Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1897-09-25

and northern Arkansas survive him.
Col. Newman said that he was first at
tracted to Mr.. Allsup by reading the
brief biography referred to.
This remarkable statement attract
ed my attention." said Col Newman,
"and 1 hunted the old fellow up, and
asked him what it all meant. 1 had
rendered him a little favor once, and
being a Tennesseean myself (you know
Tcnnesseeans are clannish), succeed
ed in obtaining further particulars
from him. Here is about the way he
told his story to me, as now recall it:
'It is true that l was captured by
Gen. Shelby's men as federal spy. 1
tried to conceal my identity under the
guise of an ignorant old farmer, but it
didn't work. Compromising papers
were found in my possession, which
proved that 1 was spy beyond ques-
ton. This happened in the vicinity of
Little Rock. L well knew the penalty
\ drum-head cGurt-martial followed
al was sentenced TO be shot just out
side the camp at Little Rock.
'As the guard was taking me away
from Gen. Shelby's tent, Capt. Dick
Collins, Shelby's gallant chief of artil-
lery, came in and said to the general
that he had found splendid horse for
his battery in the government tan
yard, working in the bark mill. He
said it was very light work and a
brolzen-down mule could pull the beam.
Gen. Shelby at once called the guard
| hDnl- and in +r11nta6 tha Sp1Hiarc n "a lra
me down to the tan yard, rig up a set
of harness of some kind and put me to
work and turn the horse over to Capt.
Collins. The order was strictly obeyed.
The soldiers tied the backband of the
harness to me, and worked all winter
grinding tanbark. The work was easy,
! but very monotonous. Round and
round went all day. A soldier was
on guard with a rifle in his hands to
see that didn't strike for higher wages
or seek a change of climate for my
health, but, all things considered, L was
treated fairly well.
'The confederates would come around
and poke their fun at me sometimes.
One said he believed that old Hoss,
as was called, had the bolts; another
one observed that old Hoss' was about
to lose his off shoe, and then 1 was
given a new pair. One old fellow said
he believed 1 had a sore neck and sug-
gested that a leather collar in place of
the shuck one l wore would prove bene-
fetal. He also advised a good feed of
oats. All these suggestions Were made
in good humor.
sssTha lit+1a oopcoript uybO +ba
bark mill was very kind to me, and
would work in my place occasionally
when the guard was not around. But
he was caught one day, and the guard
called the corporal, with this eXplana-
ton:
"'Here's this derned little faxen-
name colt that amt half broke work.
ing in place of Old Belshazzar. He will
run away and break the mill / was
put back to work.
81 do not know just why the guard
changed my name to Belshazzar. 1t
was his duty to put on my Szrrsse.
which consisted of belt around my
waist and two straps over my .Sh2gl-
ders, and then L was hitched 20 the
single-tree; the guard would click to
me, as if l were in reality horse, and
tell me he would give me good feed
at night and also good currying down
in the morning if l worked well.
"All this was fun enough for the
confederates, and had no particular
reason to complain, and it was prefer
able to being led out and shot as a spy.
In this way ground tanbark all win
ter, and in the spring Gen. Shelby ex-
| changed me,".St, Louis Republic