The National tribune., 1897-08-05
A BRAVE CHARACTER.

Capt. Fry first saw service in the Mexican
war, and was n man of fine stature and great
muscular power-brave as lion, yet tender
and sympathetic as a child to those in need
OF distress He organized company of his
Union Deiahbors and led them through tie
mountains of Kentucky. On the assurance
Of help by the Union Generals in Kentucky,
he consented to make trip back to East
Tennessee, for the purpose Of destroying i'm
pertant lines of railroad communication and
rallying the Union men. 1t WAS an srdu-
GUS and dangerous undertaking. Had he
been promptly helped, as seemed possible
ut that time, he would have saved much of
the suffering and persecution endured by
the people OF that State, and given strong
element to the Union cause which was mur-
dered, driven Off or forced into the rebel
army or prisons. AS it was, he was left to
his fate almost unaided. The rebels concern
trated strong armed force, and while Fry
was conducting body of Union refugees to
Kentucky he was attacked by superior
force, and, after brave fight, he was
wounded aud captured, and had the daily
assurance from his c:tptors that he would
quit this world at the end Of rope-an
assurance be had no reason to doubt the
ultimate fulfiffment of. He was Of iues,i-
wss good man in "close emergency as
Will he seen hereafter.
As has been previously mentioned. only
eight Of our party, including Andrews, had
gone through the form of trial; bat at one
time during our stay at Chattanooga, when
our hopes were quite high that we should
be pareled or exchanged like other prison.
ers, most of the men had consented that
uff fwn nd trio ha
rest would accept the verdict adjudged by
the court, and abide the decision the same
as if all had been tried. We could see no
reason why there should be any difference
in the verdict in each case, except for
Andrews and, possibly, Brown, the en-
gineer, i'll case they found him out. After
wards this looked like a trap, into which
we had been drawn when we had been led
to hope for lenient treatment.
Ii viii be readily observed that we were
new in q state OF doubt and suspense well
nigh intOlerable. Neither could we get any
information as to how OF when we were to
be disposed OF. We had no friend no law
yer, no counselor, and from day to day
CROPPED along in this wearing, trying uncer-
tainty. We had not been tried, nor had we
any reason TO believe that they intended to
give us trial; yet, why had they not exc
cuted us with the rest of our comrades, who
were guilty of no greater Or less offense than
ourselves?
We watched every movement and every
word that was spoken, to learn, if possible,
what the next step in our eases would prob
ably be. OF their intention to execute us
we had no doubt. Thus time dragged on
week after week. We resorted to every
kind of amusement we could think of to
keep our minds from getting into state of
despondeney. Card-playing We had ban
ished from our midst since the execution of
our comrades, but we played checkers on a
board cut on the floor, engaged in discus
sions, talked about the war, it's final out
come, its results upon the country, what
would 10 done with the rebels, their prop
erty, etc.