Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-06-16
q lstter from Entwiesle. I append cppyI
NEW YORK, September 9. 1859.

| Dear Sir: In relation to the shipment OF
ship timber now lying upon the banks Of
the Sabine river, you are hereby informed
| that 1 was mistaken regarding it. l am
| fully informed by the owner in Boston that
| the Sabine is not navigable for vessels large
enough for the cargo, but only for small
| feet OF water upon the bar at the mouth of
| the river. and this timber must be floated
down and shipped from Sabine pass. and
| the vessel must lie off that place
The vessel we had in view was Of too
deep a draft and We have consequently
chartered the brig Cyrus Adams. The cap
tain fully understands the business and will
take his crew and come prepared to raft
the timber and float it down to the brig.
Please write me and govern yourself &C
cordingly. Yours truly,
P. S.-The brig Is loading machinery for
Galveston and will call for the timber on
! her return VIII let you know when she
sails from here. 9. z.
Wesner was a bit discouraged upon re-
ceipt Of this, as 1t would take until well
| into November to get these people off our
hands. and we must get them away from
the rendezvous before the swamps filed on
account of the Calcasieu river, which We
were obliged to ford. There were other
creeks, bayous and coolies. also. between
that river and the Sabine This expedition
was vastly different from our usual route.
as there we wanted water: here dry land.
/ went to New Orleans. and from there
telegraphed Entwissle that must leave
within ten days. If we used that route, and
to write me full particulars so there could
be no mistake. l would wait in New Or
leans until the letter arrived.
In a few days l received an answer to my
telegram. Mr.. Entwissle wrote that the
brig would take a lot of machinery to Gal
weston, and would leave New York in about
week from the date of his letter. To dis
charge her cargo she must remain week
or ten days in Galveston, and she might be
expected to arrive at Sabine pass in about
forty fifty days from her sailing date
The capt tain was a Jcrseynan by the
name Of Reynold Cheswick. and was thor
ou8hly reliable. HIS instructions were to
remain at Sabine pass until he had opened
communication with We further
instructed to remain at the timber camp
and watch the river. In the letter was
piece of morocco leather about two inches
long by one and half wide. with edges
notched. Capt. Cheswck had the other
piece, and Mr.. Emit WHSLE wrote, it must
be his letter of Introduction.
This precau.ion was as much for the cap
tains protection as ours. for If by any I'M
fIreseen accident we were captured. our
plans ascertained, strangers could not per-
senate either party, unless they produced
tho counterpart of the piece of leather.
There was no further news from Pierce.
His letters to ell came by way of New
York. as we had business correspondents
there, but BoSt letters would be strictly
scrutiniZed in post Office, for, viewed
with Attakapas eyes. Bos on was n modern
edition of ancient Sodom and Gomorrah,
WilnOut even the one righteous person to
redeem the lot.
Wesner was very anxious to learn the re-
suits of Pierce's negotiations before leav-
ing, and waited a few days. but no
letters arriving. I went to Franklin to see
II / could ascertain the reason why. l
met Selwyn on the street and he volunt eered
tho information. Coverly sick with the
prevalent fever an@ could not attend TO
business. Pierce had accepted his terms.
and eff the old fool don't hack out" said
SelWyn, he Is in lust 81 500
When Wesner heard this he concluded
tfat 1t was useless to walt longer, as the
negroes would be as safe on the Sabine
on the Teche. There We're provisions at
the rendezvous sufficient for ten days.
AT daylight On October We broke camp
en- route for the Sabine, and prepared to
take what luck was In store for For
the first ten miles our route led through
dense swamp. This We could have avoid
ed. but purposely kept it for safety. This
swamp we had no. explored but calculated,
upon general principles. that 1t would be
passable if We had daylight to help US.
Wesner vas TO mee- at 8 O'Clock that
night. The place selected a small belt
of timber about fifteen miles from start
ing point. He was to bring a couple of
saddle horses and also pack horse,
mule and some other articles These he
had previously deposited rear the timber
In leaving the camp / took the lead, Obed
following There landmarks, and
through the gloom n" ray of sun ever pene-
trated. 1t was dismal start and nothing
but an exalted faith in our undertakings
kept our tagging spirits to the work. Obed
carried n small AK, end was frequently
obliged to use 1t to cut away the tangled
roots and vines to enable the women and
children to force ti!ei- passage through.
There was very little water to ircommode
US, but the heat was intense. Close tangled
woods found barrier to the circulation Of
air, and the burning sun, shining upon the
trees. sent the moisture from them in clouds
OF steam
Tha +1o ,,,tIa \
like tired dogs. while. wiling under the
sultry heat | was fast losing my energy.
We made but a mile an hour. This
slow. But worse to come. for across our
path one day. not long b>fore. had Travelled
an angry hurricane. Twisted and gnarled
the trees We're piled up IN interminglcd con-
fusion. To go around this blow-dGwn
might be possible, but l would not under
take IL, and therefore ordered the parry
to rest Down they SGT in true Ethiopian
style. their hands clasped around their
knees.
1 set the men at work cutting path
Sometimes there would be a place where
1t was possible to travel and this helped
us out. About 4 o'clock In the afternoon
we passed the last windfall and again had
plain swamp. This was bad at best, and
1t was sunset when we arrived at the edge
OF the timber where We're to meet Wes-
ner. From here the growth was open, no
underbrush to obstruct, and at o'clock
the whole party were within few rods of
the appointed place. Directing the people
to lay low and keep quiet, l stole noise
lessly toward the edge of the timber. Yves
ner was there anxious and waiting. He
had three horses with him as he had pro-
posed.
How is it?' he asked.
I answered him. "All right"
Good"
Our next stage would be three miles
across an open prairie to another belt of
timber: beyond this timber was a cane
brake that promised concealment With
in its friendly shelter We proposed to rest
a day of two.
At 10 o'clock we were again on the move.
The nigh, 0bed expressed it, was dark
as a nest of black CATS but about mid
night We reached the timber, crossed it and
were safely hidden in the brake There
were no Inhabitants in very close proxim
ity to the place. yet thought best to be
cautious We were now twenty-five miles
from our rendezvous. From here pro-
posed to make straight across the country,
on a Decline for the Sabine sWerving from
a direct line. only the conformation of
the country obliged us, or to avoid the scat
tering settlements. AS before mentioned.
Wesner and myself on our return from the
Sabine came this route and selected our
camping place.
We stopped in this brake until the next
night then moved on. travelling by night
leaving in this manner some seventy-five
miles behind us. This brought to the
hio airie which we were obliged To GROSS