The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-07-01
TARHEEL MOUNTAIN
AGAIN PART Of US.
Today This Section of N. C. Is 100 Per
Cent Loyal--No Longer Fights
Draft.

part of the United States. Never a |
real part Of the country when it came |
to the enforcement Of revenue laws. 1t |
withdrew utterly when the draft |
came. Tarheel would fight Tarheel |
against the entire United States. IL
necessary but Tarheel would not 60 TO !
a foreign war
But today the mountain is 100 per
cent loyal; it is a center of patriotism
judgment and heroism OF a. special
agent Of the department of justice,
whose name the department withholds
and refers to as Agent A"
Away back in The hills of North
carolina where runs undiluted the
blood of the early English settlers.
but where ignorance and superstition
holds firm against the feeble inroads
OF education old Tarheel mountain
rears its5wooded crest,
Tarheei is loved by every CAROLYN
ian. It's name is enwoved in the his
tory Of his state. Such a great figure
has it been that the familiar name OF
the Carolinian is 'Tarheel."
The people Of Tarheel read no news
pa pers and have few schools. They
know little Of the war. Many of their
men are still voting for Andrew Jack
son for president, They have seen
telephone wires and a few have rid
den on trains, but to most the fastest
means Of communication Is horse
back. The women still ride on pill
Hon behind her man and the move
NJ ent~ OF freight is by oxen yoked six
and eight to rough wooden cart and
| "seed" and "hawed" over the narrow
corduroy roads by walking drivers
brandishing long Fgoads.
Their language ia a corruption of
most of them the ''outlander" liz a
''revenuer' or at least an object OF
suspicion.
Into this land came the draft and
with the draft resentment that they
should be taken from their homes 20
fight on alien soil. Many refused to
register. others failed to respond when
called 10 the colors, and it was only
by the most diplomatic use OF the
mountain clan leaders that the gov
eminent was enabled to make a show
ing In the national army.
Gradually the men were won in I'M
til nine were left who had refused
/ 70 report to the draft boards. Hid
ing with these far out in the caves in
the mountains or concealed IN the
homes OF their mountain kind were
thirteen deserters who had been called
| in the draft and sent TO camp, whence
I they had fed.
The $50 a head reward offered by
/ the government for deserters and the
/ pride of the law officers stirred them
/ to every effort at captures.
I But as they rode the mountain trails
their approach was signalled by the
( hooting OF an owl or the call of the
/ dove closely initiated by the noun
/ tain sentinels.
And when the sherirs posses too
closely pressed the fugitives the
whining Of ahuliet across the road in
some dark patch OF trail was a warn
ing that it was not well to push fur
ther along that path.
| Posse after posse came back enty
, handed. The mountain boosted that
it held its own and about the sheriff's
/ Office in the courthouse at Bakers
Vile gloom fought with tobacco smoke
/ for the air
There was no solace for the deputies
even in the corn whiskey that slipped
down from the mountain in its usual
mysterious channel, and the long
leaves of tobacco. sun-cured at the
| back doors of their homes lost their
/
| Then came Agent A" The attack
was called of and he, alone and I'M
armed rode into the mountains TO
spread the story of the war and it's
lessons on patriotism
He met the mountain men and their
women always sending messages Of
! patriotism and service TO the outlaws.
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 noun
tain huts as sleeping quarters their
sharp ears gathered each word he left
as messages for them.
They were Anglo Saxons and his
words took root in their hearts. The
ldeserters-Wess Ellis. Peter Ledford,
Landsn r. Green, Brown Buchanan
Carrial Haskins, Peter Garland. Ben
Jannin 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 word to Agent A"
| He issued passes TO the men by
their friends which read:
! ITO all officers Of the United States
and the sheriff and his deputies and
all citizens of Mitchell county. Greet
Itngs: You are directed not to arrest
Bill L, Greene and to allow him per-
feet freedom to come and go as he
Ipleases till noon June 7. 1918"