wake mp some fine
morning ard find himself bagged
In that camp heard for the first time
THE whole of the then popular songs,
The Bonnie Blue Flag and '.The South
ern Wagon Our own war songs at
that time were not lyrical gems, but as
compared with tile southern songs, My
Maryland excepted. they were models
Of spirited verse, ana then they were
fitted to tunes Of their own. which can
not be said VI amy Cf the southern songs,
not even Dixie" or Ny Maryland.
The troops were as light hearted as If
they had never known defeat, and al
though the pay Of enlisted men was only
thirteen dollars a month all seemed to
have all abundance of gEaybaclzs, and
they risked their money at poker in
way / never saw surpassed. Ihe men
who had been gathered up were kept
under d close guard all night. bHt they
4 were not neglected il the distribution of
ratinns. The next morning more troops
came in with more prisoners and more
cattle, in addition to a number Of wag-
ons
After breakfast Captain Reese sent fur
Z Ben and myself, and told us that he hll
been watching us since our arrival and
was convinced we were brave men and
good soldiers For this we seemed duly
grateful and showed a desire To merit
his continued regard. Tile captain
farfher 1HFrf1Tfed us tlIaf tli tfis.. re=t WE
the prisoners were deserteTs. ami that If
they had tlisr dues every one of them
would be shot, but the military fnthor-
tiles, hot having time w trs WY
would soon place them whsF -e
Yankees would become their execution
ers. lie then asked us if we could ride,
and 0n being told that W. could he said
he would give us mounts and assign US
to the detail THAT WAS to drive the cattle
down tn LawrenceVille, which was, be-
lieve. iii Gwinnett county about thirty
miles from Atlanta.
We were rci0iced tt This arrangement.
The horses given to us had tha III. S."
brand, ana the saddles anl equipments
had belonged 40 our cavalry. Captain
y Reeses y confidence dill not extend tO Civ
ing us arms. but We expressed no desire
cor them. Before stariingOnt thatmorn-
ing we understood that Benton had e.
capped in the course af THE night, and a
squad of troopers was sent back to
shoot him ou sight, lut though A
never heard Of him again Z am inclined
to think that they ain u9e succeed.
When the march began tha main body
of troops. with tIie prisoners uud wagons,
went ahead. and detail ~ about TWEEN
ty-fiva men, all armed but Ball aud nay
self, followed with the cattle. The SER
geaut in charge of the detail WAS the
man who Ina arrested It's Tie day before,
and his vi-iia4ce and bearing F7are such
as might bass adorned 2 higher rank.
He watched Beiland myself -outinuilly
and We planned to win his confidence as
we had tlat of Captain Reese.
About o o'clock ihat night we found w
good pasture f0r the cattle on Battle
creek ana went into cunm By daylight
We had breakfast ANA were moving
again, Fr0ia the first Bell ana myself
had planned l0 save 0ur horses without
seeming to shirk oHr work, 0ur object
being W make a break the iirst chance
we had. Tie second night we encamped
on A plantation in Cherokee county.
Since inorniug the burned fences, the
groups of ash heaps beside the read and
the general air of dilapidation about the
houses, most af which We're abandoned,
told that friend or foe hRd recently been
over the same ground
IN the course WI the night III began t0
rain, and the next morning the creek
along which WE had herdcl 5he cattle
was running flood with enough water
III IL to float gunhoat. Some WI the
cattle were cn one side mi this torrent
ana some 0n the other. ana Bell and
myself with two Others We're ordered
across to drive the animals over We
had to swim eur horses and as my COM
panion could n0t swim l kept close t0
bis side. With an cath ae whispered To
LEV, ..Td rather H4ve battery iire on
me than 20 back over that erik.
Tile cattle WY were sent after appeared
to have rs much dread of the Hood as
had Bell They bolted into the woods
and then began q race on our part to
lead them oif. work which the two
armed men wcfe quite willing we shonld
an. we dashed into THE woods after a
Steer, and ty the time we had turned
him wv mast have been a5 least half q
mile from the rest Of the party. Our
horses were quite as good as any with
the sergeant. There was no need for
consultation IA glance and Beil and
myself understood each other. We left
" the steer to tAhe care of himself, and At
gallop We made for tie south. the
direction of Atlanta ana of Shernan's
army.