The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-04-03

found camp in which there were about
wv soldiers and as many more sullen noun
talneers, who had been gathered in by the
searchers.
My companion and myself reasoned that
/ the very best thing We could do was to
seem to TALL Ii with the spirit and design of
our cRptors. The captain in charge of the
camp was young man named Reese and
after telling him our story 1 said that, much
as we had suffered and eager though Bell
ana myself were to go home we would
cheerfuily go with him to Hoods army pro-
vided he treated US like men and not like
prisoners. He declared that this was his
purpose, and that he was willing to show
his faith in US by letting US ride the follow
ing morning.
These confederates belonged to Wheeler's
command and were not authorized to collect
the tax in kind, yet they had collected
several hundred head of cattle and about
eighty horses for the use of the army. AS
they gave receipts for all the property
taken, their conduct did not perhaps violate
the rules OF war, but it served to intensity
the hate of the despoiled mountaneers.
The confederates were in good spirits,
though l noticed that, from the officers
down, all were outspoken in their denuu-
citation Of JEFF Davis for retiring
Johnston in favor of Hood. They were
firmly convinced that Sherman had played
his last trump, that his army was in a trap
across the Chattahoochee, and that he
would wake up some fine morning and find
himself bagged
In that camp heard for the first time
the whole of the then popular songs, 1.-THE
Bonnie Blue Flag" and the Southern
Wagon" Our own war songs at that time
were not lyrical gems, but as compared
with the southern songs, my Maryland"
excepted, they were models of spirited
ravGn 4 . ,x,, H.
their own, which cannot be said of any of
the southern songs, not even "Dixie'' or
My Maryland"
The troops were as light hearted as if
they had never known Cefeat. and although
the pay of the enlisted men was only thir-
teen dollars month all seemed to have an
abundance of graybacks, and they risked
their money at poker IN a way l never saw
surpassed. The men who had been
gathered up were kept under close guand
all night, but they were not neglected in
the distribution of rations. The next morn
ing more troops came in with more prison
ers and more cattle, in addition to mum
Der of wagons.
After breakfast Captain Reese sent for
Bell and myself, and told US that he had
been watching US since our arrival and was
convinced We were brave men and good
soldiers. For this we seemed duly CRATE
full ana showed desire to merit his con-
tinued regard. The captain further in
formed US that all the rest of the prison
ers were deserters, and that if they had
their dues every one of them would be shot,
but the military authorities, not having
time to try them, would soon place them
where the Yankees would become their ex-
ecutioners. He then asked if we could ride
and on being told that we could he said he
would give US mounts and assign US to the
detail that was to drive the cattle down to
LawrencevIlle, which was, 1 believe, in
Gwinnett county, about thirty miles from
Atlanta.
We were rejoiced at this arrangement.
The horses given US had the ''U. 81 brand.
and the saddles and equipments had be-
lonRed 10 our cavalry. Captain Reese's
confidence did not extend to giving US arms
but we expressed no desire for them. Be-
fore starting out that morning we under
stood that Benton had escaped in the
course OF the night, and squad of troopers
was sent back to ''shoot him on sight" but
though L never heard of him again l am
inclined to thing that they did not sue
coed.
When the march began the main BODY of
troops, with the prisoners and wagons
went ahead, and detail of about twenty
five men, all armed but Bell and myself.
followed with the cattle. The sergeant in
charge of the detail was the man who had
arrested US the day before, and his vigil
lance and bearing were such as might have
adorned higher rank. He watched Bell
and myself continually, and we planned to
win his confidence as we had that of Cap
tain Reese.
About o'clock that night we found
good pasture for the cattle on Battle creek
and went into camp. By daylight we had
breakfast and were moving again. From
the first Bell myself had planned to save
our horses without seeming to shirk our
work, our object being to make a break the
first chance we had. The second night we
eneamped on a plantation in Cherokee
county. Since morning the burned fences,
the groups of ash heaps beside the road and
the general air of dilapidation about the
houses, most of which were abandoned, told