The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-11-24

stumbled and fell, and the men ran over me
before I could rise to my feet. had been
holding my hat and blanket in one hand, and
my shoes and socks in the other; but before /
could get through this terrible field of briers
| l was compelled to cast away my hat and
blanket which was done with the greatest re-
luctance. ] held on to my shoes and was soon
in front of the company again.
This dreadful field of briers was at least 800
yards wide. but we crossed it in hurry. aud
were now in the woods upon the side Of Cum
berland Mountain. We hastened up the mount
ain for q quarter of mile, and then stopped.
| Thanks to a kind Providence. We were all yet
| alive and together; none of the men having
been injured by the lead which had been so
recently hurled at them by the rebels.
But VIC might as we'll have been killed as to
be in the terrible plight which we found our
| selves now to be in, as would then have been
| relieved from our excrnciating sufferings. which
| were almost now beyond the power Of human
endurance. Ny own feet were frozen so stiff that
| I could not feel that was walking on them,
| and the balance of the men were in equally as
| bad condition. Those who had not lost their
shoes put them on, but number of men had
| none, and their clothing was wet and frozen
| hard upon their bodies. To those who had
been used to the comforts, and even the Injuries
of life, this was bitter 1risl /; but the thought
that their lives had been spared made them
quite thankful
| TO GET AWAY ON ANY TERMS.
We were all really objects of pity, and could
our friends in the land of Dixie" have now
seen us, I have no doubt but that they
would have been deferred from ever under
| taking the same journey, even for tie sake Of
liberty. We travelled on about three miles
farther, when we got into dense glade of
| laurel and ivy bushes, where We stopped and
made fire and thawed our clothing. Some of
the men were badly frostbitten. Alter making
good fire we began to make caps and mecca
| sins out of our haversacks for the men who
had lost their hats and shoes. We cut them to
! fit the head and feet as nearly as we could.
Our proficiency in the art of tailoring we did
| not suppose would have pleased the iastIdious
| taste of Beau Brummel or a Count ID Orsay
! but we well knew that it would suit the feel
| ings of those poor barefooted and hatless men
who were here amid the snow-clad mountains
with the wintry winds bowling around them,
entirely destitute Of shoes for their frozen feet
and hats to cover their heads The cap which
i made for myself was quite comfortable. and
protected my ears and head from the cold and
chilly blasts of Winter. Indeed, l thought it
more comfortable than hat, and continued to
wear it until / returned home.
! But our moccasins did not so well supply our
| feet for the absence of Shoes for feet were
full of briers and were badly cut. while our
| socks were also frozen.
We were now near the end of our journey,
| and upon very rugged mountain, where we
knew that the rebels could not follow US, and
where we could travel in daylight at our leisure.
| If this had not been the case do not believe
| that many of these poor men could have ever
reached the end of their laborious journey.
| We struggled on in pain and misery until 12
o'clock the next day, when
WE CROSSED THE KENTUCKY LINE,
and when night came on we had reached Clover
I iu,rn adj taIv dad tba
| dence Of my old friend Clark, where another
forlorn lot of refugees were fed and cared for by
! this estimable gentleman and his kind and
| obliging family Here we stad all night, which
was already far advanced, during which time we
were busily engaged in picking the briers ont
of our feet, which were very much swollen. The
| thOrns having forced themselves deep into the
| flesh, made this very painful operation in
deed. We continued thus to work with our
| feet until tho pain became too severe to bear,
| when we would lie down and rest from our labor
| until the pain would partially cease. when we
| would begin the painful operation again. None
but those who have experienced such severe
trials can form any conception of our snfferngs.
! l could now enjoy the consoling reflection
| that these poor men, who for some time had
| been the object of my care and solicitnde, were
| now safe from rebel oppression and cruelty.
thought that they had paid dearly for the
| boon of liberty, which was originally purchased
|
| was vilely and wickedly suspended by the up.
| rising of the rebels, whose infamous leaders
| Dragged and boasted that they constituted the
| chivalry of the Southern States; and they
| loudly proclaimed that when Greek should
meet Greek in the "tug OF war;" that the
aristocracy of the South would put the Yankee
to fight; and also estimated that one of their
white handed gentry could whip five of the
Northern men. But the battlefelds Of the
Nation,
WHERE THOUSANDS FELL IN THE CONFLICT
| of arms during the miserable rebellion, give at
once the lie to this assertion. Oh, ye infamous
| and boasting demagog myrmad0ns of the South
ern rebellion, where. oh, where, is that great
Government which you aimed TO establish upon
| the ruins of the proud fabric Of the Govern
ment which was established by the good and
| wise men of America? Where is the proud
oligarchy which you attempted to establish on
the wreck of Republican Government? Who're
now is your Southern Confederacy," that
foulest whelp of sin which the 18th century
has given birth to?
Gone. giimmering through the dream of things
A school-boy's tale-the wonder of an hour!"
Next morning we lett Mr.. Clark's house and
went over TO the place where the Home Guards
were stationed at the river. There We rested
for four days, endeavoring to alleviate the pains
| from which we were suffering.
| The day for our parting now arrived, and |
| bade my friends final adieu and they started
on toward Lexington or Louisville, or to what
ever place they wished to 60 for they now
| free and could go on, unmolested, wherever
! their inclination might lead them. / made i'm
mediate preparations to go back and again run
| the gantlet among my old tormentors, the reb-
| els, who were now prowiing iii my native hills
| like heIlish demons, actively engaged in their
missions Of murder and rapine. | felt sure
| that my friends who scouting among the
| mountains Of Carter County thought that had
| deserted them, or was dead The latter suppo-
sition / thought they would believe was far the
most probable, as no news of the luck which
/ had met with, what had become of me,
coud possibly have been communicated to
| them, more than if / had gone to another
world, As all the channels of information were
| thoroughly destroyed There was a man who
| told me that he wished to company me in
my journey back to Tennessee, and told him
to get ready to start with me the next morn.
| ing. sai-ga
| ITO be contiaued.)
| Read Better than Pension on page 4.
|