The National tribune., 1892-11-10
WASHINGTON THURSDAY NOVEMBER TO-

when We again took an unfrequented road AM
continued to pass for saltpeter diggers, no
failing to inquire of every person we met
they knew of any saltpeter caves. and III thi
way we reached Bays Mountain.
Here my companion left me, and I prepares
to pursue the remainder of my journey alon
and unattended. / learned from my frient
Doan before parting with him the names of al
the Union men living in that section Of th
country and therefore was not at a loss t.
know where to go for assistance. paid an ole
| lady to furnish NE with four days provisions
which she cooked and put in haversack fol-
me. and for which l gave her S. Shoulderins
my knapsack
NOW STARTED FOR KENTUCKY,
but had not travelled far down the mountain
before / observed 80 rebel soldiers on horse
back coming towards me. had no chance te
run. and Immediately jumped behind los
| which was well-covered with weeds, when
| had the extreme satisfaction Of seeing them
pass on without observing me. / Immediately
resumed my journey, but took care not te
| travel in the road again.
| In the evening l was informed by some
| Union people that there was man in tha,
neighborhood by the name of William McLane
| who was quite familiar with the mountains
| and would start that same night with q COM
| pany of men for Kentucky. / pushed along
| and luckily enough succeeded in getting into
| his company. He had quite large company
| with him. Many of them found to be my ac-
! euaintances from Carter County who had
| travelled thus far alone. We were very much
| surprised and highly rejoiced at this accidental
| meeting and pursued the remainder of our
| journey together. Our pilot knew the mount
aims well, and we continued to travel during
the night, crossing the north fork of Holston
River ana getting far along in the gorges of
Clinch Mountain by daylight at which time we
paused to take short rest and then started
forward again. The weather was very hot and
dry, and we suffered very much for want of
water. We travelled as rapidly as we could
during all this day. and late in. the evening,
coming to some water. we stopped for the night.
We were all very tired and our feet very sore,
which we at once proceeded to relieve by ap-
plications Of cold water, succeeded by good
greasing.
EARLY THE NEXT MORNING
we started upon our journey, travelling along
upon the side of the mountain. The day was
very hot, and by IL o'clock our water was ex-
hausted, and i was selected by the company to
go In search of a supply. Taking two quart
bottles started, and crossing over some large
rocks lost my equilibrium and fell violently
down among the rocks. AS started to fall
was holding bottle in each hand, aud in my
endeavOr to recover / broke one of the bottles,
by which means my hand and wrist were
severely cut, pieces Of the glass sinking deep
among the leaders, occasioning the most excru-
ciating pain. / went back to the company and
had the pieces of glass extracted from my
hand and wrist as well as it could be done by a
very rough surgical operation, and also had the
gashes sewed up, which was done with q coarse
needle and still coarser thread, bound up my
hand and wrist with handkerchief, placed my
arm in sling, and for three long, weary weeks
l had it suspended in that way.
The company now resumed its laborious
journey. being compelled to travel until night
without
WATER TO sLAKE THEIR PARCHING THIRST.
At length when we came to water 1t was. un-
fortunately, nothing but a very small, dirty
drain, for the collection of which we had to
dig holes in the mud in order to accumulate it
in even small quantities. We continued at
this place all night for we feared to leave our
little dirty mud-puddle, as none of the COM
pany knew where there was any water to be
found farther on, and therefore we unaui-
mously concluded that it was wiser rather
ITO bear the ills we have,
Than fly to others We know not Of"
SO. soon as the first early tints of the morning
appeared in the Eastern sky, we started upon
our journey again. The feet of some of the
men were SO sore that they could scarcely walk.
but they bobbled along as best they could all
that day. In the evening, after taking short
rest, we moved on down Clinch Mountain and
crossed the valley below that night, and by
daylight We found ourselves upon ONE of the
lofty spurs of Powelrs Mountain. Here we
stopped to rest, and also to partake Of our
scanty morning meal, after which we concluded
to advance higher up toward the summit of
the mountain to seek safer position, where we
might enjoy the sweet luxury of sleep which
NJ a MI naE n tr11 In
we arose and resumed our journey. Some of
the men, who were almost broken down with
fatigue, begged hard to rest longer; but this |
could not be done, for we were getting scarce of
eatables, and thought 1t best To hurry on while |
we had strength TO travel.
The mountainous declivities amid which |
we were now travelling were rough and yet we |
had not arrived at the toughest parts Of them, |
Tor On every side nothing could be seen but |
steep and awful precipices and depressed hol- |
ows, and we all felt well assured Of one thing, |
and that was that there was no danger of being |
pursued through this dreadful range Of mount |
aims by The rebel hordes; which, indeed, consti.
tuted one of Natures safest pathways from the |
tyranny of the Secessionists.
WE TRAVELLED SLOWLY
along that evening, and when the dark blanket
,f night was thrown over the face of nature
we halted and rested until morning. Our sleep
music of the whip poor will as it reverberated
through the hills and valleys around u.s. When T
morning dawned we partook of basty meal
ind then went onward, slowly climbing the
mountain all day. Night coming on we
stopped and ate the last of our provisions. and
pushed forward across little valley during the
night, pulling as we passed along some green
;orn, which we ate raw with very good appc-
lite. When morning came we were on the top
IF Walling's Ridge, which oyerlooks Powell's
Valley, which was thickly settled, and which
We found we were compelled to pass through or
Use be forced to travel through the roughest
ort of mountains if we chose to avoid it; we
therefore determined to make all effort to 20
through the valley. We continued to travel
III day on the lofty elevations Of Wallinp's
Ridge, and in the evening we supplied ourselves
With more green corn, which we procured from
field which had been planted OH the side of
he ridge.
Having matches we soon kindled a fire, and
lfter roasting our corn and eating what we de- !
tired, we moved on slowly down into PowePs
Valley. The night was dark and gloomy, and +
ye succeeded in crossing it without any i'm
,ediment whatever, not forgetting, however,
% supply ourselves with corn as we passed
through. By an hour by the sun upon the fol.
owing morning we found that we had arrived
AT THE BASE OF CUMBERLAND MOUNTAIN,
phose elevated chain separates the States of
Tennessee and Virginia from Kentucky. We /
low considered that we were safe from the
ebels, but still had q rough mountain to cross,
whose high peaks rose up in magniicence and
plendor Before attemptiug to climb the side