The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-22

separated when Hilton accepted
Governor, Little's proclamation of
pardon in 1868.
81 was born in McMinn county, Ten
nessee, in $780," began Mr.. Hilton,
using quaint dialect that battles re-
production, lin the days when the
law was the rifle and there wasn't any
whiskey revenue. I was Is years old
before L saw a church or a school
house, but what I didn't know about
God and books, I made UP by know
ing how 10 shoot straight and how to
live by my rifle. I don't know as I
ever thought of the difference between
right and wrong as it was taught
in the churches in those days. We
had our codes OF honor and every man
with a heart in his breast stuck to it
but when dissatisfaction arose, right
was might every time in the hills Of
Tennessee
Mr.. Hilton was 81 years of age when
the civil war broke out and he i'm
mediately enlisted in the Confederate
service under General Lee. He fought
under Lee throughout the four years
OF the notable struggle and was with
the famous commander at the surren-
der of Appomattox. During the war
he was wounded seven times. once
at the battle of Gettysburg, twice in
the battle of the. Wilderness, once in
the battle of williamsburg and thrice
again in minor sldrmishes 1t was
Just after the battle of the Wilderness.
during which Mr. Hilton had received
a severe body wound that he paid his
first visit to his home since leaving
it three years before to fight for the
Confederate cause. 1t was here, too.
that an incident occurred which went
far towards shaping the adventurous
life in which the lot of this Confed-
crate soldier was to fall.
Upon returning Hilton, in company
with wounded comrade, one Philip
Waite, found that his boyhood home
lad been lately ravished bv SOUTH
ern "outlayers" or ''tories.'' Prac-
tically, the whole homestead had been
destroyed and the aged mother of Mr.
Hilton, who for some years had been
an invalid. had been subjected to
numerous outrages.
Fired with a spirit of revenge. the
young soldier Immediately left his
home and in company with Waite
set out to find the band of Outlay
ers' who had so recently wrecked his
homestead. Scarcely were the two
well on their way when they came
Unexpectedly upon the band they were
seeking. In the fight which followed
Waite was killed, but Hilton made
good his escape. Hiding in the woods
and living upon whatever his gun af-
forded, he followed this band for three
days, and during this time he picked
off with unerring aim seven of their
number. a short distance from where
the city of Cleveland now stands, Hill
ton fell in with a number of loyal
southerners to when he made known
the. object of his mission and related
the story of the outrage. With these
men, he surprised the tories some days
later, killing goodly portion of the
band and capturing three. These three
were hanged without ceremony to the
nearest tree.
After a short visit to his home he re-
Joined Lee, with whom be remained
until the cause for which he had shed
lis blood was lost in the surrender at
Appomattox.
Shortly after. the war, Hilton re-
turned to mis- native village, but in the
turbulent days which followed and un-
der the military law then in vogue, he
soon found that it would be neces-
sary for him TO flee his state for
safety. Already the story of the hang
ing of the three tory leaders had be-
come noised abroad among the federal
troops who were in control of the
county and several threats had been
made against the young soldier. TAX
ing advantage of the friendly warning
OF an acquaintance, Hilton left Ten
nessee, scarcely a month after he re-
turned from the war, and made his
way to Missouri, where for some time
he lived with his uncle, William Hill
ton, in Clay county.
Here he found that the turbu-.
lent days of the reconstruction period j
were even worse than those in his