The Springdale news., 1913-02-21
un and went back into the com
Returns to Arkansas.

When Fort Hudson surrendered, all the priyates, my brother among them, werre paroled. Lieutenant was taken to Johnson Island, 0. Two of the officers of my regiment. Captain Poynor (of my own com panyJ and Lieutenant Bailey Of Company D, made their escape from Port Hudson after the surrender and they came with my brother to the house where I was staying. All of us together made our way back to Arkansas, crossing the Nils sissip- pi in skiffs and travelling in various ways; part of the time l rode a mule while they walked and we finally reached Little Rock, Ark. Bailey went from Little Rock across the mountains on foot to our old home in Carroll county, and my brother and took stage and came to Ozark, Ark, where my father and sister lived reached here in August, 1868, and stayed there for some=tWo months, and from there l went back to our old home in Car roll county, staying with my sister, Mrs. Sam N. Peel, who was still liy- ing there.
 The country va7# in q very dis tarbed condition Ttere was quite number of Confederate soldiers, some of them refugees from Mis- souri, and some from tHe amy al Port Hudson and at yieksburg, who had been Baroaed. Many them were in what were called Independ- ent companies. but no regularly or ganized army vas in the immediate section. The Federal soldiers came in from time to time and more or less fighting, skirmishing and killing was going on in the county.
 Refuses to Take Oath
 I remained there as long as l dar- ed and then. with my sister, the wife of Lieltenant McKnnon, cross ed the mountain and went Lack Ozark While I was at Ozark the Fourteenth Kansas Cavalry. :. s. A., under Colonel Brown oc upied the place eaeifed d the old men left at hone 10 take tEe oath Of allegiance o=the government and sent for he and asked inc 70 take the oath told nm that l | Il not dasire=to sake the oath of allegiance that l was Ieat zHaat n the Con- fe1era5e amy and prisoner. that he had the right 10 send me 10 pris- on if he desfrEd 70 do so, 5at that he had no risHt to require nj to take the oath He sad that fe did n2. wish 10 send a man 10 prts- on who had but one leg and WAS on efutehes. but that he Was under no obligations to protect me from the soldiers uHle.s 1 did take the oath told him that did not think the soldiers would hurt me, and that | was not willing to take il. and he told me very eurtly that Icould re- tire
 A few days after tJis he moved his regiment 10 elarkseil1e. Ark, 8 miles away expecting to return, and t1e day he left Captain Mcdonald of the Confederate army and some other eonfederates cane into town Mcdonald 10 me that He and one 9 or 4u others We're going south the next morning and that if 1 could get across =the river that night and join them al daylight he had an ex- tra pony which l could ride. and that could 20 with them ] manag- ad 10 set all old man af o'clock that night to =et me across the rf7- CT in a skiff and ioiHed the sol diers on the other side and went with them to Monticello Ark where my old regiment Was campedl reaeh- Ing there fH tae faa of 864z ae- mainad al Monticello until February 1S65. and went rom thefe 10 shrefe- port. La Wherc obtaiued q fur lough from Gen. Kirby smith in person for go days.
 Gives Watch for Horse.
 went from there to Texas and stayed witA relatives in Tarrant and Ellis eeunties until the first of May. when the Confederate army west Of tHe Mississippi dtsbanded l 1as Rfth General eabeuss command at Corsicana when the soldi rs broke tip and went 10 their homes. l gave my watch, which my father had given me before the war, for e horse and rode bak k 10 Ozark. reaching there about the 2 of June, 1S65. l stayed with my sister and soon afterWard beean teaching a school for taree months, of some $o children.
 had gotten acquainted while al Ozark during tHe war, with Lizzie Qua.le. whose father and mother liv- ed there Her fathf was still in