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

After supper that night, as we sat about
the fire in front of the cabin, the dog bepan
vigorous barking, and Benton seized his
rifle and sprang out Of the light, an example
were not slow to follow. After a few min
utes shrill whistle came down from the
cliffs directly overhead, which Benton an
wered in like way. Then the man
shouted:
"Hen, hits me''
tom Billings, from Benton?,
"Yes.n
What IN his the troubleYr
Hold up. and pl tell you uns."
The man came down the rocks, by which
time we had returned to the fire and the
hound had stopped his baying. The new
arrival was young man dressed and armed
ike our host and his manner told that he
was laboring under great excitement. He
came to report that confederate soldiers,
''afoot and on critters" were swarminP in
the hills and picking up every man they
could find. That afternoon they had seized
dozen men known to Benton and Tom
Billings, and the chances were that they,
too, would be taken the next day if they
did not clear out.
''phar's no better place to stick to than
this" said Benton. "If the hounds find us
har thar amt a place III the Blue Ridge
where it would be safe hidin'. I've got
grub enough to last all hands for two weeks.
and then, if it comes TO fight, 1 reckon we
four kin git away with any other four they
have mind to send.''
Tom Billings "allowed this mout be all
500 but he very much doubted whether
the search parties would send just four
men; but, as he could not do better, he was
willing TO stay.
The fire was quickly extinguished. It
was arranged that we should each stand
turn on guard, with al eye on the canon,
for that was the only direction by which
mounted men could reach US.
The night passed without any cause for
alarm. AT my suggestion Benton had muz-
lied his hound and confined him in the hut
for his barking was as certain to attract
the enemy as it was to warn US of his ap-
proach. In the morning the dog was re-
leased, and as we were eating breakfast he
ran down the canon barking furiously. He
had not been gone from sight for half a
minute when rifle shot echoed along the
cliffs and we sprang to our feet. Before
we could seize our arms q man shouted
down from the rocks above the cabin:
Don't dare to stir, boysl YOU'RE COW
cred"
1 looked up and,saw six men pointing
their rifles down at US, and at the same
time four mounted men rode up the cailon,
and called on US to surrender. Resistance
was out Of the question. The men on the
rocks came clambering down, our arms
were seized, and we were prisoners.
These men were commanded by ser
geant, e soldierly looking fellow. who evil
IDENTIFY understood his business. l showed
him the paroles of Bell and myself, which
had so often stood us in good need, but
their power TO convince was gone. The
sergeant, who belonged to the Third
Georgia cavalry, expressed himself about
as follows:
Your paroles may be all right, and then,
again, they may not be. But if they had
been drawn up by President Davis and
countersigned by General Lee they would
DO you 20 good. Why notl Well, because
my orders are not to recognize furloughs
unless the men who have them are sick in
bed or SO badly wounded that they can't
handle gum
Benton protested that he was wounded.
and Bell showed the still unhealed bullet
wound on his right breast, but the sergeant
was obdurate. He had orders and must
obey them, and in addition TO that the con-
federacy needed every man at this time.
Hood had just been beaten by Sherman be-
fore Atlanta, and il was the duty of every
good southern D1an in Georgia 10 hasten to
the defense of the beleagured army.
And so Bell and myself, who had vowed
TO die rather than be captured, were again
prisoners, and to add to the horror of the
situation we were about to be marched
away TO fight against our own people, for it
would have been fatal to us if we had told
the truth
There were no preparations to make.
Benton was permitted TO conceal his min
ing tools in the hut; then unarmed, and
with a guard before and behind lis, we
were marched down the canon and along
the stream to the Etowsh river, where we