Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1892-08-02

N
"Who's fAarf' dsma~dsd Minnp
A stranger 10 the southern mountain
cer. ON hearing Mn. Hurd tell he
story ~ I did Just after the war. woul
have thought her cold and hard. an
rather indifferent N the physical an
mental torturrs she was subjected 10 I
the four year, struggle. when kinsme
were array~d against each other !
the Cumberland hilla but under IN
cold exterior there was . heart of ar,
and feelings gentle and sympathetic
Mrs.. iluri wAs not denonstrative; Oh
se-ming restraint is characteristic Q
these people. and an outsider would iir
agine that they had taken 10 themselve.
with the straight. 1.-the forms and low
for q fr.e outdoor life. the taciturnit
and sioicism of tho race they have sup
plahi~l
Excepting the escape of Union officer
frvm Libby. or the daring outbreak O
General Mitchell's raiders frum the Al
lan,a Jail after Governor Brown hs
hanged seven of their nuinler. 10
doubtful u auyshing more courag-ou
and successful In ihi. line was accom-
plishcl during tho war than the escAp
of the mountain m.n from knorvill
In Dsceml-r. 1871 Thcre were six thou
sand trooI-. largely well mounted ca,
airy. In and alout the city at the tins
Yet Jack Hurd and his two scOr mcI
got away without hiring n shot OF meet
INK with any resistance after the jail
yard was Isss-ed.
The Confederate offic-r- could not IL
lieye that ~ many pri-Jn.rs and desert
er- had secal.d from Knoxville. =
early the next morning the guIi,ls lcgal
o systematic .arcb u the city. Abou
boon they foLAd Mrs. Ilurl asleep Il
the house down by the river: there sb
hal met Pike and the mounisins.r-
since reaching Knoxville she hal Sisli~
all the officer. 10 prominence 10 inter
cesie for her son. and 80 her face had In
come familiar to the authorities. Al
though weak AMI exhausted frum be
long. .lceplcs. efforts. she was arrr-iss
and conhn.l In tho cell occupied the ia!
b,fore by Jack.
"Id often becrd and rcai u pr~rner
Lrk~i up In jails. and at sich times iv'
thought that II was 90 b. tux to sich {
place and locked up. II on'y 10 day
that I'll GIN plum out. hut rr sot thai
In the DARK and thought of my Jack and
the others out frcc In the mountains
swar To- Goi felt heap sight happier
than II ia ben toted straight mp u
heaven and left Ia doubt. Ill, did me
q ,owah of good on'y jcst TO think thai
I'll got inter my Jack. place. and hin
~, down to b. hung that day. And 40
allow that lein ouhappy In Jail deI~nd'
altogether on what yer In Jail TO- Thi'
che said with brave CLINT " the era,
eyes while relating her experience.
The provost marshal aud number o
,,her officers visited her cell. and ih'
former asked
Are you the mother Of Jack and Pix
Huriy'
"Goi blessed mo In maxim me sich,
che replied
-you are . Yankee, are you noty'
"No. d-n you' ! was bawn In Camp
bell county. up pin the Cumberland hills.
"iIui you side with the Yankees
with the Uniony'
"whin you say 10 the Union. strang
or. yer hoil.rin the loudest kind of sinse
Through aud through. inside and out
up Que side and down tother. we uns-
except Piks-is 60 the Union. and vii
b.. praise the gccl Lor. till every d.
rebel is druy from Tenncssee. IL yo'
uns u ls-tniny'
"Your sou Pike Is worse than Yankee
hes an Internal deserter." sAid the OH
Ger. "But we'll catch him and iix him.
"Mebbs you uns won't ketch him" sh'
retorte,i. but II 10 10 yo' should. 70
won't find the Job quite - easy ~ ketch
In and KILN q lamb. Pike was sot e.
the south. and he'd a stuck ef yo' hadn'
,ri~i 10 hang his brother; that rilei him
90 he's my son. and them that strike
his kin. and that kin no lees than brother
her got 10 hx 10 q fight. and then max
up hi. mind 10 t- doggon' badly licked
Now. what mo have you uns 10 ayr
The officers saw that they could max
nothing out Of Mrs.. Hurd. and while q
heart they must have respected her. ye
Il was time Of fierce passions and bii
ter prejudiccs. and 10 they Cursed he
Union sentiments and questioned her a
10 the plan by which her son escaped
They were very sure that she had ham
In u.
After being kept . few days In jai
che was released 10 make room for polii
ical prisoney-Union men-who wer
still being brought down In droves frou
the hills. Tn foot Mrs. Hurd made he
way hack TO her home. whsre she foun'
Minny eagerly awaiting her coming
Minny had been alone for ten days, bu
she was not afraid. and though anxious
II was not for herself. The day befor
her mothers return . sergeant and lei
men. who had bcen sent mp from Knoz
vile. went into camp near the houss
their purpose bring 10 surprise eth
Hurd boys should they return home. q
Il was believed they would do. The~
men wanted To buy provisions frur
Minny. and failing In that they al
tempted ~ raid the smokehouse. but sh
drove them away with her rihe IN
compelled them 10 move their cam
farther down the valley. which the
soon left.
Within few months every man CAPS
bic Of hearing arms In that region In
either ned north 10 the Union lines o
hal volunteered or bssn drafted into th
southern service. Although well pm
vided with lifss necessities and quit
able TO care fos themselves, Il was
drcary. anxious winter 10 MrA Hurd an
Ninny.
I'VE uns wasn't skeert To- oursels
said Ma Hurd. In telling her stor,
''thAr IVES plenty Of wood and full IN
plenty 70 eat. and mon enough. IN
thar was fodder TO- the cntten and CO.
Co. the hogs. bat bic was The hsart hur
ger bout them two boys % worried y
uns ~. Often and often. whin ths crib
was fris and thar was snow kpss de-
N the mountains. Minny o. med tram
70 Jscksoaboro and back. sil ths sA'n
day. kinder sxpsotin that Jack o. Piks'
wFits, but hit psan thsy oouhnG ~