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


told the old story about our being fur
loughed soldiers and on our way into
the Blue Ridge in western North Caro-
lima.
Mr.. Benton told rs that we were very
lucky not To have been I've miles west
the previous day, for GalTards Yankee
cavalry had been raiding the country.
but that they had gone back .arter wal
lopin our folks like h-lr' The miner
invited rs to breakfast, saying that lis
house was close by. He led MS M the
creek, either side Of which was covered
with pits from which the earth had been
taken to be washed For gold.
About Z hale mile from our slee1,ing
place the creek flowed through Y canyon
with walls from twenty to sixty feet
high, and 200 yards up the walls formed
an amphitheater, and here in IL halfc;ye,
half cabin, the miner lived alone. unless
we count the vicious dog that had pre-
ceded Us. Before the door crrather the
opening to the cabin, for it had no door.
there was an az. pick and spade. with
rude cradle such as ! had seen at
Sleigh's fol- gold washing. A few ap-
pliances for cooking and u bed Of pine
boughs covered With an old army blan-
ket constituted the furniture Of the
cabin.
Mr.. Benton-by the way, he professed
to be a second cousin DC the famous Ben
ton Of Acknowledgement rs q breakfast
of corn bread and bacon with coffee
made Of sweet potatoes and sweetened
with sorghum. He told Us that hi5
mining had been fairly prosperous,
though az he had no quicksilver lie was
sure that he did. not save one-tenth of
the gold. He was man of much ill.,
telligence, and was in California when
the war broke ont. He told Gs that ha
was mining and making money III the
Sierras, when one day the devil put it
into his head to sell out his claim FOR a
song and come east to fight tile Nanks.
He said in substance:
s'Hit took me Jest two year To larn
that the id Confederacy was a fraud.
| seed that hit was rich mans quarl aud
a pore mans fight, so I lit out without
a-sayin goodby to no one. jined Of my
own accord, and / allowed 1 was free to
leave in the same way. And let me say
to you two gents, if you 60 back and
fight the Yanks again yer id fools:
that's all -
We assured DIR. Benton that we in
tended never To fight against the Yanks
if we could once get ont Of the control
Of the Confederacy. He suggested that
we join forces with him and search for
gold till the war was over. but Bells
fictitious wife and child and my mother
were urged as reasons why We must De
moving.
4 Our host assured us that the hills were
full Of Confederate troops, "sich as they
was and that the chances were they
would hang around till sure that the
+ Yanks were not coming back. He as
sured us that if these Confedcrates got
sight Of rs they would surely force US
into the army and send us ID join Hood,
even though our clothes We're lined with
furloughs. He prevailed on Us TO remain
with him till the following day, which
we did, and by way Of compensating
him for his kindness We helped MIN
lslt his claim near the mouth Of the
I1ttis canyon.
After supper that night, as We sat
about the fire i'll front of Tie cabin, tile
dog began a vigorous barking, and Ban-
ton seized his rife and sprang out of the
light. an example we were not slow to
follow After a few minutes y shrill
whistle came down from the cliifs ar
rectly overhead, which Benton ALL
swered in liEe way Then the man
shouted:
''Hen, hits me,
TON Billings:7 from Benton.
Eyes
.What i'll h-'5 Tic trouble:n
Hold up, and I'll tell you unsn
The man came down the rocks, ~
which time we had returned to the fire
and the hound had stopped his baying.
The new arrival was young mau
dressed and armed like our host, and Ills
manner told that he was laboring under
great excitement Flo came to report
that Confederate soldiers, afoot aud on
critters, were swarIning jill thc hills and
picking up every man they could find.
That afternoon they had seized u dozen
men known to Benton and Tom Billings
and tile chances were that they, too
would be taken the next day If they did
not clear ont
"Thar's no better place TO stick to thar
this said Benton Ii the hounds find
rs har thar ain't place In the Blu,
Ridge where III would ba safe hltlin
I've got grub enough to last all hand.
for two weeks. ana then, 1T III comes tx
a fight, I reckon we four kiu get away
with any other four they have q mind tC
send"
Tom Billings allowed This 'mout TX
all 50, but he very much doubted
whether tile search parties would sent
Just four men; but, as he could not 4,
better, he was willing to stay.
The fire was quickly extinguished. i
was arranged that we should each stand
turn on guard, with an eye on thecanyon
for that was the only direction hy which
mounted men could reach Us.
The night passed without amy cans,
for alarm. At my suggestion Benton
had muzzled his hound and confined lin
i'll the hut, for his barking was as certain
to attract the enemy as it was to war;
Us Of his approach. Ii tie morning tb,
dog was released. and a5 I'VE We're csstin.
breakfast he ran down he canyon bark
ing furionsly. He had not been gone
from sight for half minnie when y riff,
shot echoed along the cliffs and W.
sprang to our feet Before We coult
seize our arms a man shouted down iron
the rocks above tile cabin:
"Don't aaro 10 stir, hov7i You'r,
covered"
looked mp and saw six men pointing
their rifles down III us, and lit The Same
time four mounted men rode up tb,
canyon AMI called oil us to surrender
Resistance was ont Of the question I'h,
men on tie rocks came clamberins
down, our arms were seized, and W
were prisoners.
These men were commanded bv q ser
geant, soldierly looking fellow, wli
evidently understood his business.
showed BIN the paroles az Bell and my
self. which had so often stood MS il
good need, but their power to convince
WAS gone. The sergeant, who belonged
to the Third Georgia cavalry, exrressc,
himself about as follows;
"Your paroles may be an right, ant
then, again, they may not bc. But j
they Had been drawn Up IN Presiden
Davis a4,.l .a4t3tt.i-siar5lef nv (srilaI.l a.,