Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1892-07-26

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~ ~sssid ksvx fallen % tA< Goov Aad N
NOT cnspcd her N his drns
Al the time Jack Iluri was taken u
Knoxville end tried thers were. have
bsen told. fully . thousand Union msr
In the camp about the city who hal bccs
torn from their homes and forced intc
fthe Confederate service. Conscriptiou
was not enforced - thoroughly and with
~ much harshness In districts where q
majority % the people were strongly In
favor of secession The hr-t Confe,ier'
ate songrcss that met In Richmond
passed . oonscriptios act that exempted
. majority of the rich and provided that
the last son Of q widow or the sole sup
por, of poor family might 10 drafted
for home guard duty. but could not b
taken beyond the reach of ihose depend
,nt on him.
but East tennessee WAS an exception
lo the rule that prevailed la the rcst OF
th. .ec-icd states and In the rest oi
T,unsssee. Il was believed. and with
some reason. tina, N the Conf~ieratcs
did not conscrip,, imprison or kill thu
East Tenncsseeans at once they would
make their way through 10 the Union
lines and don the blue. The enforce.
men, u the conscrip,ion act In ths
mountains u East Tcnnssse,. western
North Carolina anil western Virgins
was MT intended 81 much Ia r-cruit ths
ranks 81 the southern arny-for thu
Confciera,cs hal more troops than could
L. equiprcd and prorsrly organiI"d al
this time-as % crush out tb. Union sen'
timen, with \ stunning blow.
No matter who were the men exempt.
ed In other places the mountain--rs were
regarded a. an exception. AMI ~ In the
dragnet of the coascrip,ing oiiicer,
gray haire,i old men and bcardlc-- boys
were caught and brought IN. u there
were cir sons In family. with father,
no, ono was left. n there were only
one son to take care of q widowed
mother. ~ Ia the case 10 Jack iluri. oi
Camphell county. he Wa seiE.si; and II
he resisted 10 the death. A. was bis
right. he was treated ~ a murderer.
All the conscrip,s brough, down FROM
the mountains % Knoxville were a, once
sworn into the Conf~icrate service and
sen, % CAMS of instruction. AMI they
were too much stunned 10 enter . pro-
test but ~ soon ~ they hal time u
think and talk with each other they
swore to pursue . course-if they could
not dssert-that would not add 10 the
efficiency of the organizations 10 which
they were attached.
Many Of the friends and relatives Of
the conscnptei men had bsen shot down
r.sisting-shot down as u they hal b-en
iawlc.s desp-radoes-and others had
l-en thrown into the county jails or car.
riei 90 Knoxville. where at this time
they were packed like tsh In basket.
These acts intensified the hate for the
Confeieracy. and kindled IRE In every
Union heart that only blood could
quench.
The TACT that Jack llurd hal killed a
conscripting ofioer was known In all the
camI- before that young man was
brought . prisoner 10 Knoxville. and the
verdict of the mountain men was bully
for JackT
Tie court marital was very properly
regarded ~ u ne~.lc-s farce and the YER
dict q. o declaration of murder. The
conscripted Union men were not cow~i.
but with their inherited caution they
r,frained from expressing themselves
except In the presence Of thoss whom
they knew they could trust.
Jack Hurd's 10 10 hung In the
mawnin.- This was not news; every
one In and abou, Knoxville knew II. but
they repeated IL one 10 the other like q
text that must lead up TO the discussion
of other things. among which was the
possibility of getting him out
Mrs. Hurd was not an ordinary wom-
nm. n she had been she would have
leen helpless and crushed under her
load of trials In relating this part OF
her experience 10 me. she said with a
fiash of ths eyes that there was no mis-
taking;
"Id fotched revolver with me from
home. one ez Pike he'd gin 10 Minny 10
. plaything. but even he rcckoned that
Mt thirty feet hit was bout ez good ez
any pistol that could 10 got, even II hit
did have some silver hIins on. ] kcerd
her loaded In my breast. and when
heard that offser say my Jack he'd got
ter hang. I kinder said To myself, with
my hand onter the stock and my finger
a.rubbin the hammer. that es soon ez
Jack was dead. that man would be
a.follen close arter with bullet In his
heart"
The man In charge Of the prison at
this time seems 70 have been Of q
kindly disposition. for. contrary to his
orders. he freed Jack Hurd's hands from
the inanacles when be returned from the
court house. aud when Mrs. Hurd called
10 see her son he admitted her without
the customary pass.
In her heart she hoped 10 see Jack BE-
having like man. and In this she was
not disappointed. She found him sinok-
ing and talking with the other prisoners
In the quiet way that was habitual with
him. but there was nothing In his man.
ner To indicate that he was In the least
unnerved by the awful doom that
awaited him on the morrow.
Upto this time Mr.. Hurd had borne
herself with characteristic fortitude.
but a. soon - she caught sight OF her
son In the jail corridor abe broke down
and would have fallen TO the door had
he not clasped her In his arms
"liit aint In the blood TO gin plum mp.
mother" hs whispered. and ef Pke'1l
only help. % reckon he'll be mighty
glad to do, seein % We uns 10 still troth.
tu. they may kiln me. but by the tsrnal
hit wont b by gittin . rops bout my
neck aud a-cholfn me 10 desthr'
The other prisoner fell back, leaving
lhs mother and son alone. and then shs
asked him what he expected Pike TO do.
"You know whar Pixies camp w hs
asked.
"yss. Jack. up whsr they've got can
hons on the HILL
.And they'll let you inY'
30 shuah, thsy did % whin ! fust
sot har."
600 straight 10 Pike. u % b b aint
n rosurnin hay IN - ma wAfch 4 No.