The National tribune., 1899-03-16

TO Eutleuge, ana often camped nearby Uni
a few we'll known citizens would he allowed
10 visit a camp. | was asked one cvenin:
by Il Union friend if would like TO visit
camp. OF course ! went My friend gave
ME the grip and password, and / had ~
trouble in seeing them.
No one knew when a notice would b:
served on him to report Mt conscript CAM
for duty. The rebels always selected thos
they wanted TO get rid of rs being dansercu
to the Confederate cause.
| Up to this time | had been very careful
not to excite any animos:ty but an incdcn
took place which ut once put me under sus
picion. There was Iabid, outspokei
| Union man named Chlrles Smith, the Clcrl
Of The Court ut Rutlcdge, who, being quit
in.iim. coIl,l not be drafted as Il soldier
SO the rebels concluded that the only way t.
get rid of him was to kill him. A squad o
cavalry was sent to perform this duty. 4
! number of Union inen undertook to protec
Smith got my gun and placed the muz
| zle of it in an opening in window of ms
house, to he ready to shoot anyone who shoul
attempt to kill Smith The killing of Smitl
did not come Off but it "gave me away. u
| Some rebel reported me to the authorities
! The Provost-AIarshal at once, with great
usual notice that my services were required
rs soldier in the Confederate States OF
America AMI was kind enough to give me 4
few DAYS to report. l decided at once that
would not 90 into the rebel army. | had Z
wi and two children / could not make ur
my mind to leave them, and to take them
with me any place where l would be safe was
out OF the question.
al l-al oh IN
situation TO my wife. ] expected cry and
Il break down from her, but instead she ex'
claimed:
You shall never 60 into the rebel army.
and the children can 90 to my father, and
you can 90 within the Union lines Ill Ken
lucky No doubt the Union army will soon
be i'll East Tennessee, and you can then safely
return II they do not will run the block
ade with the children and &, TO you"
That settled it, My vile at once packed
her trunks with her clothing and valuabes.
| securely attached my money within my
undertaking / secretly engaged an ex-
pressman to take us to the railroad depot at
New Market.
Just at twilight we locked up our house
and lett Rutledge. We travelled all night,
and Just at sunrise, and in time to catch the
them on the train. When | looked around |
found the Whole place full Of rebel soldiers.
| went quietly to the hotel, got my breakfast,
and sluntetd Of in n westerly direction
] kept on till some time in the afternoon,
when | stopped at the house of 4 well-known
Union man named Owens, to get something
to eat. There were none OF the family at
home, except the old lady and her two grown
L tnlI or nd bat
at once concealed me, gave me something to
eat, and advised me to 20 to an old field when
evening would come on and join party Of
Union men who were going to a Federal camp
in Kentucky.
This old field was in an out-Oi-the way
place. but on the main big road leading west,
about mile from Mr. Owens's place When
twilight came on the ladies gave me n good
supper and haversack of provisions sufficient
to last me for week. The old gentleman
by this time had returned home, and finding
out my object gave me sword, which he
had used in some former war, and hoped it
might be some use to me on my adventure.
He placed i'll my charge his son, a lad OF
some 10 years, to 60 with us to the Union
lines.
/ will say that the two young Owens ladies
class of noble women in East Tennessee who
were ever ready to feed or conceal, and would
never betray, a poor, hungry, foo,soIe refugee
who was struggling to restore the supremacy
of the Stars and Stripes.
After receiving the good wishes of old man
Owens and his wife and daughters, made
my way with Master Owens to the old field,
and on arriving there found n large number
# nf | hnd hef
and was not surprised to see The object in
this gathering was to get force sufficiently
large and properly armed to keep at dis
tance the small squads of Confederate cav
airy then in the country, and then march
boldly to the Union lines. They were armed
in various ways. | noted some with large
bore guns that had been used for shooting
bear in the mountains others with the ordI-
nary squirrel rifle and shotgun, and quite a
number with pixies
also noted that they carried haversacks
full of provisions, and many of them had
along flask full of applejack, a fine quality
of apple or peach brandy. 1t was understood
that all the men would arrive by midnight,
when they would organize and start for Ken
lucky, over and beyond the Cumberland
Mountains. l circulated among the nien and
made number of acquaintance
BY morning all the men arrived, when, to
my surprise, one mounted a stump, made n
speech to the assembled multitude, and in
conclusion moved that be elected to take
charge Of the expedition, and that at once
proceed to properly arrange it.
This came upon me like a clap of thunder
out of clear sky, but anyway such an honor
WAS not TO be ignored, and a. The men had
made my appointment unanimous | crawled
upon tic stump and made a Slot speech.
| formed The men in line four deep. / APP
pointed a Number Of Yong men as Aids.
WAS mounted on Il fine horse | wore big
overcoat and a stovepipc hat, and having the
sword that Mr.. Owens gave me, | charged
up and down the line, maxim. quite mill
tary appearance. | had the men count off,
and found that there were a little over 200
ready to peril their lives in order to reach
Kentucky to join the Union army, and then
assist in driving the rebels ont Of East Ten
nes,ee. Had they been armed with Spring
field rifles they would have knocked to pieces
any brigade of rebel cavalry that might have
attempted TO intercept them.
The column moved off in fine style, head
ing west toward the Cumberland Mountains.
10 be cOntimted)
The Experience Of II Wis.,