Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1892-02-18
the Field.

WI ueuC DaN1 Wy
proclamation urged every man to hasten
to his country's defense, and promised
pardon for all past delinquencies, pro-
vided the offender now fastened to do
his duty. Stringent orders and threats
of punishment infused energy into the
officers of the home guard. Detach-
ments of Confederate troops visited the
neighborhood at short and irregular in
tervals, while the homes of the deserters
were watched and repeatedly searched,
says the Atlantic Monthly.
Then it was that the deserters, as we
called all who shirked military duty,
whether they had ever actually been in
the army or not, had recourse to a mode
of hiding which they had learned from
runaway slaves. The fugitive in this
region, having neither the swamps of
the East nor the mountains of the West
for refuge, like all hard-run creatures,
naturally took to earth. He either en-
larged and concealed some natural cav
ity or dug a cave in which he hid by
day, to sally out under cover of dark
ness in quest Of poultry, pigs, sheep,
fruit, roasting-cars, watermelons, and
other good things in season. Ii he feared
pursuit by dogs he rubbed the soles of
his feet with onions OF odorous herbs in
order to confuse the scent. If moderate
ly wary or skillful, he found little diff
Guilty in remaining "out" till the crops
were laid by" and all the heavy work
was over, or till the cold weather drove
him back to a snugger bed in the quar-
ters.
The deserter made a vast improve
ment on the burrow OF the runaway col
ored person. His cave was larger, better
constructed, and better appointed than
his prototype, but not better concealed.
Banding together in squads of two OF
three, some unfrequented place would be
chosen, generally on q hillside, TO avoid
moisture, and as near stream as prac-
ticable, for the Easiest and safest way of
disposing of the earth thrown up in dig
ging the pit was to dump it in running
water
The proper depth, commonly about six
feet, being attained, a place was cut
in the earthen sides of the cave and con
nected with q flue cut through the ada
cent earth. Across the pit and slightly
below the surface We're then placed stout
poles, and on these the roof of pine
boards, while over all the earth and
leaves were carefully replaced so as to
conceal all signs of having been dis
turbed. Pine needles made a very good
carpet.
A bed was constructed by driving
forked stakes into the ground and upon
these were laid small poles topped with
pine boughs. Sometimes Il cupboard"
was cut in the earthen walls. What
gave the cave-dweller most concern was
the disposal of smoke from his chimney.
Even under the best Of circumstances,
in the faireSt, warmest weather and in
driest soil q cave was a dismal abode.
There was q darkness, a chilliness, a
strange, grave-like silence down there,
which made fire, the only light obtaina
BILE in those hard times, an Indispensable
companion. When rainy weather came
and the walls oozed water, only heat
made it habitable. Care was taken to
use the driest and most smokeless fuel,
but as even that, though burned ever so
sparingly, in the daytime would cause
some smoke, various plans were hit on
to minimize the danger of betrayal from
this source. When practicable the cave
would be dug near dead tree, which
was first blackened by fire, unless one
could be found already partially burned
by the chance fire of some econ or opos-
sum hunter.
Failing this, the old-tree stump after
being charred was ingeniously planted
over the chimney mouth, SO that the
smoke might rise through OF around it.
The object of these devices was, of
course, that should any unfriendly eye
discover the smoke it would be attrib-
uted to one of the accidental fires which
sometimes smoldered in dead timber for
weeks at time. But as q rule the oc-
cupants putting their dependence on
good eyesight and legs, would, when no
especial danger was unprecedented, be-
lake themselves to the woods during
the day and use the caves only as sleep
ing places.
WHY He Led the Charge.