Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1896-03-17


talon Of home guards, to which oul
captors belonged, was billeted ON the
father of the Hoopers. and some Of hi,
men were Of the party Of the execution
ers. That night we formed a jovial circle
in front Of the fire in the Hooper kitch
en-. Major Parker was plying US with
apple jack. and James Hooper. bowed
with the weight of 70 years. was pacing
back and forth in the gloomy room out
side our circle thinking his own thoughts
Of the deed Of his sons that day.
Major Parker had himself been pris-
oner mt Johiison's island and treated the
Yankees with pompous consideration.
When we retired for the night, the citi-
zen prisoners were held in the kitchen,
and We officers were sent to beds in the
room above. Lieutenant Sill and slept
in cavernous feather bed alongside the
only window in the loft until we were
awakened by loud, angry voices in the
room below. The sunlight was stream
ing in through the little sash, and we
heard the major telling some one that
no had just ten minutes To live and rec
ommeDding him to make haste in pre-
pairing his dying message to the loved
ones at home.
We sprang up, and hurrying ON our
clothes descended to see what was the
matter. The major met US ut the door
as smiling and aifable as if nothing had
occurred to ruiile his sweet temper
and babe us go out to the branch and
wash The three Georgians were before
US and so agitated at the turn Of affairs
that we found it difficult to get any in.
telligible statement from them.
Headen and his prosecutors were now
coming in from the orchard, where,
with harness rein about his neck, they
had swung him up three times TO a
beam in an old barn. Each time, after
he had sufficiently recovered from the
verge of strangulation, they piled him
for information, against which he reso-
lutely closed his lips.
At the breakfast table we three lin
gered behind the guards and found op-
portunity to tell the women Of our So
journ with their relatives in Cashiers
valley. When we joined the others in
front Of the house. the convoy Of prison
ers was about starting for Webster, the
county seat of jackson. Headen was
lashed by the arm to Tigue, the old
Georgian. Lieutenant Cogdill, with two
mounted guards, was to have us in
charge, and so away we marched in the
early morning across the fields TO ford
in the south fork of the Tuckasegee,
just above the junction Of the two
streams over in u dugout to the Webster
road.
II my statement varies in detail from
the abridged account of the same events
published in The Century Magazine of
October, 1890, il is because | have been
OH the ground since, and the Barratfons
are corrections. Fer instance, / found
had reported one tco few in the Headen
family bed and one less than we saw Of
the murdered Watsons.
All day the road wound along the
bank Of the river, sometimes the noun
tain on the right, high and rocky. and
sometimes opening out into success
sion Of gentle hills. The Yankees were
on the hest Of terms with the guards,
the lieutenant even advising Us to make
our escape IN soon rs We passed out Of
his hands.
1t il little before noCl. The convoy
is strung out on the rood. Lieutenant
Sill il riding one Of he horses, with the
guard at the rear The Vincents are
far up the road and Headen and Tigue
close behind them. Suddenly u voice
rings out on the stiffness Of the woods:
Catch him Catch him! He's gone
He's goner And on rise in the road
stands Tigue, the pusillanimous. roar
ing like a bull for fear he will be pun
ished for the escape of Headen, who has
whipped ont his knife and cut the
strap and fled up mountain trail.
There are much shouting and hard rid.
ing and some profane encouragement TO
the guards from man who was skin
ming deer Oh the opposite bank Of the
river. but Headen was no longer of our
party.
The rest Of US were lodged safely for
the night in Webster Jail. Miss Lizzie
Harris and another girl, friends Of Cog
dill, paid Us visit in the evening and
invited select few Of us 10 a venison
breakfast. Sill and /. accompanied by
Lieutenant Cogdill, enjoyed the young
ladies hospitality and made ourselves
as merry as possible under the circum'
stances
A light snow had fallen in the night,
Just frosting the soft mud, and when
we pulled out for the days march the
cold slusb swan through my broken
shoes. That night Lieutenant Cogdill
handed MS over TO the authorities at
Qualatown, took his receipt for Us and
babe us goodby and godspeed like an
old friend.
We remained here confined in an old
building over one stormy day, leaving
for Asheville at noon Of the I'd OF Janu-
ary with a guard consisting of three
white men and four Indians.
At night we arrived at the house OF
Colonel Bryson, where like conveys
made a regular stopping place. holding
the prisoners in an unused wing Of the
house. 1t so happened on this occasion
that party Of refugees was in occupa-
tion Of our quarters, and we were direct
ed to barn at a little distance up the
road. We had brought uncooked beef
and meal with US, and while two Of the
guards entered the house for cooking
utensils and fire the whole tired line
lounged on the dooryard fence.
1t was already growing dark when the
men came out, one Of them swinging
burning brand, and we struggled down
to the barn and built fire. When We
had got thus far in our preparations for
the night, q negro appeared to tell Us
that the colonel thought il would rain
and advised US to return TO the corn
house opposite the dwelling. As we
were climbing the fence back to the road
missed Sill and Lamson, and soon
their absence was discovered by the
guard. The Indians were started ont in
pursuit, but soon returned empty hand
ed. When we had been lounging on the
fence OH our arrival, Sill and Lamson
had found themselves on the extreme
right Of the line, while ! was down by
the gate. There was nothing to hinder
their slipping away under cover Of the
thicket at the end Of the yard, and they
had long start before they were missed.