The National tribune., 1900-01-04

YOU give me a leave of absence. say, for IL
week or 10 DAYS, with authority To recruit.
and | will go over among those men and l
will guarantee to bring back not less than
Is, or more, who will enlist III our COM
pany.'
After talking and thinking over the
matter for some time, he said: Il believe
Your suggestion is good one, and there is
but one thing in the way, and that is, Will
you come back!
Said |: Lieutenant. | know my record as
a soldier is bad and have suffered Il great
deal, as YOU we'll know, on account of il; but
my voluntary return month ago should
he sufficient evidence to You that L am
irving to retrieve that which by my own
conduct / have lost. But If my pledge of
honor is not sufficient, you need not act on
NV suggestion. 1t is your commission that
is in danger. and not mine, for | never
had one, but have the promise OF one now.
and | believe this to be the proper thing
for me to do to get il.
After further conversation, he sad: I'VE
will go to the Colonel, and talk to him
about it."
We walked down TO the Colonel's quar-
| ters, and the Lieutenant at once stated the
proposition. The Colonel said: who is
| this man Won are sending OIL so important
mission as that? Is he man you can
trust?" To which the Lieutenant an
swered: Colonel, il | can not trust him, |
| NsI
| The Colonel, without further remarks,
picked I'D his pen and wrote me n leave of
absence for eight days on recruiting service.
| [ thanked him, and stated that L felt sure
would do good work, and be able to return
| with 15 or 20 men.
| was feeling in good spirits, and felt that
| [ had scored a great victory.
| Bidding the Colonel good-by, we walked
blck to our company quarters. 1t was
hen about 8 O'Clock in the forenoon.
| wanted to start soon rs possible, ana
| hastily began making preparations TO
| leave. II had got nolsed through the camp
| hat | was going away. and the boys gath
,red around to say good-by, little thinking
| they would never see me back again, but
| | knew they would not. Many OF them
| we're as loyal to the Union as |. / had
| not communicated my plans to a single
| me of them; bll: we had been together 50
| 'ong an attachment had grown ND between
| Is, and it was with feeling of sadness that
| took each one of them by the hand, Lieut..
| 1umes included, and turned my back
lpon them for the last time. / had made
| up my mind as to my future course: J
| believed that the time of my deiiverance had
one. The leave Of absence had was good
| Il y place except in my own County, where
W sknown; but my purpose was not to let t! e
| authorities in my County know was there,
! it WAS possible 10 keep it from them.
The next evening, after left camp, was
| n the neighborhood Of my home. l at
| ,nce sought the men and friends whom
| lad come to sec. | told them how | came
| 10 be there, and asked them how many
we're ready to 60 with me TO the Union
| lriny. | said TO them: Leave this kind
| i a life; get out Of these mountains. The
vay Of escape is now possible, and Il VIC
| all to take advantage Of this opportunity
.re deserve 10 still continue to suffer"
| piANNINGi To REACH THE UNION LINES.
Some of them agreed with me and some
| lid not. but as soon as one would come
10 my side he would help me in my work.
| md it was bat a few days until there were
| p of them just as enthusiastic as | was
| We made our headquarters in johnson
| County, Tenn. There were bat few South
arn sympathzers in the County, and no
| soldiers, and we felt secure, although We
| you'd make no show OF ourselves i'll day
| time, but would do all our moving around
| 1t night. When we had got all the re-
cruits we thought it possible to get, We
| began to arrange place and, time to meet
and start on our trip. We finally agreed
| = meet on the top Of Iron Mountain.
W iere the road passes through a gap On
,aturday night at 10 O'Clock, Sept. %.
| After these arrangements had been com
oleted, ard it was all understood, we spent
| the last week visiting around among our
| friends at night and having a good time
generally.
NY leave Of absence had expired, and
knew my Lieutenant was looking Tor me,
and expecting me every day, but that did
not disturb me in the least,
There was n disposition on the part OF
some of the boys to commit depredations
of some kind on what few rebels lived
around in that part Of the country, in way
Of revenge for the many mean things they
had done to them; but the majority of us
counseled against it, for the reason that we
were leaving friends behind, and when we
we're gone they would be made TO suffer the
more for anything we might do.
1t was almost impossible to control Is
or 20 Young men burning for revenge,
especially when they had suffered what
these men had. They expressed no desire
to take any ones life, but they did want
to do something that would make their
many things were suggested. will here
relate one suggestion that was carried into
effect. | simply relate this incident to
show their temper, and how determined they
were to do some mischief. In the neigh
borhood lived a man by the name Of Robin
son. He owned Il nice farm i'll the valley,
just one mile from Mountain City. He
was cattle sancier, and claimed to have
some very fine stock, and among them a
blooded bull that he priced very highly.
He was the only rebel save one in the neigh
borhood. One day there were 20 or 25 OF
lS together, ana III OrIcT 10 dppcdSe our
thirst for tragedy, and to satisfy our long
ing to seek some kind Of mild revenge,
we decided that 'on that night we would
hang Robinson's bull. We procured a
sheet or two Of legal cap, and prepared a
document purporting to be his will, gath
cred up some ropes and log chains from
different places, and about 10 o'clock at
night started for Robinson's farm, and
hanged the bull to an old apple tree. We
then tackled the document containing his
will in the middle of his forehead, and left,
feeling that our thirst for blood had been
satisfied.
Many times in later years ] have thought
| If this incident and wondered why we did
| it, That apple tree is standing to-day in
that orchard, and is noted and known all
over the country as being the tree on which
RoDinson's bull was hanged.
As the time for us to start was drawing
| near, decided to visit my home once more,
and while knew it was hazardous, / be
eyed with the proper precaution that
could make the trip. Some OF my COM
radcS insisted that ought not undertake
it, but felt sure could do it. So on We'd
ncsday afternoon before the time set to
start on Saturday night i started to my
fathers house, following the summit of
the mountains. shortenened the distance
many miles from that of the road, which
| ran around the base of the mountains.
Night settled down about the time crossed
the summit of the Allegheny Mountains,
but being used to hardshipS, and familiar
| with the path that led ttlraegh that dense
forest, hurried on aud made rapid time.
About 10 o'clock reaelied my old home
at the back of the farm.
| hurried through the fields and down
the path leading TO the barn-the little
l ,,slth 81.