The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1897-10-12

mRrauders, plundered the homes Of
soldiers, their former neighbors, now
OF in the Confederate army, driving
away their cattle, appropriating their
supplies, and at times numbering the
men too old OF boys two young to be in
the service, or any-unfortunate soldier
who, with or without a. furlough, had
slipped through the lines to make a
hurried visit to the wife and children
or parents from whom he had long
been separated.
OF these marauders ''oId" Ben Har-
ris was the acknowledged chief and
leader. In all the annals Of crime
probably no mor cold blooded, heart
less and inhuman brute ever trod the
earth. He lived near Vienna on Paint
Rock river, fifteen miles from my
fathers home, and of course knew the
roads and paths and trails throughout
this section, and the lost ferries''* on
the Tennessee.
He was invaluable as a guide to the
Union soldiers. He knew Buck Is
land" too, as will appear, and what l
am about to relate is only one of the
many bloody deeds of this bloody viii
lRin.
My witness is Mr. Q L Hardcastle,
who now lives near Gurley's, a station
on the Memphis and Charleston rail
road. Few men have had such q
thrilling experience as this man, and
fewer would wish to repeat it.
I knew the Rodens, all of whom
were killed, and the fact of their muir
der is well known to everyone in and
about this place as Hardcastle was
also shot and feft for dead and survived
this frightful ordeal; I hunted him up in
1892, and had him write me his story.
It is this:
ION the Dist of December, 1868 I
was at home on furlough. Ny people
at that time were living in Marshall
county, Ala, on the northern side of
the Tennessee river. About ten days
before the expiration of my leave of
absence we were alarmed by the sud
den appearance in our neighborhood of
the notorious Ben Harris and his band
Of marauders. Knowing that if we
were caught we would in all probable
ity share the fate of many others who
had been killed by this murderer, l.,
together with James r. Roden and
Porter R0den, sought refuge ON Buck
Island, where Ben Roden had already
driven his cattle, and constructed a
rude cabin for the shelter of himself
and family in case Of necessity, and in
order to prevent his cattle from being
stolen by various parties of foragers.
At this place of concealment we Were'
Joined by old Ben Roden himself short
ly after we arrived there. We re-
manned here in supposed security until
the morning of December %, when,
about 2 O'Clock, we were aroused from
our sleep by knocking at the door and
a demand for our surrender. To our
dismay, we fCnad that we were in the
hands of Ben Harris.
He demanded to know the place
where we had concealed u boat, and
we we're promised our lives if we would
aid him and his men In raising the boat,
which we had sunk, and ferrying the
stock from the island to the north bank
of the river. He was accompanied by
a squadron Of men in the uniform of
the United States cavalry {
latter we had accomplished this
work we were taken a few hundred
yards down the river bank, and we're
then informed that we had to be shot.
1t 80 happened that Mr.. Roden had long
been acquainted with Captain Harris,
and he asked him to step aside that he
might speak with him privately; but
his plea for our lives was in vain.
When he returned he told us that our
case Was hopeless, and that we were
condemned to be shot, and we all then
saw that the object of Harris in shoot
ing us was TO prevent it being known,
when the war might be over, that he
had taken cattle and property belong
that if any Of us wanted to pray, we
could do so, and that if we had any
thing that we wished to send to
people, they would take it to them for
any of US. Porter Roden gave them
several things to carry back to his
wife and little children. I have since
learned that they lever gave these
things to the widow they had made.
TN looking back over this horrible
experience it still seems to me the pray
er Porter Roden made for himself, and