West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1902-10-16
Old FEB WHITES STORY.
lie Tells Of Ills Adventures With Rip
Roaring Nan Who Wouldn't
Surrender.

al reckond most Of ,em felt as
did, but thar was one pertickler
critter who came home splitting fur
mo- bloodshed. His name was Bill
Haynes, and they got him into the
army bout three months before the
end. When that critter heard that
Lee was to surrender, he got up'n
ripped and roared and shed tears
and wanted to fight the hull Yankee
army single handed. He wanted to
die fghtin' and he gin out that II he
had to surreder it would break his
heart, and he couldn't live two days
afterward. He just howled around
till he made everybody think he was
the awfullest fighter in the hull
South. He ran away befo' they
could parole him, and when I got
hum he was buildin' a cabin bout
three miles above yere.
"Waal, yo' orter heard that critter
60 on. He talked war and blood
and fight till everybody got skeert
o. him. He used to come down to
my cabin and sot on the doorsteps
and gnash his teeth and work his
ears and cry like child kase they
didn't let him 60 in and use up,
Grants army. Bimeby he'd say to
me, SEE he:
"Zeb White, will yo' do me
favor, a powerful favor1'
Reckon ! willl'
"'Then get about IS of the fight
in'est men In these yere parts and
pitch inter mel I'm dyin' fur
row and rumpus. I've got to be
KILN sumbody or commit suicide.
That wah is jest worke me up, an
I've got to hev blood whether or nop
"Waal," said Zeb, after kneeling
to look into hollow log in search
OF a rabbit, 'the Yankees at Knox
velle heard bout Bill Haynes and
his awful words and the provost
marshal sent him word to cum down
thar and surrender. When Bill got
the word he clumb up on the roof
of his cabin with an old rag in his
hand for flag, and he waved and
he shouted and he ripped and he
hollercd. He said he'd die, but
never surrender. He told 'em he'd
stain these yere mountains with gore
If they sent men up after him, and
he prance around till the hull roof
of the cabin fell in with him. In
the co'se of three or TO- days they
sent 10 soldiers up to take him.
Bill got up among the rocks on the
mountain side and SEE to them, seq
he:
4" How many men hev yo' got in
the army down tharv
"fTen' SEE the fellow in command
"'Hev yo' got any cannon Iong
with yo'1'
:" No.
"'Then go back. Go right back
and tell the Teller that sent yo' that
if he wants Bill Haynes to surrender
he'll hev to send I, 900 soldiers and
six cannons up yere and fout him
for hull week. Only 10 men and
no cannonl Why, I'll send my ole
woman down thar to pull his nose
for insuItin' meP
"But they took him along, of
course1" / queried.
"Say, now, but they didn't"
replied Zeb. al don't say they got
skeert of him. though he talked in a
way to make ones blood run cold,
but reckond they thought some of
'em might be killed, and so they
went back fur orders. Bill Haynes,
he was tickled to death. He'd won
a great victory, and he whooped and
yelled and rosred till he made the
mountain shake. Thar was store
up at the crossroads, and OF co'se
a lot of us used to meet up thar.
One day thar was bout IS OF US
hangin' round when Haynes cum up.
He was crying beksse them Yankees
wouldn't send up men aud cannons
and fout him. Bimeby he got over
crying and paved up the airth and
bellered and walked around, and the
hull rs of US was rayther skeert Of
him. was lookin' down the road
when I seen lone Yankee soldier
cumin' from Knoxville. squinted
at him fur awhile, and then says to
Jim Botsford, ser /:
Reckon he's lost, limp
dunno. Wish he hadn't cum
this way.
"Fur why1'
'Bekase Bill Haynes will chsw
him up. Yes, sab; he'll eat that
Yank's ears and then drive him into
the airth.'
81 was afeared to go and meet