The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-02-26
A Mountain Missionary.
By ALFRED R. CALHOUN.
Copyright. 1885, by American Press Assccia.
tion.
CHAPTER ii (Continued)

IN In 10 wan, ana 4 lccl u1at III DO
'bleegod to give my religin rest till
wo decide with our rifles whether lot
of d----d ribils or wo Union men is
a-gwine 70 hev tho free run Of the hills
along tho Cumberland. Thar, that's ali
/ have to say, and hits right smart
noah tina tended to say when / sot
out
Father Peters saw that il would be
folly TO attempt 20 change tho black
smith or to try to hold TO his own peace
full views the Union mountaineers that
heard him. And then, as his daughter
confessed in telling the story, he fully
appreciated the force of theblacksmith'
reasoning ahout the war, though the
change i'm the mans religious views had
ON him most discuuraging effect
Even the women and children present
Or this occasion seemed to realize that
the war had come TO the hills, but they
made no outcry, gave no sign Of nerv-
BUSINESS. If anything indeed, they ap-
peared to rejoice at the prospect of an
excitement that would break in on the
dull and brutalizing monotony Of their
lives.
Promising to keep to themselves and
to come together at Bradley's Crossing
when the danger became more threaten
ing, the people went sadly to their cab
ins in the mountains, and that night
the children creased patches, the wom-
en- nodded bullets, and, with the grim
stolidity Of Indians preparing for the
warpath, the men made ready their
arms Father Peters went home with
his wife and daughter with the feeling
of a man who has tried to do his duty
and will not be deferred by failure from
continuance. He was at this time over
20 years of age, and although never
physically vigorous he was active, and
his mind was as clear and his hope as
strong and his desire to save his fellow
men as fervid as when he was 40. He
did not come Of race that could be
cowed or discouraged. He had the Puri-
tanical temper that is slow to wrath
unless that wrath is kindled by the di-
vine spark, when IL becomes o devour-
ing fire for the glory Of God.
After supper that night the old man
said to his wife and daughter:
II have been praying for the light.
and it has come. see Gods hand in
this war. His wrath must be quenched
in blood. We are given over to our idols
as nation, and he will consume them
in the furnaces of war. Brother Brad
ley is a,out right, and shall pray that
his lapse from grace may be brief. T"
For two weeks after this the crowds
kept away from the blacksmith's shop,
and there appeared to be quiet in the
hills. but every one felt that it was the
quiet that preceded the storm. News
came that Het Magoone, who had for
merly lived in the Tennessee noun
tains, had gone south with O band Of
his followers, and some people drew
comfort from this, but Bradley would
shake his head and say:
They're a-comin. Zollicoffer is rails
IN army down thar by the border, and
they're a-comin." And the blacksmith
was right.
In the latter part of November, 1851,
the mountaineers of southeastern Ken
tucky were again in state of great
alarm. Rumors of a Confederate inva-
sion along the line of the Cumberland
river were rife, and wild and entirely
baseless stories of the cruelties perpe-
trated by Zollicoffer's men, at Zollicof-
fer's order, were firmly believed. Now
and then ragged refugee from farther
south found protection and a stopping
place with Bradley, and these men told
their stories of. suffering and escape
only to increase the horror and indigna-
tion of their brethren along the upper
Cumberland.
One day Union man, who lived
about 15 miles south of the Crossing,
came running down to the blacksmith's
shop with the news that Het Magoone,
with a company of men who called him
captain" was in Laurel county, and
that he was either killing or forcing
into his ranks every Union man he
met. As Bradley had been expecting
this, be could not be surprised. In an
ticipation of just such an occurrence,
and the better TO assemble the Union
men within reach, he had caused piles
of dry wood to be gathered on the high
est hills for miles round, the smoke by
day or the flame by night being the sig
nal TO the Union men that they must
gather at the Crossing.
AS soon as the ssun had gone down
that night Bradley and few Of his
friends went mp to the peaks and light
ed the fires. On his way back he stopped
at Father Peters house and said in his
blunt way:
"Tho time TO- fghtin hez come, thank
the Lor, fo' hit can't be noah KILN
than the worryin and waitin. Now,
git together all the things we ken tote,
and we'll fotch 'cm down to my place.
Thar'll be no usa in lockin up what's
left behind, eff the doggone ours es is
a-comin har wants to steal 'em. Now,
let we uns hurry"
Father Peters ard his family saw the
necessity for action. There was no nerv-
ousnecs on his part, no groans or out
cries from the women. They gathered
nm aach m ohio N ua 30 ciofboa md tba few