The National tribune., 1897-12-23
h(l.&Z
laalI XZxhere 1hG
S'ialu1el blooms
- ........And Men and Women
Live Near Natures Heart.
Live Near Natures Heart.
Ru John McELROY.

O. runnin' t. ketch up t. they'uns," said Pol
lock with grin.
~ should not wonder" returned the Gen
eral with grave smile. But have so fal
found your legs the longest in my command
and if any men can catch up with them you
can"
''Thankee, .Jineral," they said in chorus
their faces reddening at the compliment.
'We'uns air used = chasin' wild varmlnts
over The mountings, and if anybody KIN
ketcl skeered rebels we reckon we uns kin. y
They immediately crossed the river and
| began the longest hardest journey yet.
! Weeks before, when they had been over in
the sane county, it was swarming with In
solent, ewaggering rebels, whom they had to
constantly travel around, avoid, hide from,
and watch. The people were terrorized.
Now the only ones to be found were
wounded, sick, and exceedingly disspirited
ones, given grudging food and shelter by the
outraged and dcspoied people. The retreat
| ing horde had taken away every horse, steer,
COW, or hog they could lay their rrs,r--,- on,
| all the meat and meal the people had III Their
houses and even their clothing.
| The rebel advance had been oppression and
spoliation, the retreat had been devastation.
They'uns wuz wuss'n the 17-year locus
ses, F" said one old mountaineer I've done
seed the locusses They only eat green things
in the fields an long the roads But them
e'er Owdashus rebels done ct up slick and
clean everything that WIZ in the sm0ke-house,
an the meal bin, and on the hoof They 'uns
even cheated the crows outen ole Eph Snoggss
pore COW, that's bin on the lift for weeks, an
the crows settin' round on the fence waitin'
fur her t die. Alter that the crows all left
this part O. the country. They done seed
4 1,,
plantin' time comes agn. ] wish WIZ a
crow myself I'd fly away t wlar thar's
some grub Thar amt nary mite left be-
tween the Cumberland River an tie mount
ings."
To add to the distress Of the people, the
rude little mills on which they relied to
grind their grain had been burned, through
spite, and those who were fortunate enough
to save a little corn could only make it eat
able by boiling it with wood ashes to remove
the shells of the kernels and convert it into
"lyc-hominy.
For three days Pollock and his companions
followed the rebel trail, but 60 as fast az they
could they could never gain the days start
which the enemy had. I he army had broken
up into little squads each taking the shortest
cuts which would lead them back to the
shelter of the Cumberland Mountains. In
spite OF their own necessities the Tennessee
ans had divided the rations they had brought
in their hayersacks with the people of the
country until they were reduced to scanty
and uncertain meals of lye-hominy and
parched corn. They met men coming back
from scores of miles ahead, who were making
their way toward the river to get little
food for themselves and families. These told
the same stories Of the conditions whence they
had Il 3
more ravenously hungry the farther they
went, and devonripg every particle of food to
be found.
''Thar's no use o. we'uns gwine any
further said Pollock, sorrowfully. at the
end Of the third days toils0me travel
= Hltil be the same a hundred miles from
here, only wuss Weuns'll only starve
without dom 10 good, nor gittin' no Informal
ton. he men comm in tell US all that
we'uus kin hope t find out by gwine ahead
ourselves. Les go back t Jineral Thomas,
and report -
They filled their hayersacks with parched
corn and started to return
g" Your report confirms all that have heard
from other sources" said the General.
" though you have been farther and reported
more accurately than any of the Others If
we could only move it would be golden OBJ
portunity for going into Tennessee But the |
army would staryc i'll that country. We
never could get the wagons over those roads.
and there would be absolutely no forage for |
the animals. We shall have to wait until |
Spring.
be hearts Of the Tennessecans sank.
Janyooary, Febyouary, March, ApriIe.D
said Pollock, counting Oh his fingers. YES. |
hit'll be the last of Aprle afore the mud |
dries up, and thar's any grass More'n three
months for cur people t. suffer"
1t is distressing, ] know" said the Cen
eral alphabetically But it seems I'M |
avoidable. We can fight their armies, but |
the powers Of Nature are at present against !
us"
"Jenycoary, Febyouary March, Aprile,~
repeated Pollock slowly What air we 'uns |
gwinc L do all tLat time?"
That's easier settled" said the General |
hopefully. There are places where the
roads are better the mud not so deep, and
food plentiful, where we can do some coed
work and We are now ready to do it, There
will be plenty to do before April"
The first news of their overwhelming de-
feat was brought into Tennessee by the rebels
themselves.
One cold, stormy night the dogs rushed
out from the lnrulc house with more than
usual camor. Above their clamor could be
heard the voices of several men calling,
" ililo the house thar. Show light
+ Since the departure of Col. Rhea and his
egiment for Kentucky the Inrules had been
mpaTatlvely free from rebel prosecutions
and Robert Inrule and his SONS had ventured
TO return TO sleeping in the house though