The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-06-17

4
door which opened into hole about four
feet square, which, during the occupancy OF
the house, had been used as a sort of cellar.
| Here we took up our quarters. He then went
to the house and brought out bundle Of
quilts for us TO lie on Henext told US to avoid
talking loud, and keep out of sight, in which
case we would be perfectly safe until he
could get an opportunity to pilot US safely
i out.
He told us that no human being would
| be apprised of our whereabouts, except his
wife, who was our friend, and would do as
much for our safety as himself. He then
| left us and went to the house, first telling
| us that he would visit US in the morning
and bring us rations. We fixed ourselves
very comfortably with the quilts, and al
though our bedroom would not admit of our
stretching our limbs out full length, we
doubled up and enjoyed very comfortable
| nights rest, something we had not done be-
fore for long time.
The next morning, Friday, we heard our
friend not far off calling and feeding his
pigs and not long after he quietly lifted OFT
board over the little cellar, when we put
out our heads, shook hands with him, and
took sniff Of the morning air. He carried
small basket, which seemed to contain
corn, which he passed down to us; but we
found our breakfast underneath the corn,
and after taking it out we replaced the corn
and gave him back the basket. He spoke a
few encouraging words to us, telling us we
must not get FESTIVE, but bide our time,
when he replaced the board, scattered some
straw over the old floor, and left u.s.
HOW WILL IT ALL END?
We had time and opportunity in this dark
little den to deliberate on the follies of the
past and build up hopes for the future
Our first and greatest anxiety was as to the
fate of our comrades, from whom we had
separated when we all jumped from the
train No one who has not been similarly
situated can realize the anxious thoughts
we had about them.
We had lain near by and heard the rattle
of musketry, the exultant shouts of the
pursuers and the baying of the dogs in hot
pursuit. It seemed impossible that all
should escape. Perhaps we alone had been
so fortunate. But who had been the un-
fortunate ones, and how had they met their
| fate? Perhaps some one more fortunate
than the rest had by this time reached our
| comrades in the regiment and told them of
the collapse Of our expedition and that
| some OF US were probably refugees In the
| mountains and our anxious friends at home
would thus get some tidings from which to
| form conjectures as TO our fate.
These were some of the thoughts that
| occupied our minds in the dark, dismal
little cellar. But thoughts Of a still more
weghty nature bore heavily upon us.
They were of the present and near future.
While we were talking in low tone of
voice, we heard footsteps on the ground and
soon after the board was lifted and some one
spoke 10 us in friendly voice. We put out
our heads, and there stood before u.s. with
the basket of corn, not our sworn friend OF
the night before, but his wife, the good,
true Union woman, to whom only day or
so before we had denied our country. 1t
would be impossible for me to describe my
feelings at that time in the presence Of that
noble, loyal patriotic woman. l felt that
we, men and soldiers as we were, had reason
to feel humiliation in her presence for hav-
ing doubted her word and her sincere pro-
fessons of loyalty and friendship.
81 knew" said she, that you were
Union men all the time, and am still ready
to make good my promise, to not only do all
/ can for you, but for the Union cause"
She told us that her husband had gone to
! assist neighbor about some work and left
us in her charge, and that she had brought
our dinner She spoke few words of en-
enlargement to US, and praised our daring
effort, as she termed it, to steal the railroad
away from the rebels, at the same time ex-
pressing her sorrow that we had not sue
ceeded, and that the Union army could not
before that time have taken possession OF
the country and driven the rebels out. By
this time we had taken our rations from the
basket and replaced the corn, and she re-
placed the board over us and scattered
straw about, as her husband had DONE and
left US.
In this way we remained secreted for sew
eral days. This delay was for several
reasons. In the first place, we were nearly
| disabled with sore feet from our night
marches in the mountains In the next
place. we knew that the longer the time