The National tribune., 1893-01-26
CHATTER XXI.

CHAPTER XXI
After enjoying myself remarkably well for
several days among the soldiers at Gallatin.
| made all necessary arrangements for my return
! trip. | came on TO Nashville and there took
| the train and came on to the Strawberry Plains.
| Upon my arrival at that place / started on foot
! through the woods toward my old path through
/ the mountains, there to endure again the IA
tigue and hunger which had recently expert
enced in my former trip back TO Carter county,
bending beneath my tiresome load.
The casual reader may pass lightly over the
words fatigue exhaustion and hunger. but to
ME these words had the utmost significance
and weight. for was constantly enduring all
the bodily nfirmities which each one of these
distressing sensations could impose
travelled on with my heavy burden up the
steep mountains and then down their craggy
sides and at times, when getting in sight of
! their humble cabins, which frequently came in
my pathway. / would lay down my knapsack
and advance cautiously to them and get small
portion of provision, which was generally very
coarse, hut / knew that it was as good as the
disconSolate women could afford, Tor there was
not one of them whose humble cottage had not
been robbed by the rebels of nearly everything
it contained. In spite of every obstacle which
occurred in my pathway, made my way across
Rich Mountain to Indian Creek, where ] left
one of the packages which had brought from
Gallatin al the house of stanch Union man,
who was one of my warm personal friends, so
that he might properly distribute the letters
and other articles which it contained to the
soldiers wives who resided in his neighbor-
hood. i then came on to the Greasy Cove,
where / left another package and then has
tened on toward my native hills, and after a
very tiresome journey arrived at home and
Immediately sent the letters and other articles
which had brought with me to their proper
destination. Many sad hearts were now glad
dened and cheered by the precious mementoes
of love which had been sent By the absent
husbands.
j now went on to Johnson County with the
remainder of the letters and goods which had
brought with me as | did not wish TO trust
the letters and other articles in the hands Of
any person, for fear that the persons to whom
they had been sent might fail to get them.
When / arrived in johnson County / found
that the Home Guards
WERE PRowLISG ABOUT
in every direction. which prevented me from
going to Taylorsville. / therefore concluded
to leave the package which had been intrusted
to my care bv Capt Worthington with Richard
c. White. who was steadfast friend of Worth
ington, and also reliable Union man. The
balance of the letters and money sent to their
rightful owners by persons in whose integrity
] had confidence.
] must confess that / now felt very much
relieved. / knew that the rebels would not
be apprised of any money or letters having
been sent into johnson County, if the people
10 whom the packages had been sent would
only be smart enough to keep everything prop
erly concealed. But. alas the secrecy which
] had hoped would cover my visit to Johnson
County was doomed to have short duration,
which visit was exposed Immediately after my
rrop fhaf( fr in he fol
ner: When White received the package which
! had consigned TO his care, to be forwarded to
the wife of Capt. Worthngton, he unfortunate
" addressed a note to Mrs. WorthiDgton. re-
questing her to come TO his house, where she
would receive intelligence concerning her hus-
band. This note was dispatched to Mrs. Worth
ington by a small boy, who was stopped on the
road by the rebel guard, and. an immediate
search being instituted, the note WAS found
and read. The rebels at once proceeded to
Whites residence, and commenced searching
his house. As was TO be expected, they soon
found the doomed package, and seized like
hungry wolves all its valuable contents. White
was forthwith arrested and hurried off to
prison.
This affair was conducted by the leading
rebel citizens of Johnson County, who were
urged on in the perpetration of their reckless
deeds of infamy and villainy by Bill Waugh
and Sam Mcqueen, two of the wealthiest citi-
zens Of Johnson County, who were generally
the leaders or advisers in all the dreadful acts
of crime which were committed in that County
during the memorable reign of the miserable
rebello ion.
The rebels having thus learned that had
been on visit TO Johnson County, it induced
them at once to give the whole County an over
hauling. The delightful thought of finding
green back money sent them raging through
the County in search Of it like pack of fam.
isbed wolves after flock of unprotected sheep
Aud, most unfortunately, / am compelled TO ac-
knowledge that the internal rebels succeeded
in obtaining nearly every dollar which / had
carried into Johnson County on this occasion.
They would get SO, $40 and sometimes as
much as $50 at house. Wherever the poor
women offered any resistance
TO THE WHOLESALE ROBBERY
which these cormorants were perpetratng,
they were wretchedly abused and in many in-
stances their clothes were torn off them because
they refused to produce the money which their
prosecutors suspected them of having.
now became thoroughly aroused at the in
| human treatment OF these helpless women, and
determined To have this money back or the
| worth of il. considered that the poor soldiers
| should not lose SO much of their hard earned
wages without an effort being made ON my part
| TO recover it, or at least portion of it.
The mountains at this time were full Of men
| by the rebels that they were willing and ready
! to join in an expedition to infiict punishment
| upon them. Consequently, soon had COM
pany Of men ready to make a raid upon the
rebels Of Johnson County, among whom was
| Capt. Lafayette Jones' who had been upon a
| previous occasion captured by the same rebel
| Home Guards, at which time he had been
robbed OF large sum Of gold by this same Bill
| Waugh whom i have already referred TO, and
was sent off to prison, from which he effected
his escape by joining the rebel army
At the time Jones was captured Waugh
| promised him faithfully that the money that
| had been taken from him should be given to
| his parents, who were then living near Waugh's
residence. But this promise was never full
| filed. Waugh kept the money and appropri-
atcd il 10 his own Bse. When Jones became
acquainted with Mangh's duplicity in this mat
ter, iie vowed that he would kill him the first
opportunity that presented itself
At the time that was meditating this trip to
johnson County 10 recover the money which