The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-06-19
HELPED A REBEL TO DESERT
A Morgan Raider Who Had No Taste for
That Wild Ride from kentucky.
Prof Byron Williams SLiel led the Young Man,
sayed Him from Eeing Taken and Shot as
SPY, AMI Got Him 10 Cincinnati

mentions that when the confederate troop
ers stopped at williamsburg. in Clermont
county. one of their best officers deserted.
Only q sentence is given To this statement.
Jet there Is not little romance behind 1t.
Recently the writer was in the pleasant
town of Williamsburg. which is one OF
those beautiful country villages that make
man wonder why he is content with
city life. He was the guest of Prof. Byron
Williams. one of the well-known teachers
of southern OHIO. The talk turned on
Nlorgan's raid. Williamsburg was the first
place in Ohio where Morgan had dared TO
stop. lie had hurried over from Indiana,
coming through Harrison aud then passed
Glendale. and So keeping cautiously north
of Cincinnati. ne had pushed on for two
days and a night, constantly spurred
with the thought OF pursuit and at
tack by the troops IN the city.
Not until Williamsburg was reached
did he dare to stop. There his men traded
horses with the farmers. and swarming in
TO the houses they invited themselves TO
supper. Byron Williams was then a young
man of twenty, fresh from college at Della
ware. He went TO the old hosfelry where
General Morgan and his stat were quar-
tered. anu there IT was that he fell into n
dispute with one Of the minor officers. a
tall young fellow about his own age. The
dispute was over the respective merits of
the Northern and Southern caIse The de-
bate attracted q large crowd Of idle sol
diers. and they helped on the controversy
with cries Of go 10. Yank." GIVE II TO
HIM, johnny The debate was fast and
furIous. and ut last IL ended by the two
young men striking uD quito an acquaint-
ance.
IL might be we'll to state that the discus
eorr .4..x1 \. nfn
farmer who lived in the vicinity. Henry
McSbane. His horse had been taken by
one of the raiders and the owner had at
last located lt in the rudlmentary camp on
the hill, just beyond the east fork OF the
Little Miami. which bounds the town OH
one side. He demanded that the cOnfeder-
ate give back the horse. The latter natnr-
ally refused. There was mighty wranele
and finally McShane agreed 10 night foT the
hOrse-the victor TO have 10. The soldiers
formed q circle. and there was genuine
old fashioned hight In which the Ohio man
carried off the honors. All bloody be
mounted his recaptured horse and rode in
Triumph through the long, tree-sbaded
street. while the confederates cheered him
rs he disappeared.
APPROACHED By THE STRANGER.
When Bryon Williams started TO leave
she vicinity of the hotel ho was asked by
his late opponent in the debate where he
was going. 1t was already far in the night,
ana Mir. Williams replied that he was going
home. He was told that the streets were
picketed, and that he would not be allowed
10 cross them. In order To see him safely
past the guards tho young confederate
agreed TO 20 with him. They had hardly
started before the stranger said that he
had something to say that was of great I'm
pOrtance. and be telt he could speak freely
and In entire confidence to his new found
acquaintance. Then the other told his
story.
he was q college boy. In Tennessee. when
the war broke out Being member of a
college company of cadets he enlisted for
the defense of the State of Tennessee In
spite of the fact that his father was an
officer in the United States nav5. being
paymaster on tho war ship Sabine. lie
gave his name as George Harris. he had
fought nt Shiloh. and so had drifted from
place TO place with the troops. until finally
he bad been impressed into Morgan's serv-
Ice rs captain of the horse artillery. Nor
gan had several fine cannon with him on
Ills raid. and be carried them with him
nearly to PomerOy. But the young man s
sympathies were not with the South. Ever
since he had worn the gray he hal been ach-
ing for an opportunity TO get away. His
heart was with the Union. Then, too, he
was sick and tired of MOrgan's wild ad-
venture. which he saw was destined TO be
fruitless. They had only three rounds of
ammunition Tor the cannon. there was lit
tie enough ammunition for the guns of the
men, their horses were playea out and tie
farmers sober horses that they were Obliged
10 appropriate were hardly the equal OF the
Kentucky thorough 6reds that most of the
men had posss ssed at the start. This young
officer said that he had planned for his
ESCAPE, for in Indiana. when n store had
been pillaged, be had helped himself TO a
citizens black suit.
General Burnside was then In command
at Cincinnati. He was. the young man
said. great friend of his father. and if he
could once reach him aud tell his story he
would be safe.
HIDING TIE DEsERTER.
To make a long story short, Byron Will
Jams and the young man went home to-
gether When they entered the house they
were obliged to pass three of Morgan's off,
GERS. Nsptain. major and "tho Psrsonp-
who we.s sleeping in the sitting room.
They had preferred tn stretch themselves
out there on sofas and rugs ratner than 20
upstairs. Then Byron went down stairs
10 see that all was safe. In the yard. i'm
mediately in the rear of the old brick honse
still che family reshlence-he found
his father. then man well along
IN years. guarding the horses OF
the confederate officers. They had
promised him protection if he saw
that the horses were safe. He had innO-
Gently asked who would steal them. seeing
the whole place was IN the possession OF
their own men. They are the very ones
was the reply he received. Byron relieved
his father. first. however, making an ex-
cuse To see that the young confederate. or
ex-confederate. was SAFE In the morning
the horses were ready for the officers They
ate n substantial breakfast of ham and
eggs ana rode away. after thanking their
involuntary hosts. by or 10 the last Of the
cOnfederates lad disappeared. Then IL was
that the deserter made his appearance. neat
" dressed in the stolen suit of black. by
the way. he had remarked that If tho suit
was stolen 10 was not to count especially
against HIM. for If he had not taken It
somebody else wouId have done so. He
was introduced TO the Williams family as
college friend of Byron, and. as the place
was full OF strangers, no one questioned
the statement
Meanwhile General Hobson's men, IN close
pursuit OF Morgan. came pouring through
Williamsburg. Long tables stretched on
either side of the main street, tables laden
snatched ND food and ate IL as they
rode. Harris sat in one of the
chambers OF the Williams House and
through the binds watched the Union cav
airy as it forded the last fork of the Little
Miami and climbed the bank. the bridge
having been burned. Among the troops
was Captain Ullsry. a brave soldier. who
later on lost his life and for whom the c.
A il. post at Boston. Clermont county IA
named. tie had once. as n boy, saved
Byron Williams from drowning. and whe N
the latter cav HIM IidIdg through the
town he felt he was n man in whom he
could confide. and he started to tell him
the story. But Captain Ullery did not
take the same high, chivalrous view
OF IL as did the younger man.