The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1893-02-23

true, and believe that they are, q few
more days will see MS at the mercy OF
such minions Of Zollicoffer as this Het
Magoone. There are no doubt many
honest and Christian, but mistaken, men
in the secession army, but / do not think
1t would be prudent to assume that these
are the kind Of people who win be sent
to Bradley's Crossing.
MANY of you have brought your
wives and children here, and while this
Is natural must believe 1t imprudent.
II these had remained at home, or viii
return home now; or, If their homes are
destroyed, will seek haven among their
friends in the mountains, the men will
be freer to act. Brother Bradley and /
have prayerfully talked over the situa-
ton, and we have come to the conclu-
sion that every day we spend here is q
day lost to the cause, while our little
stock Of provisions is being reduced.
We have therefore decided to start for
Camp Dick Robinson tonight. Once
there, those whose are able to bear arms
can be regularly enrolled and mustered
into the service of the Union, while II
we fight here we are apt to be regarded
as guerrillas and for the present, at least,
the government will be powerless to pro-
tect us.
"While my mission among you has
been one Of peace, and / have passed the
age when might be of much use even
IL were skilled in the ways of war, yet,
with Gods help, can and / will fight
If we are not permitted to reach the
Union lines in peace.
81 will say to my good sisters and to
the children who must remain behind,
as their coming with us would hamper
the march, that it will not be long before
the troops of the Union swarm in these
mountains as the Confederates do now,
and that their coming will insure pro-
lection to all. We must move with
secrecy and rapidity, for there are spies
all about us. And now ask those who
are willing to follow the lead of Brother
Bradley to Camp Dick Robinson to take
their stand at the back part of the
smithy."
It was as Father Peters expected;
. every man at the Crossing and every
boy who could shoulder q rife, and these
mountaineers learn to shoot when very
young, crowded to the back part of the
building.
This meeting was held the day after
Christmas, 1851, and about the middle
Of the afternoon. In order to keep their
movements secret it was decided to start
north soon after dark that night. As
Father Peters was even more hated than
the blacksmith, and his wife and daugh-
ter would have been homeless and help
less if left behind, an exception was
made in their case, it being the old
clergyman's intention to take them back
to the old home in the western reserve
of northern Ohio as soon as they reached
the Union lines.
There was little preparation to make.
Two of the blacksmith's horses were SIT
apart for Mrs. Peters and her daughter
to ride on. The forty men in the party
were to carry their rations and ammu-
milton, the former being necessarily light,
first, because the supplies at the Crossing
were limited, and in the next place be.
cause it was believed that Camp Dick
Robinson, seventy five miles to the north.
west, could be reached in five days.
In order to keep up the impression that
there were still men at the Crossing ready
to resist an attack, it was arranged that
the women should light the beacons on
the hills as soon as Dick Bradley gave
the order to march. This was done so
promptly that for hours the fugitives
could see the coppery glow of the fires
on the clouds to the south, and this
strengthened the hope that there would
be no pursuit.
Although at the best the roads in this
region were wretched, and now almost
impossible, it was to their advantage
that the Cumberland river was at their
back and no formidable stream in front.
How we moved in the right direction
that night must ever remain to me
mystery" says Miss Peters. Before we
had been on the way an hour we were
all as wet as If we had been soused in q
pond, and mother and l, being compare
lively inactive, were chilled to the BONE
l did not fear, because did not care for
myself. Iwould picture father walking
ahead with that giant, Bradley, through
the darkness and mire, and could not
but picture the one so powerful and
fierce and the other so weak and mild,
yet with spirit as dauntless as the
bravest.
1--WE had no means Of telling the time,
but though tried TO reason with myself
that minutes must seem drawn into
hours under such circumstances, yet I
came to feel that the sun would never
rise again. 1t was about two o'clock in
the morning that we came to halt,
whether in valley or on hill, in
forest or clearing, / could not tell.
My father came back to us as CHEEKY as
ever, though knew from my own con-
dition how he must have felt. He told
US that there was a vacant cabin at
hand, and that Bradley thought it would
be well to halt here till daylight.
Mother and / were so cold and stiff
when we were lifted from our horses
that we would have fallen had not the
men held us up.