The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-09-29
AMONG THE
CUERRILLAS.
An Unpleasant Situation and
a Discovery.
BY LIN c. JONES.

That what am going TO relate may be
fully understood. it is necessary to state
in the beginning that at the breaking OUT
Df the late war had an elder brother, 1C
years my senior. residing in North Caro-
lima. After the first shot had been fred
on Fort Sumter, and though | was not
Ahen II years OIL, enlisted in an Illinois
regiment of inf@lt-.r. | had frequent let
tiers from hom" bat no tidings cam .
Through them OF laT Southern brother or
his family, Tor l." had q vie and one
daughter, who 2 t12t time was Ia years
old
A few days after Gen. Sherman severed
ell communications with the North and
started from Atlanta for Savannah / had
charce OF detail of 20 men, engaged in
fearing up portion OF the Georgia Central
Railroad near 0geechee Church.
While al this work a rail of the track fell
on nv right foot which for the time being
put further marching on my part out of the
question. The result OF the injury re-
ceiyed from this accident made me a
sorage master at the head of 40 of the
5raveSt men in our regiment, well mount
ed, and armed with Henry lilies. All
Anow that foraglng was the most danger
Gus service connected with that cam
paign. la order to secure provisions for
our regiment we were often compelled to
scour the country from 10 to 20 miles
away from our regular line of march; con-
sequently hardly day passed that we
did not have some exciting bout with the
enemy's scouting parties, who were under
orders 20 hang or shoot, without ceremony,
all of Sherman'S foragers who fell into
their hands.
Before we reached Savannah had lost
n men of my original detail, not one of
whom has been heard OF to this day, so
far as | know. Ii is not hard to conjecture
what became OF those poor, brave fellows,
and it makes my heart ache now when /
think of their fate.
Foraging had practically ended with our
arrival at Savannah but | was not called
upon for a report until We reached Colds
bore, N. c., at which place ! turned over
to the Quarternaster 50 head of horses
and mules, together with several head Of
cattle. But fer some reason L cannot
now recall, tailed to turn over to that Off
Ger a span Of white match mules and
carriage, which we had picked up some
days before, with negro driver on the box
and two Confederate soldiers on the in
side.
We camFed at Goldsboro for several
days, and of mornings we would mount
our horses and make a dash OF 10 or 10
miles in various directions from the town,
feeling perfectly safe in these rides, for we
kept within cur outposts.
HosPITABLE soUTHRoSs.
In this way became acquainted with
several families living in that vicinity,
and on two occasions dined with one OF
1bem.
The head of this particular family was
"a Colonel in the Confederate army, and
his sir name was the same as my own.
Why | did not try 10 scrape up kin
ship with the mother and her handsome
daughter ! cannot now say. This omis-
sion seemed doubly strange TO me after
ward when j recalled that there was
something in the girls face that reminded
me OF someone had seen and known be-
fore. As near as | could Judge, she was
about Is years of age. Her hair and eyes
were the exact color of a chestnut, and il
was noticeable that she did not in the
least resemble her mother, who was
blonde.
The family lived 10 miles west of Colds
boro, near large creek, on the banks of
(which stood an old, dilapidated grist-mill.
North of the house WAS an open field, I
which when crossed would bring you TO u
cyprus swamp, perhaps hall mile in
width, and at that time covered with
water nearly a foot deep.
In the meath of March, 1865, the day |
before we were 10 resume our march !
'north, for the last time in an enemy's /
lcountry, i felt desire to make a fare |
well visit TO my fair and hospitable ac-
quaintances.
] stated my object 10 three of my particu- |
Ear friends, a Captain and two Lieutenants, |
dnviting them to accompany me, which /
Nhey readily consented TO do. ! ordered |
our colored cook TO hitch the mules TO the |
and drive Us there. We arrived |
at our destination an hour or two before /
sunset. i noticed when my hostess and |
her daughter met us they were a little /
Hurried, but | attributed this to the pres
ence of my friends, whom they had not
met before.
After introducing my comrades we were
cordially invited into the paTlor, and to
my great establishment were ushered into
the presence of two ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
men and tive as pretty girls as one could
wish to see. The lady of the house in
troduced rs 30 her callers; but it was now
my time To get fuuied, and for the life of
me j could not remember one of their
names a mament afterward
After a few commonplace remarks one
of the men excused himself, got on his
horse, which was hitched behind the
stable, and rode of. This excited my
somewhat, but when a few
minutes later the other man excused
himself and signified his intention of
leaving, my suspicious were thoroughly
Following him into the yard !
demanded an account OF himself and how
he came to be there in citizens clothes.
He said his name was Henry Thorn; |
that he lived In New York, and was then
visiting his uncle, the comm ander OF a
battery camped five miles north OF there
j then asked had he pass2 Yes he had
q pass. 1t was written on small-sized