The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1902-12-04

peared to be poor whites"-at all events
they were white and so poor that the won.
der was how they managed to live. ] pre-.
sumo they had not eaten a square meal
for months, and of course could not fur
nish such a luxury for us, but they pound.
ed some corn in mortar and prepared
the everlasting hoecake, besides killing q
poor, scrawny chicken, of which they had
only few, for our especial benefit, and
our dinner was not bad to take. These
women actually robbed themselves, and
could not have entertained us more gener-
Ously had we been their own brothers re-
! turned from the war. The girls also
parched quantity of corn for us to take
in our pockets for future use and babe us
Godspeed on our journey.
VOLUNTARY SURRENDER.
We had been about a week enjoying this
Winter outing in the woods of North Caro-
lima when, one afternoon, we ran across
an old farmer, who took us for furloughed
possession newspaper, from which we
learned that an exchange of prisoners of
war had been agreed upon and that our
comrades whom we left at Charlotte had
been sent on to Wilmington for that pur-
pose. After parting with our informant,
we concluded to find safe place where we
might surrender, as the speediest and GER
lduly Tic hOsI COmlOTtdDic why u EedCIi-
ing the North. Following out this plan, we
soon found ourselves in charge of a
small party of old gentlemen with shot
guns, who conducted us to the house of a
well-to-dO farmer whom they called Squire
Strope, near the public road, requesting
him to keep us over night and on the fol-
lowing morning to take us to the railroad
station, some five or six miles away, and
deliver US to the Provost Marshal.
At first the old farmer seemed tO object
Saying that he had no gun in his house, and
that there were three of us against one,
as he was alone, except the old woman;
but when informed that we were really
peaceable Yanks and that he needed no
gun, but goOdly supply of eatables in
stead, he accepted the charge. The Squire
soon learned from us where we came from
and how we had been faring for the past
week. Then he called the good wife and
after this manner introduced US: Mother,
here are three hungry Yanks; they don't
appear to have horns, but reckon they've
got hungry stomachs. Get them good
square meal"
regular wheat-fOur biscuits and plenty of
them, with COW butter and homespun
North Carolina mOlasses. What a feast
We had! Would we ever get enough
Would the supply hold out? 1 do not re-
member what we had to drink, but drinks
Olun I count.
After supper we talked and argued with
our host until late hour, without coming
to an agreement, except that the country
needed peace, and then we retired to q
shakedown, having advised our host that
such an arrangement would be better for
them and plenty good enough for us, for
the very good reason that about our per-
sons might possibly be lingering some I'M
canny specimen of the genus Grabax.
The next morning We partook of our
other square meal for breakfast, which
was about equal in size and fin
ish to the supper, after which Squire
Strope hitched up his team and gave us a
free ride to the railroad station, which
was the western terminus of that road, and
from which point we were returned to
hearted old Squire and gave his hand a
parting shake, the old man said: when
you-ns get back Moth, please send me a
par of Yankee wool-kyards, as we don't
get any in Moth Carolina no more
=! replied: my dear old secesh friend.
before 60 days have passed Lee will have
surrendered, the war will be over. the
Southern Confederacy will be extinct. and
you will find Yankee wool-cards at every
country store in North Carolina; if NOT
III not forget to send you a pair. Good.
by" never sent the cards.
From the little station among the North
Carolina hills, back to Charlotte the train
bore us, arriving there about noon ON Feb.
~, 1865, but Zone of our feIlOw-prisOners
with whom we had parted so hastily n
week before, were there to meet us. They
had been sent forward toward Wilmington
to be exchanged. The only comrades we
met in Charlotte were those who, like our-
selves, had escaped and had been re-caD-
tured, of which there were of us about 70
all told, who had been brought in from one
quarter or another. After waiting an hour
or two-perhaps more--we were put on
another train and started in pursuit of our
comrades. Although our final destination
was Wilmington, which city is about POO
miles east and 20 miles south of Charlotte.
the route We were to travel was northeast.
ward through Salisbury to Raleigh, thence
southeastward to Goldsboro, and thence
due south to Wilmington. Therefore. our
first point was Salisbury, which place is
situated probably 40 or 80 miles little
east of north from Charlotte.
Salisbury contained within, or near It
one of the notorious Southern prison mems