The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1896-08-27
REMINISCENT.
FURTHER LIGHT ON SENATOR HAIR
RHs' FLIGHT INTO MEXICO.


When the war ended commanded the
Kentucky brigade of Forests Cavalry
and when found surrender was inevi'
table. left my brigade and other COM
manas Of Forests Cavalry at Prairie
Station. on the Mobile & Ohio Railroad.
near Columbus, Miss. and With my ne
gro servant "a Federal soldier my COM
mand had captured) rode to Grenada.
Miss, where I found Gen. Marcus ].
Wright, of Tennessee. in command. 1
called on Gen. Wright. and when he
learned I was making my way to Mex
leo. he told me that Gov. Isham G. Har-
ris was then in the country near Fort
Pemberton. or Greenwood, known to the
farmer and family with whom he was
stopping only as Maj. Green, and that
he would be very glad to join me on
my trip to Mexico. as Gov. Brownlow. Of
Tennessee. had offered $1,000 for Gen.
Harris body or head.
In following Gen. Wright's directions,
had no difficulty In finding Maj. Green,
alias I. q. Harris. The Governor ap-
peared very much pleased at meeting
me, and very readily agreed to accom-
pany me to Mexico. By agreement with
him went to Greenwood, had a row
boat constructed large enough, as the
Governors story says, ito accommodate
four men, etc." and notified the Gov
ernor that was ready to move. AS he
failed TO put In his appearance at the
hour promised, was on the point Of
leaving him when 1 received a note
from him promising to report In per-
son In short time.
A Mississippi soldier, Harris by name.
who lived in the then overfiowed valley
Of the Mississippi River, and who In
tended making his way home in canoe,
appeared at Greenwood and agreed to
guide the Governor and me to his home,
and assist us In securing guides from
there to the Arkansas shore of the Mis-
| sissippi River. The Mississippi River
| was then nearer eighty than forty
miles wide.
! The Governor with his negro servant
Rau, arrived as promised and we COM
menced our voyage. sold my horses al
Greenwood. After crossing the Yazoc
! River we had to pull our boats shor
distance by hand over muddy GROUND
to reach the backwater. When afloa
1 found Gov. Harris and my servan
could not pull the oars and Rau and
could never teach them to do so, 81
Rau (the Governors servant) and dit
all the rowing. did teach the Governo
to steer our boat, an accomplishment o
which he was very proud. We made tn,
trip to Mr.. Harris house without Incl
dent except that one night we failet
to reach house and were compelle,
to sleep supperless in our boats.
I have no recollection of the romantic
incident related by the Governor O
hearing shrill cry, ETC., and finding
a solitary man prisoner on log, etc.
but / know we did not take any on,
into our boat.
I
house of Mr.. Harris, who proved to b
distant relative of the Governors
when party from the west bank o
the Mississippi River reported at tn
house, and we secured the services O
one of them as a guide across the river
Just as we reached the levee Of the rive
in an open field, late in the evening,
Federal gunboat appeared, COMM
down the river, which excited us YER
much, especially the Governor, but sh
passed without noticing US. AS tn
wind was strong and the waves higl
we camped on the levee that night, Lu
were careful to have as little light a
possible The top of the levee wa
about eighteen inches out Of waite
Next morning we crossed the river an
in the backwater found logger's CAM
where, as we had had neither suppt
nor breakfast, and were hungry, we al
piled for something to eat. The loi
gers reported that they had nothing
, eat, and when we stated that corn brea
and bacon, under the circumstance
J would be great relief, one Of them r.
piled: HI and d--n nation; that's {
good as we ever have, and Is goc
enough for anybody"
When we reached the mainland
Arkansas, we bought horses and mul,
to ride and pack our bedding and can
equippage. We found we were fe
. miles below Napoleon, Ark. We tra'
eled through Arkansas into Louisian
and then into Texas. I found wi
the only one who could pack our be-
ding, ETC., on our mules, and this I d
until I taught Rau. learned
pack mules when an officer of the Uni
ed States army, and on expeditions ov
; the plains of Washington, Idaho al
z Montana. A few days after we left II
|. bank of the Mississippi River Me
Green, alias 1. G. Harris, found an a
s ticle in a newspaper to the effect tn
e Maj. Green, supposed to be Gov 1.
n Harris, in company with Gen. III.
y Lyon, had few days before crossed t
= Mississippi River"
This made the Mayor uneasy, and
- his request, I was known to persons '
met afterwards as Capt. Hyland. '
stopped one night with an intellige
:, ! divine, who after listening to M
Green talk some time, said to him:
O. can name your profession" What
II it?" said the Major you are a la