The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-02-02
CHAPTER XXXIII.

CHAPTER XXX1IL
| bade the soldiers from East Tennessee fare.
we'll and shouldered my knapsack, came back
to Nashville, and there took the train foI
Knoxville. When | arrived at Knoxville, my
friends, ascertaining that / had such heavy
burden TO carry, procured horse for me to
lead through the mountains, and upon which
they said ] could frequently ride, and thereby
get along more agreeaby with my load. This,
/ was afraid, would be very difficult task,
but | agreed to undertake il, and thereupon
| had $4,000 more added to the amount OF
money and other property which i already had
in my care.
| now set ont upon my Journey home but
not alone. as some of my neighbors, who had
visited Knoxville concluded to return with
me- We took the train at Knoxville and came
on TO Strawberry Plains where we had to
begin our Journey as the train at this time
was not running farther up the road.
On the night we left Strawberry Plains we
got some distance above Messy Creek, where we
rested during the day, and the next night we
reached Russellville. Here we concealed our
selves all day, and as soon as night came on we
made our way into the Chucky Mountains.
New our toilsome journey had to be begun in
earnest. Ny horse was already overloaded,
and consequently had TO shoulder my heavy
kn8psack for | could not cOnfne it on the
horses back while he was tugging and climb
ing up the sides of the steep mountains; and
the worst of all was we found that there was a
scout of rebel soldiers who were searching
through the range of mountains we were now
travelling. and we had not advanced very far
until we found that
THEY WERE PURSUING OUR TRACK.
/ Immediately changed the direction we had
been going in order TO give them the dodge.
We crossed Chucky River, which we had to
wade, and at once made our way into the
toughest parts of the mountains just as day
light made its appearance. / now consid-
cred that we were in a safe position, but unfor-
tunatey we had nothing to eat, and was very
hungry and weak as | had packed my neavy
load distance of % miles the previous night
/ tried to sleep, but ] was thoroughly ex-
hausted that made very little progress in the
land Of dreams and as crownng misfortune
on that day j had severe bleeding at the
lungs | thought ] had undertaken on this
occasion more than | was able to get through
with. for sometimes ! believed that was about
to end my troubles upon this lonely mountain.
But when night came on | felt able to pursue
my Journey and we started on, while my COM
panions assisted me in carrying my burden,
which was great Inconvenience TO them, for
they all had about as much as they were able to
get along with. We travelled on without being
able 10 procure anything to eat until about
midnight, at which time we stopped at house,
where we got some bread and bacon. The man
who lived at this house told us to get away
from there with all possible speed, for the reb-
els be said, had been at his house since dark.
We went on two miles farther into the mount
aims. where we stopped TO rest and to eat our
bread and meat.
We were now on Rich Mountain, which we
crossed during the day, and, oh, what a hard
days travel it wasi When / suffer my medta-
/. A.. L.
how / ever succeeded in getting over that
mountain in my frail and weakly condition,
for ] had not yet recovered from the hemor-
rhage of my lungs which had weakened me
very much, and was also weak from the ex-
cessive hunger which had endured for some
time. ! often thought as | toied along, that
this would most inevitably be the last trip that
/ would ever be able to make, and i frequently
despared of ever reaching my home; for as
Travelled up the side of the mountain | could
not walk 100 yards at time without stopping
to rest. aud when | started to descend the
mountain would very often sink down On my
knees.
On that evening we got to place where We
obtained something TO eat, and remained all
night with some men who were staying out on
the mountain in camp. and 1t was IL o'clock
in the day before We left the camp. We went
on TO Chueky River and crossed it in canoe
and about midnight arrived at the house of
John McInturf, in the Greasy Cove in Wash
ington County. We remained in the woods
until daylight, at which time | went near the
house, aud seeing the old man going to his
barn.
CALLED TO HIM AND HE CAME TO ME-.
told him that we were very hungry, and he
at once returned and soon had very plentiful
break fast brought to us. gave him the let
ters which his three sons (who were in the 9th
10, ha1 ,,fx- fnr oil
the packages which had been sent by me to be
distributed among the soldiers wives who were
living in that settlement. We rested until we
got dinner, after which we started and got as
near our homes as ii was safe for US TO 90 that
night.
Ny horse load of goods all belonged to the
soldiers wives who were living in Elizabethton,
and had them conveyed secretly by night to
the proper owners. What a happy time il was
now for these women, Many of them were
placed in possession of a nice new dress and
shoes. Calico and all the finer qualities of
ladies dress goods were denominated as YAM
kee clothing" in the refined nomenclature of
the land of Dixie at this period. A piece of
new calico, or in fact any other article in the
dry goods line, was perfect curiosity to the
rebels for some two years or more before the
suppression of the rebellion. Indeed, If one of
the fre-eating women could have secured the
possession of pound OF coffee, spool of thread,
or paper of pins about this time she would
have thought herself remarkably well of, and
would doubtless have at once imagined that
good time was coming. cup of genuine
coffee during the last year of the rebellion was
about as scarce among the rebels as good money,
and if they could have been permitted TO sip
good cup OF Mocha, Java or Rio they would
have considered it equally as delightful as the
nectar or the ambrosa which was used at the
| splendid banguets of the tabled gods
j soon succeeded in distributing the entire
cargo which had brought with me into Carter
! County, but not without occurrence of bad
| luck happening somehow or other in said dis
| tribution. which, in peeuniary point of view,
| stance that had ever previously befallen me-
| Every person for whom [ had letters and money
| on this occasion could not come and receive the
| letters from my own haud for fear of being
known, and consequently j had TO intrust sev.
| eral Of the packages of letters containing money
| 10 persons in whom ! confided, to convey to
/ their proper owners In doing this small
| package of letters, containing 500 in money
altogether, failed to arrive at its proper destna
| tion, aud strange TO say the individuals whom
| j had selected 10 distribute the said letters
could not give any account of them at all
| This was another source of trouble and vex
alton for me, for / at once determined to re
| place the amount of the missing money out o
| my own pocket Ii is true ! had told the sol
diers very specifically before ] received thi
| money into my care, that i would not be re
sponsible for any money which might be sen