The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-05-13

man. l was very hungry and tired, and
felt great qualification on seating myself Mt
table so bountifully supplied with substan-
tial eatables, so tempting to hungry man.
ate heartily, and said but few words.
There was a rather genteel, smooth-look-
ing man at the table whose presence aud
appearance did not exactly understand. /
could not at first make out whether he be-
longed to the place or not, but soon discov-
cred that he was stranger. / kent dis
Greet tongue, and learned by-and-by that
the stranger too was on his way to Chatta-
| nooga. He inquired particularly concern
ing the roads, and very infinitely in regard
to the Yankees Thesold man told him that
ne had never seen n Yankee nor heard of any
being nearer than the coal banks at the mount
aims. The stranger seemed quite uneasy
lest he should fall into Yankee hands, and
was evidently no lover OF the horrible
"Yanks."
Next morning, in good season. we were
ready to continue our journey, and the
stranger became one of our travelling COM
panioDs. He did not long continue with US,
however as we took road that was sup
posed to come in close proximity to the
Federal lines. He now took me one side
and proposed to give me $40 to pilot him
over the mountains. He told me he was a
spy, acting in the employ of the Confederate
Government. My mind was now thrown
into
CLOUD OF DOUBT AND PERPLExITY
as to what was the proper thing to do. AT
times had a mind to accept his offer and
go as guide with him until had a chance
to lose him or get separated from him. He
might, in case he had seen reason to suspect
US, get to Chattanooga in advance Of US and
cause our arrest and imprisonment.
was at no little loss what to DO. At one
time / had concluded to go with him until
we could reach some secluded place and
there treat him 10 the fate of a spy and
enemy of my country-a fate he deserved,
as l knew he was Carrying important news
to the Confederates. But, on the orther
hand, if / did this it might detain me so
long that / would fail to be on time TO dis
charge my part in the service for which
had been detailed. We finally let him go
his road and we went ours. When we
arrived in Chattanooga he was the first man
we met and he, supposing US to be friends
treated us with great c0rdiality and invited
Us to 20 with him and have something"
but it was nearly train time and we had
reasons for politely declining, not caring to
make his further acquaintance. This was
stranger and Confederate spy.
We reached the north bank of the
Tennessee River, opposite Chattanooga, on
Friday, the 18th, one day behind the time
agreed upon with Gen. Mitchell, and were
compelled to wait for some time for the
wind to subside SO that the ferry-boat-a
little. crazy, frail affair-could carry us
safely across. At length, however, we had
the satisfaction of landing safe and sound in
Chattanooga, where we found we had been
preceded by most of the party.
We went to the depot and purchased
tickets to Marietta, Georgia. Some of the
party purchased several tickets, SO that
there would not be so many of rs at the
office at once. Everything thus far appeared
to work finely. We all secured our tickets,
went aboard the train, and no one seemed to
pay any attention to as. This was great
relief to us. We took seats in the cars and
were soon moving off into Dixie at good
rate of speed. felt that this was a much
easier and more expeditions way of getting
on than the tedious, tiresome march of the
previous four days.
After getting seated, and there being no
further cause of concern for the time being,
began to carefully study over the situa-
ton with all the thought could, and to
calculate our chances of success or failure,
and the result of my deliberations was by
no means encouraging.
We were one day behind the time ap-
pointed. ! knew, too, or felt sure, that Gen.
Mitchell would not fail to march upon and
take Huntsville, according to the arrange
ments made with US when we started. /
also felt certain that if he did SO there
would be little room to hope for our success.
1t would cause the road to be crowded with
trains flying from danger, and it would be
difficult for us to pass them all In safety.
But it was too late now to change the pro-
gram. We must make the effort, come what
might. / said nothing, however, to any one
except Andrews; but on listening to my
opinion on the situation he encouraged me
by saying there was yet good chance to
succeed. Indeed, he expressed himself in
so sanguine manner that made no further
argument; but l still thought my course of
reasoning correct, whether the result would
accord with it or not.
We left Chattanooga little while before
sunset, and arrived at Marietta soon after
midnight, distance of 100 miles. We at
once repaired to the nearest hotel and regis
tered, of course giving fictitious names.
Before retiring arrangements were made to
have the hotel men awake us in time for the
north-bound train in the morning, which
they promised to do without fail.
No man knows what day may bring
forth; and this very uncertainty of what
tho light of that days sun would bring forth
in our particular cases was the reason some
of us, myself, at least, of the number, did
not sleep very much.
Our doom might be fixed before the set
ting of another sun. We might be hanging
to the limb of some Of the trees along the
railroad, with an enraged populace jeering
and shouting epithets and vengeance be-
cause we had no more lives to give up; or,
we might leave trail of fire and destruc-
tion behind u.s. and come triumphantly roll
ing into Chattanooga and Huntsville, within
the Federal lines, to receive the welcome
plauiits Of comrades left behind, and the
thanks of our General and the praises of a
grateful people. Such thoughts as these
passed in swift review, and were not well
calculated to make one sleep soundly.
But even this broken rest was not to con-
tinue long. The two or three hours soon
slipped by and we were called and notified
to "hurry up or we would be left" Two of
our men who lodged at other houses, Porter
and Hawkins, by some mistake, were not
called, and were left, so that only 90 of us
took the train. This was serious loss, for
Hawkins was the most experienced engineer
of the party, and he was the one selected to
take charge Of the engine but it is not
likely that the result of the expedition would
haor, y, t,vo tIpa