Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1892-08-30

"irs are quite voady for hat" saii IN.
old oisrvvmaa
With thi. sketch my "reminiscences ol
the southern mouniainccrs will end. nj
least Tor the present. not because ! have
exhausted my material. but b-canse
do not wish to test the patience ~ m,
readers. who have becn kind enough :,
indorse the accuracy % my pictures and
reports.
The gang under lie, Magoone. whC
ct fire 90 Father Peters house and out
buildings. were more prudent than val
orous. for while they well knew thai
they outnumbercd tbrc 90 one the
Union men gathered at iiradley's Cro-s
Ing. they did not car. Ia risk light
with the little force under the lead oi
the blacksmith.
During the year, that strong Dich
Bradley had "ooun'cd himself q Chris
tian. and spoken In mcctin; - himself
a. "a brand -natchcd frvin the burning.
aud "the chief of sinners b-cause oi
his past. he found his sor,st trial. In his
constant effort to sulsiue a. Oh. .IariI
the comha,ive yearnings of Oh. fe-h.
When. through the teaching ~ Mr.,
Peter and Ella, he had learned % spell
hi. way through . chapter In the bible,
he found his creates; delight In the
recOr,ls 10 Jo~hua's battles with the Ia.
naani,cs. OF the story that told how the
shepherd 10y. David. left his fock. on
the hills 90 in.ct the champion ~ the
Phili.iincs. and subsequently ~. by hi.
,kill AMI ,alor io H. the king 20 = gr-a,
nation. lie liked ~ read ~ how Christ
made q whip and dro,. the money
changers from the temple far NOR, than
he did 20 ponder over the Sermon vn the
Mount.
"lie would often say 20 me. saii Ms.
Peters In telling the story % this re-
markahlc man. "'l reckon the Bibles all
righ, Ella. aud hit Amt 60 rnr-. misa.
Die sinner like ine % hsnkcr 90 make any
changes IN hit. I'll allow hit couldn't H.
improved a. them "a lives In cities whsr
thar. lots of churches and schools. ani
ihcm things. aud whAr folks isn't bl-sg.'i
a. tote ahins. but thar's some parts % u,
that sticks In my crsw AMI gu-s plum
agin the grain ~ my na,ur'.'"
Tn b-iny asiei what parts thee were.
b. said:
"wall. thar'- tha, Ons ,ha, seri Who
ever sInitc- yo' on the night cheek turn
the other. ~, he kin get a whack ai
that Now. <nse w. t-cn Christian.
I've pa, M with nigh, -mar, of sini'sn
fruin q ,lo.gun. lot of curs that took nj.
vantage - INV t-in kinder helpless. a.
that's jcst wha, rligin does ~ a man In
these mountains, bat don't think. cf l
was to 20 Ia hell % hit. that ! c'nll
bring myself to inyii.n fcll.r Ia -ino'e
IN. on ih. left cheek after he'd knrks-l
n,e on the risht ldrav the line a, "nc
cheek. Ef any f,ller tried u on two, I'll
forsi, my riligin and bed have COZ 10 To
gricye.
Then there's that pint bout iovin
,ne's enemies. I've sllus thought "a how
iha, must have .lipI~i into the roc.l
box by mistake. for hit amt nat'ral
IN allow Father Peters mout do hit. a.
he's 80 chuck full % religin he amt 20,
no rom 90 nothin else. but pore Sinner,
like the must 90 on a-gvttin = heap al
solid comfort frUm not loyin thar enc
mics. but a.hatin 'em like blaIes.
But after ,ha, nigh, Ia the blac ssmith's
shop strung Dick Bradley's views ~ 90
the nonr,-istance inculcaiei 10y religion
underwent a radical change. lie saw
that when the hour for brave r,-istanc.
cam. Father Peters did not "fall back
on prayer 20 his defense" but was will
ing To fight and ready 10 lead. That one
act ON the part of the old missionary ,l,d
more ,o cndear him to these rude noun
tainc.rs than the preaching and self de
NAL ~ the ten years that preceded u.
The raiders who had come up from
the Tennessee line under the lead Of lIet
Magoone con,ented themselves with
burning all the vacant cabins they could
find. taking IL for granted that they
were the property ~ Union men, AZ
Bradl-y's Crossing the number of refu.
gees increased every day. principally
mouniaincers who hal come up from
Tennessee or from the lower border coun.
ties Of Kentucky. These men were all
armed with old fashioned hunting rifles,
and they were not only willing to face
south and fight. but they were eager for
II, for each man had some personal
wrong which he was more eager 10
avenge than he was TO carry back the
old dag 10 the hills.
All these men brought famished ap-
Ietites. but no provisions
A few days after Magoone's raid Il
became evident that In another week. II
nothing were done. they would be called
on Ia face more relentless foe than the
Confeleratcs under Zollicoffer and Crit
tenden. and that was famine. While
every man at the Crossing understood
that u he had TO fight Il would 10 under
the lead of Strong Dick bradley. all. In
Guiding the blacksmith. looked mp to
Father Peters ~ the man on whom they
must depend for counsel, and ~ the
Moses who was 10 lead the inevitable
exodus from the mountains 10 that
promised land where there were strong
hands and keen bayonets to defend the
old flag.
After carefully talking over the situa-
ton together. the preacher and the
blacksmith assembled their friends In
the xmiihy. and the former mounted the
anvil block and. after the customary
prayer. delivered himself after this man
ner:
my friends. winter II ON N. ON
enemy, tho rebels. swarm In the h!lls
and u the rvports that come 70 NJ ID
true. and believe that they are. few
more days will zee NJ at the mercy ol
such minious Of Zollicoffer ~ this He'
Magooue. There are no doubt many
honest and Christian. but mistaken. mer
In the secession army. but do not thini
Il would be prudent 70 assume that thess
are the kind Of people who viii b ssnl
10 Dradley's Crossing.
"Nany Of you have brought you
wives and children here. and while thi'
h natural must believe it imprudsnt
J u thess bod rsmaiaea q ho'nA % W