The Washington herald., 1918-07-01
DE.sERTERS UPON TARHEEL
MOUNTAIN WON TO LOYALTY
How Agent A." After Local Posses Failed
to Round Up Recalcitrants, Reached Their
Hearts and Understandings.

Businesses they know so well, would
take bloody toll Of the invaders.
Then came agent A." The attack
was called off, and he. alone and un
armed, rode into the mountains to
spread the story OF the war and its
lessons OF patriotism
He met the mountain men and their
women. always sending messages Of
patriotism and service to the out
laws. None of these did he ever see.
but at times he felt certain that they
were under the same roof with him,
and that from behind half-opened
doors and rude lofts built into the
mountain huts as sleeping quarters.
their sharp ears gathered each word
he left az messages for them.
They were Anglo-Saxons and his
words took root in their hearts. The
deserters, Wess Ellis. Peter Ledford.
Landon R. Greene, Brown Buchanan,
Carrial Haskins. Peter Garland. Ben
jamin Franklin, Robert Dixon. Blaine
Hughes. Daniel Rexter Cooper, Arthur
Blevens. Blaine Greene and William
Freeman, began to talk among them
selves and with the draft evaders. and
their friends bore words to Agent A"
Gave Them Passes.
He issued passes to the men by their
friends which read: TO all officers
of the United States and the sheriff
and his deputies and all citizens of
Mitchell County. greetings: You are
directed not to arrest Bill L. Greene
and to allow him perfect freedom, to
come and go as he pleases till noon.
June Z. 191S''
Passes for all the twenty-five were
sent out into the mountain by trust
ed friends of the outlaws and they
were told to report at the courthouse
in Bakersville Saturday afternoon at
o'clock.
1t was just that hour when Agent
A" walked into thecourt house and
found there grouped to meet him In
the jury box Of the district court
room the nine draft delinquents. while
across the room. in tatterdemalion
costumes Of army clothes and noun
tain homespun, sat the thirteen deser-
ters from the army.
They glowered sullenly at him, for
already since their arrival in town
their minds had been poisoned by the
tale that he had lured them into the
hands of the law to arrest them and
carry them to camp in chains.
Lifting his right hand, palm open
and forward. in the mountain gesture
Of peace, he addressed them: "Boys,
If you believe that story, there is the
door. Any of you who believe 1t.
get ont. and I promise you "a hours
to hide yourselves before any pursuit
starts. Those who stay, 1 keep my
word to; and those who go I pledge
that same word that they will be
hunted down. If it takes years.
All Shook His Hand.
Cheers. A round of hearty cheers,
and all twenty-five broke for Agent
A to shake his hand. the binding Of
their bargain. Everyone stayed.
He gave them leave to do as they
might wish until 1880 the next morn
ing, when they were to report. All
were ready at the hour. and the occa-
sion was celebrated by a parade
through the city's streets. Leading
came the sheriff on horseback carry
ing a United States flag. Then came
Agent A" and John McBee, chair
man OF the local draft board, in a
low-necked hack, then marched the
deserters followed by fifty men, wom-
en- and children from the mountain,
their friends and kin.
Out past the village they marched
and three and a half miles to the
nearest railroad station, to cars.
where they entrained for Spartan
burg. The draft evaders in the mean
while were left In Bakersville to re-
turn to their homes and 60 through
the regular selective service channels
for induction into the army.