The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1897-11-19
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THE TRAGEDY OF BUCK ISLAND
BY JOHN A, WYETH.

BY JOHN y. " ETH.
In northern Alabama the Tennessee
River makes its great southern sweep.
On the map the outline of this pictur-
esuue stream is not unlike il era pe-vine
swing with one end tangled among the
mountains of Virginia and North
Carolina, and the other Topped over
the Ohio at Paducah.
The seat of the swing is in Marshall
county: for here, after fretting its way
for hundred of miles in and out among
the mountains of the Appalachian
range, tearing bold Lookout in twain
for daring to stretch his giant frame
across its path, baffled at last in its
wild rush to the Southern Gulf, and
seemingly broken in spirit, it turns
with slackened and reluctant flow
back to the north, where, with the
Ohio, it joins in common tribute to
tine Father of Waters.
Just in this bend of the river is a
group of islands varying in size from
one-half mile to as much as two
miles or more in length, and from one
quarter to onehalf of mile in
breadth. They are among the most
fertile of all the southern lands, re-
ceiving with each annual inundation,
when in early spring the SHOWS in the
northern mountains melt, a ricn al
luvial deposit; giving year after veal
back to the soil the elements which d
rank vegetation abstracts for its nu-
triton.
Buck island is one of this cluster,
and contains about eighty acres OF
ground. 1t Was named in honor of a
cunning old stag, which, i'll its dense
canebraker in the early settlement
of the country, long eluded death
from the huntSmau' rifle and hounds.
1t is now cleared and cultivated, pay
ing rich tribute in corn to the farmer :
industry. At the time of which /
write, however, it was almost wholly
covered with heavy forest of tall
oak, hickory and gum trees, of which
the leafy tops shut out the rays of the
sGuimer sun, while the soil from
which they sprung was hidden in IL
wilderness of cane from ten TO thirty
feet high. and so thick that i'll many
places a man could not penetrate unless
with axe or hunting knife he cut his
way. In the early days, when the
frosts killed the gra Sses Oh the uplands
the farmers drove their cattle into
these islands for winter pasturage,
where, upon the rich perennial cane,
tSey fattened until the freshets OF
spring forced them again to the high
er ground for safety.
In 1864 the storm of war struck
North Alabama. 1t found it para
disc of plenty, and left it a wasted,
blackened and desolate land. None
but those. who knew the fertile and
beautiful VALLEY of the Tennessee
in the days of the old regime, when its
prosperity was marvel, when its
hillsides were burdened with fruit and
foliage, and the vast plantations were
white with snowy cotton or yellow
tasseling corn, and then revisited il
after AppomattoX, can realize the
change which had transpired.
As / rode through the valley. early
in 1865. it seemed one vast burying
ground of the hopes, the happiness
and the wealth of people once pros
porous. From a single elevation
counted the chimneys of seven differ
ent plantation homes, standing like
Sravestoneg over the ashes that were
heaped about them.
Now and then passed farm house
which had escaped the general ruin
and more frequently a rude shanty
but recently adjusted to chimney
several sizes too tall for it. or a cabin
constructed of small logs, and covered
with split boards held on the roof by
weight poles in lieu of nails. Fences
and pailings were gone, and over fields
and gardens and yards stretched al
almost unbroken tangle of weeds and
briars. Nor was the town exempt
Within a radius of thirty miles, Gun
tersville, Vienna, Woodyille, Cam
den, Larkinsville, Bellefonte, Steven
son. Scottsboro and Ciaysville, al
thriving towns, were wiped out by
fire. And, saddeSt of all came untime
ly and undeserved death to many un
armed, helpless, and innocent citizens
for the most cruel and most uncivil Of
all things is civil war.
There were among the poorest anC
most illiterate class in northern Ala
bama a goodly number who, while moi
caring whether the Union was to bt
maintained or not, were very particu
lar in keeping out of the Confederate
service. They held it was a slave
holders war, and as they never owned
and never expected to own slave
they did not see why they should de
any of the fighting.
When the CONSUMPTION laws were en-
forced they lodged the enrolling of
ficers, and when pressed too closely
thew left their homes and hid out il
the mountains and caves, or in TIN
canebrakes in the valley. When tn,
| forces were driven out of this section
and their cause was waning, thes,
fugitives came out of their hiding
places, took sides with the Fedora
! soldiers, went with them as scouts o
guides, or on their own responsibility,
organized bands of cut-throats ant
marauders, plundered the homes o
soldiers, their former neighbors, nov
off in the Confederate army, driving
away their cattle, appropriating thei
! supplies. and at times numbering tn
men TOO old or boys too young to b
in the service, or any unfortunat
soldier, who, with or without fuI
Tough, had slipped through the line
TO make hurried visit to the wife an,
children or parents from whom he ha,
long been separated.