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

The following day, Saturday, still
more mountaineer5 came down, and the
services Of the night before, including
another sermon from my very. remark
able companion, We're repeated. There
was 10 cooking done till after sunset.
then the character Of the people seemed
to change. The men shouted like boys
released from restraint and swore as if
profanity were q positive comfort. The
women sang and banded coarse jokes
with each other, and the younger and
prettier ones-like their sisters the world
over-showed q decided disposition to
hirt.
The case Of Bell and myself greatly
interested these people, all Of whom
strongly advised against crossing the
mountains to the west, or attempting to
60 into North Carolina along the Blue
Ridge foothills. The passes were guard
ed by Confederate troops and the coun-
try was being secured by squads Of cav
airy. They advised us to remain there
till it was safe to move on, but while
making this offer they did not attempt
to conceal the fact that they We're them
selves far from being safe, and that it
was only by constant vigilance that they
succeeded in keeping their little supply
Of food out Of the hands Of the quarter
masters aud themselves from being
forced into the army.
On Monday night Mr. Bowman and
two Of his sons, all laboring under great
excitement, came TO Old Man Sleigh's
and-reported that body Of Confederate
cavalry was marching in this direction
from Clayton, in Raubun county, and
that everybody who didn't want to be
caught must get into hiding at once.
One of the young men had come from
Nacoochee that day and there learned
that a large force of Yankees were raid
ing toward Dahlonega, and that they
had already cleaned out Gilmer county
and destroyed the town OF Ellijay.
These people have q very vague idea Of
the meaning Of the word ''mile." They
measure distance by the time it takes to
travel, and q place IS either mot fur
or "hits right smart distance" The
Yankees could be reached in two days
or less; the Confederates would bealong
the Tallulah by morning.
After we had discussed the situation
for some time, Mr. Bowman made q
aranestiGn abput rs follows. eli I was
you uns and had 10 travel, I'd a great
sight rather make for the Yankees than
run the risk Of bein rested BY the Con-
feds. The Yanks II treat you uns all
right; make you uns take the oath most
like, and then let you uns so home and
behave
Such an arrangement was exactly
what we wanted, though it interfered
with Bells pet desire to get into western
North Carolina, which was only d days
march away; but the enemy was in that
direction. After pretending to deliber-
ate, told Nh. Bowman that | liked his
idea, ana that il lie could put us il the
way Of reaching the Yankees we would
start that night. With stick he
smoothed out the ashes on the hearth
and drew q map Of the Chattahoochee
river. It's sources were in the counties
where the Yankees were then reported
" DG lctEbillt.s et4li4 IL AC tlllA lOI l-At ia
with them we could follow down the
valley to Marietta, between which point
and Atlanta we would be sure to find
Sher1nan's army.
70 my great relief, Bell fell i'll with
the scheme, and Hank Bowman. a tail,
reticent young man Of four-and- twenty,
consented to guide US across White and
into the northern part Of Lu1npElin
county. The near approach Of the Con
federates threw the little settlement into
a state OF great excitement, but, judg-
ing from the CELEBRITY with which every
body moved, this was by no means Il
new experience. The cattle were driven
into the hills, and the men, nearly all Of
whom where deserters, prepared to fol-
low, and were ready, if not eager, to
fight. Old Man Sleigh's daughter gave
us bread and meat sufficient for two
days, and about midnight We said good
bY GO our kind friends and started off
with Hank Bowman. How this young
man, without moments doubt, kept
on over streams. along valleys and across
the wooded spurs Of the Blue Ridge,
and never leaving the trail during the
night, must remain among the most
striking Of my experiences on this long
and varied march tc freedom.
Except for occasional stops TO eat "
to bathe our feet, we made no long halt
that day we met a number Of noun
taineers, all Of whom confirmed the re
port that the Yankees were near by, and
this fact did not give them nearly the
same concern thar young Bowman
story did about the Confederates adj
vancing froin Rabun. About the mid
die Of the afternoon we came upon one
Of the typical cabins. This was the
home whenever he was about Of a
Union mani named White, whom, Hank
Bowman assured rs, it would be entire
ly safe to tie to. AS there was no locB
to the door. there was no trouble ia get
ting in; there was but little furni
tare inside, no sign Of a bed, and the
cold ashes Oh the hearth told that it had
been some time since a fire was lit there
This place was as far as Hank Bow
man had allowed to come" He as
sured us that White would soon show
up, and that we had "better hang round
like till he did, when it would be en-
tirely safe to trust him. Bell had some
Confederate money left, which he of
fered to share with the young man, bui
it was refused with an expression o.
pride that was most becoming. Ht
shook hands with US. and with the stoi
cisn Of an Indian turned to retracc iii:
steps.
The thought chat we might catch ~
with onr troops the next day filed Bel
and myself with an intense desire to d,
moving. Still, we decided to concea
ourselves III the woods near by and wait
till the next morning, if need be, foi
White. We kept watch BY turns, bnf
the night passed away without any sigi
Of life III the little cabin. Before leav
ing rs the evening before Hank Bowman
told us that about two miles south d
Whites cabin was the Etowah river
along which ~tllar was right smart D
gold inining, bat he cautioned us agains
the miners, some DC whom, he declared
would kill man for dollar.
The coming Of Mr.. White was alto
gether uncertain. SO after breakfast anf