The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-07-01

What Wood told them, or how well he made
his story appear, / do not know, but with
ont doubt the poor fellow was entrspped
and confused.
NV thoughts and feelings during the time
while / was awaiting my turn to undergo
their thorough cross questioning can better
he imagined than described. l saw plainly
that we were fairly in their clutches-that
there was no use of hoping further. After
all our hardships, and after getting back to
within seven miles of Gen. Mitchei's picket
posts, to I've picked up and confronted with
these spy charges, supported by some damn
ing circumstances against us-enOugb, at
least, to lead to our fual deieciion-was
enough to drive anyone to thoughts of des-
peration.
As Wood came in he whispered to nae and
said g. No use TO deny it; they've found out
by some means" was at once ordered out,
and now confronted by Gen. Leadbetter.
He asked me if l knew anything about
Andrews or The party that had been with
him. / had determined 10 admit nothing,
to deny everything, and to avoid saying
anything which might possibly Conflict with
what Wood might have said-in fact, l
meant to say but little.
AN INSULTING CAPToR.
When, therefore, denied any knowledge
OF Andrewss party, he looked at me as
though he would look clear through me,
then burst out in towering passion, and
said:
Will you stand up here and tell such a
lie as that? you internal scoundrei!-you
abominabie Yankee vagabond! Now speak
the truth. siri"
/ had been looking him straight in the eye
from the moment he began speaking to me.
/ now felt that degree of reckless despera-
ton that i had never felt before, which was
intensified by his singing insult and over
bearing manner. He addressed me as if
had been a slave or a cowardly mental.
Though / was perfectly self-contrOlled, l
felt the hot blood coursing to my brain, and
my hair seemed to be rising on end. l was
in frame Of mind to do nything. Thoughts
of murder flashed through my brain. /
took my eyes from the old rebel villain for
an instant, and cast hasty glance around
for a club or something, with which l in
tended instantly to brain him. ] called on
bis men to throw me club, anything with
which / could teach their "sand-lapping
Brigadier how to speak to gentleman, and
also to give him chance to practice sword
exercise at the same timen did not deign
/ heaped every opprobrious epithet on his
head that / could think of. He was an
overbearng, mean officer, and believe his
men would have rejoiced, and willingly
have helped me to something to have ended
his miserable life if they had dared to do
| so. He saw that / was bent on mischief,
| for he kept his eyes on me some moments,
and then spoke out and said:
Men don't you take your eyes off of that
man, or he will go through the whole mess
of you. He's a hard case.n
The next time he spoke to me he had
| changed his tone very much, and addressed
me as one man ordinarily should another
/ He took paper from his pocket and read
our names, John A. Wilson and Mark
Wood" and asked me if knew either of
them. / said did not.
IDENTIFICATION COMPLETE.
He pretended to be astonished, and said 1:
1t is a strange thing that you do not know
them. / will tell you who they are. Mark
Wood is in the guard-tent yonder, and John
| A. Wilson is standing before me. You need
not deny it any more. We have men who
saw you on the train, and would know you
any place. Your comrade has had to ac-
knowledge it, and so will you"
| well" l said, you can have it as you
please. am a prisoner, and you have the
power, and see you have also the DISPOSE
ton, to convict me, whether innocent or
guilty"
was cent back to the guard-tent, but we
did not stay there long. The train that was
to take us to Chattanooga soon arrived, to
which we were conducted under Q strong
guard, and were soon on our way back to
| Chattanooga. The very thought of that
place oppressed me. dreaded to 60 back