Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-07-25


party from Jerusalem who knew the
negroes We're in the field, and had just
tied their horses TO await their return
TO the road, knowing that Mr.. Parker
and family were in Jerusalem, but
knew nothing of the party that had
gone in with Captain Peete. On hear
ing the firing they Immediately rushed
to the spot and arrived just in time to
arrest the progress of these barbarols
villains and save the lives of their
friends and fellow citizens.)
thinking that those who had re-
treated first and the party who nred
on Us at fifty or sixty yards distant
had all Only fallen back to meet others
with ammunition, as l saw them re-
loading their guns and more coming up
than l saw at first, and several OF my
Bravest men being wounded, the
others became paniC-stricken and
squandered over the field; the white
men pursued and fired Oh us several
times. Hank had his horse shot under
him, and | caught another for him as
it was running by me. Five or six Of
nv men were wounded, but none left
on the field. Finding myself defeated
here, l Instantly determined to go
through a private way and cross the
Nottoway river at the Cypress bridge,
three miles below Jerusalem, and at
tack that place in the rear, as / eX-
pected they would look for me on the
other road and l had a great desire to
get there to procure arms and ammu-
milton.
After going a short distance in this
private way, accompanied by about
twenty men, / overlook two or three
who told me the others We're dispersed
in every direction. After trying in
vain to collect a sufficient force to pro-
coed to Jerusalem, l determined to re-
turn, as l was sure they would make
back to their old neighborhood, where
they would rejOin me, make new re-
cruits, and come down again. On my
way back 1 called at Mrs. Thomas's,
Mrs. Spencer's, and several other
places, the white families having fed,
we found no more victims to crafty
our thirst for blood. We stopped at
Major Ridley's quarters for the night,
and being joined by four of his men,
with the recruits made since my de-
feat, we mustered now about forty
strong.
after placing out sentinels l laid
down to sleep, but was quickly reused
by great racket. Starting up,
found some mounted and others in
great confusion, one of the sentinels
having given the alarm that we were
about to be attacked. l ordered some
to ride around and reconnoitre, and on
their return the others being more
alarmed, not knowing who they were,
fed in different ways, so that l was
reduced to about twenty again. With
this / determined to attempt to re-
cruit, and proceed on to rally in the
neighborhood l had left. DR.. Blunt's
was the nearest house, which we
, reached just before day. On riding uI
the yard Hark fired a gun. We ex
pected DR.. Blunt and his family were
at Major Ridley's, as knew there was
a company of men there. The guI
was fired to ascertain if any of the
family We're at home. We were i'm
mediately fired upon and retrea ted
leaving several of my men. l do moi
know what became of them, as
never saw them afterWard
Pursuing our course back and com
ing in sight of Captain Harris, where
we had been the day before, we dis
, covered a party of white men at the
house, ON which all deserted me but
two Jacob and NaO. We concealed
ourselves in the woods til near night
when l sent them in search of Henry
Nelson, Sam and Hank, and directed
them to rally all they could, at the
place we had had our dinner the Sun
day before, where they would find me-
and 1 accordingly returned there as
soon as it was dark and remained un-
til Wednesday evening, when, discov-
ering white men riding around the
place as if they were looking for some
, one, and none of my men joining me,
1 concluded Jacob and Nat had been
taken and compelled ito betray me.
''On this l gave up all hope for the
present, and on Thursday night, after
having supplied myself with provisions
from Mr.. Travis, l scratched hole
under a pile of fence rails in a field,
where l concealed myself for six
weeks, never leaving my hiding place
but for a few minutes in the dead of
night to get water, which was very
near. Thinking by this time l could
venture out, began to go about in the
night and eavesdrop the houses in the
neighborhood, pursuing this course for
about a fortnight, and gathering little
or no intelligence, afraid of speaking
to any human being, and returning
every morning to my cave before the
dawn of day.
81 know not how long 1 might have
led this life if accident had not be
trayed me. A dog in the neighborhood
passing by my hiding-place one night
while l was out, was attracted by
some meat 1 had in my cave, and
craw1ed in and stole it, and was CON-
ing out just as l returned. A few
nights after, two negroes having
started to go hunting with the same
dog passed that way, the dog came
again to the place, and having just
gone out to walk about, discovered me
and barked, on which, thinking my
self discovered spoke to them to beg
concealment. On making myself
known they fled from me. Kn owing