Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1896-03-24

Yellow mountain. aud the JOY they
would feel in tLo better fortune OF 1y
companions were enough TO nerve me on
if I had been much more weary than /
was.
ran rather than walked over the lev
ell road through the woods, and three
times | came upon fords Of the same
broad riyulet Removing my shoes and
stockings and rolling up my trousers, l
waded into the first ford. Flakes Of
broken ice were eddying against the
banks, and before reaching the middle Of
the stream my feet ached with the cold,
the pain increasing at every step over
the sharp stones until threw my blaD
ket on to thu opposite bank and wrapped
my feet in its dry folds. Rising little
knoll soon after making the third ford,
came suddenly, i'll the moonlight, upon
the back Of Squire Hooper's house. IL
was scarcely more than O'Clock. and
found the family still up about the fire.
Together we rejoiced over the escape OF
Sill and Lamson and made merry over
my own vicissitudes.
My welcome was not less cordial than
had expected Every man / had met
in my travels the squire knew personal
ly and Of him had some anecdote to re-
late in return. The girls laughed ut my
mishaps and applauded my successes,
and when my story was told gave mo
news Of the departure of Headeu and old
Tom Hancock and along with them
Captain Knapp, bound for Tennessee.
staid in the valley under Big and
Little Sheep cliff only until it was late
enough in the evening Of the following
day to pick my way up the trail to the
Headeu cabin ON Yellow mountain.
The next evening Aunt Betsy Headen.
now sole head If the house Of Heady,"
saddled her mare and rode over the snow
to put me III the company Of youth Of
the name OF Green, who was about
sterling 10 visit his uncle. at Shooting
Creek. which was settlement go miles
ON the road to Tennessee and within
| HlAUl VI lllt HI44- va ptbiSAa.
Ii was at the close Of the last nights
march. during which we had passed over
three snow capped ridges, that my black
smiths shoes. soaked 10 apulp NJ 10 the
soles, gave out altogether. With these
articles in my hand stood in my stock
ings on the frozen ground ON the crest
Of the last ridge. Stretching away into
| the west in the direction Of east Ten-
nessee was a wilderness Of mountains
drawn like huge furrows across my fu-
ture way, the pale gray Of the uttermost
ridges fading into an imperceptible
union with the clouds beyond. There
was single log house in view sending
up a perpendicular column Of smoke
from It's rock chimney, and here we
/ picked our way in search OF cobbler,
and found him, Of course, in country
where every family makes Its own
shoes.
As remember. we spent only two
| nights on the road, lying concealed III a
thicket Of laurel over the first day and
walking ON the second Just rs the sun
( was sinking out Of sight We arrived on
Chunky Gall" mountain overlooking
Shooting Creek.
"Thar, " said my guide, pointing to a
house in the valley, "is where my uncle
lives. and over there among the trees
that cabin with long roofs and the lean 10
that is Mrs. Kitchens, where l Will
take you.
Twas 10 find guides here who made it
their business 10 take parties Of officers
into sour lines, receiving 800 as fee
from each officer, the money 10 be paid
on arrival at the first pay station. Lieu
tenants Sill aud Lamson bad passed
| here. and one of their guides was In the
next valley. Going in search of him III
| the morning. I met two men with long
rifles crossing branch, and 10 my sur
prise one If them was wearing the snun
colored sack coat remembered so well as
belonging 10 Lieutenant Lamson. These
men were Ounce Edmonst@l and Mack
Hooper, and they turned about and took
me- 10 Edmonston cabin, telling me
/ that there were two other officers con
cealed near by. and that an expedition
would soon start for Tennessee under
/ their guidance.
The streams were so high, particular
! " the Valley river, which we had 10
! ere $. that il would be necessary 10 wait
a few days before starting. go Mack and
returned to Mrs. Kitchens.
Mrs Kitchens husband had been shot
in the first year Of the war while sailing
/ his cattle in the mountains. Her home
consisted Of two log houses united 10y
deep porch, the back side Of which was
occupied by the loom. One house was
the living and sleeping room and the
other was the kitchen. The family
owned two slaves, which We're the only
negroes saw in the mountains bond OF
free.
During the early part Of that winter
| Ounce Edmonston and guide OF the
name Of Birch had conducted party Of
officers safely to Nashville and had re
| ceived therefor 1000 in greenbacks.
The trip had been over the same trail
we intended to take. Reaching the
mountains on their return Birch deter
mined to 90 in by the road, having busi-
ness to attend to. Edmonston, after
demonstrating in vain, continued alone
over the trail. A few days thereafter
the body Of Birch was found on the road
minus the ears This particular mutila-
tion was the defiant mark Of band
calling themselves Texan rangers,
who were ip constant antagonism with
the company Of home guards to which
our guides belonged and which was com
manded by son Of the murdered Birch.
| Four Of the rangers soon after fell into
the hands of the Union company, and
Edmonston and Mack Hooper were
among the party detailed to take the
prisoners TO Jail, but with private in
structions Of very different nature.
Having proceeded few miles into the
mountains, well away from any settle
ment, the prisoners were drawn up in
line and shot. Their remains were
buried under driftwood after appropri-
ating the better articles Of their cloth
ing, and the report was spread abroad
that the prisoners had escaped.
While we were still waiting for the
Valley river to subside, Mack Hooper and
| l sat in Mrs. Kitchens living room on
a memorable Friday afternoon deploring
the continuance Of the rain, which was
falling in torrents outside. Mack was
| sitting hx the door oneninp into the