The National tribune., 1899-01-19
dead at our feet without groan or a

dead at our feet without a groan or a
struggle.
The work had been more quickly done
| than it requires me TO relate il and as we
Tense. We heard quite a large party IN
another part of the house. We formed re
fore the door of the room occupied by his
body guard, and rushed at it; and sue,
ceeded in throwing myself and log OF wo0d
on top of the shattered door in the middle
of the room, and directly among the rebels,
who were now prepared for serious re-
sistance; but our onset was so impetuous
that for a moment our enemies were par
alyZed, and in that brief interval we
gained a decided advantage, being the
first to come to an aim, and the John-
MES at once surrendered There were six
or eight of them, including Walkers son,
who was the Sergeant-MajOr of the regi-
ment, and we captured the entire party
without firing shot.
| After we had secured our prisoners, we
took the Colonels horses, as well as all
that we could gather up in the nclehbor-
hood, and started on our return to Chat,,
] tanOOga. Our, route was tedious and
! laborious one over the Frog Mountain,
which was then covered with ice and
snow the cold being intense.
The view from the top of Frog Mountain
is one of the grandest in North America,
but we had no time to enjoy the mag
nificent scenery, as there was every pros
pect that we should be rapidly pursued.
At Murphy, seven miles from Walker
house, were about 30 h0me-guards; at
DucktOwn, five miles away, were also
about the same number, and at Blairs-
vile was YOung'S whole battalion, while
there were but 10 men in my party, be-
sides few citizenS-rather small num-
Der to venture so far in the enemy'S cOun-
try We were, however, well armed and
equipped, and bOuntifulIy supplied with
ammunition.
After nearly freezing two or three times
in the mountains, and suffering severely
from hunger and fatigue, we at length
reached Charleston and turned over our
captives to Col. Long, who was still IN
command at that place.
We travelled SO fast that young Walker
was seized with a violent pain in the
breast, so | thought, rather than be hard
on him, | would parole and leave him,
which did at the house of a noted Seces-
sionist, and he promised to nurse him
till he became well enough to return to
his family.
Some time after this was in South
Carolina, and heard, incidentally, that
young Walker had run off to that State in
order to save himself from being killed by
his Union neighbors. He might as well
have braved it out at home, for a Union
man in South Carolina killed him on
Tiger Tail Creek and sent his body to
Walhalla.
CONVERSION OF NOTED REBEL.
Before leaving North Carolina / turned
another prisoner loose, with instructions
to notify every officer of Walkers com
mand to leave the country at once, or l
would return with stronger force and
send them all after their Colonel; and
while passing through the country some
time after ] learned that they had all
obeyed my Injunction.
We likewise, in one place, called for a
certain Capt. Stanhope Anderson, but he
was not at home; so we took down his
knapsaciI from a nail where it hung, IN
spected his papers, and then threw the
whole outfit il contained on his own fire;
then took his pistol and ammunition,
broke into his apple-holes, and helped
ourselves to all we could carry with US,
after which we directed the overseer TO
inform the Captain that if he didn't quit
the rebel service and turn to be good
Union man we would come back and take
his life.
On going back / found that he, too, had
needed our admonition; that he was then
thoroughly loyal, and the original Union
lists in the vicinity all spoke well OF him.
When he entered the rebel service he
swore in a public speech to come back
with death in his hand or victory on the
point of his sword, and / think he owes
me real debt of gratitude for working his
conversion without driving him TO ex-
tremities.
/ only relate this incident here as an
illustration of a view have always en-
tertained; viz, that public opinion is an