The Atlanta constitution., 1898-10-10
ARP IN THE SIXTIES
Bill Tells Of His Midnight Caller
In 1855.
AND WHAT THE MAN WANTED
He Had a Friend He Was Anxious
To Hide Out from the Provost
Guard.

Only q "Reminiscences. The veterans do
not naturally love to recall the dark SIDE
of the civil war They do not nurse their
wrath 20 keep 1t warm" as did ram
O'Shanter's witch. They are too busy III
making a living TO spare much time to mem
ories of marches and battles and hard
tack and ragged clothe But they DO m
dulsa in little war incidents and accidents
when they meet a comrade and something
reminds them of something. The four-year
war was full of heroism and thrilling
events but | believe the aftermath, the
patching up of peace, was more PROVOKING
and discouragirg and of longer contlhu-
ance chan the war itself.
"As iron sharpcneth iron so does n mans
face sharpen the face of his friend.
IT is only a reminiscence that l am going
to relate | met the old gentleman yester-
day and as we grasped hands our minds
and memories went back to the trouDleu
days of 1860 when first We met, one u'Ik
and dreary night. Who is thac! ne Sdiu
cautiously as / knocked at the door. '1alK
low" said /: they are after your protner
to take him back to Virginia and try nm
for kukluxing those SCOundrels. nave
brought him over here and hid HIM III your
giuhOuse loft, under the straw. Don iet
anybody but your wife know Whefe ne -.
1t was about daybreak, and the old gentle
man was III ms ms III tIoAiiN'' A-D''t
us" said he. Are you telling me the
truth? Who are you? Let me light
candle" When he brought ii he unlockeu
the door and opened it just enough lor
Rim to see my face, and for me TO see MN
and his double-barreled gun chat was near
his hand. who are your he repeated
When | WHISPERED my namo he SraSped my
hand eagerly for he knew that was ms
brothers counsellor and friend. Hurrledly
he put on his clothes, and we went II pIliiu
path to the ginhouse, which was nearly "
apartcr Of a mile away. Not u 5oui was
stirring; not q. dog barked. GOOD i-otu'
said he has it come to TINS Ahoae VIZ
)ains whom my brother helped to Whlp anu
made them leave the country UP Ill VI
ginia were worse than the tories Oh 'h9
old revolution They robbed ana pIulueie"
our people, and had negroes to heIp Ihch'
and we appealed in vain to the yahNee
officers for protection. our wives ana our
dauphtrrs were in continual danger, ana
we had TO kukuX those sconhutclS o'
leave the country ourselves.
1T was in June, 1865, while was hVlh6 III
Rome that was aroused from sleep ABOUT
,,idnirh+ and learned from my Virginia
friend that he was in great peril, and want
ed assistance and advice. y warrant Hdu
been issued for him in Virginia ana sent TO
the federal provost marshal at rome anu
ne was to be arrested in che morning anu
sent back for trial. He briefly related the
circumstances and told me- he had Il
brother living in Barlow county, ABOUT
,irhteen miles distant, but nobody about
Rome knew him, nor was his brother I'M
ulicattd in che kukLuX business, ana ne
might be concealed on his brother iI'm
somewhere until the federal soldiers Ieil
here. 7
oct Won a change OF clothing and meet me
at <tnrton's corner" 1t did not take me
long to hitch my horse to Che little rock