The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1938-01-13
GENERAL JONES' RAID OF 1868
Through Garrett County [ FM0

were about two and four years my
seniors. Shortly after noon we walked
west on the railway about half mile
to where there was a spruce forest,
our object being to get a supply of
spruce gum which eXuded from the
trees and was used by us III lieu of
chewing gum which had at that time
not been invented, at least to our
knowledge. After securing a goodly
supply Of the gum or wax we saun-
tered back along the railway to nearly
opposite my uncle's home when we
saw quite a company Of horsemen COM
ing along the road that ran along the
south side of the railway and parallel
with it.
Irecall that Calvin, the oldest of the
two cousins, whispered to US to get
that gum out of your mouth so you
can talk to the gentlemen as they
refined their horses opposite US. Their
first question was, after courteous
salute of good afternoon, little gen
tlemen,"
"Do you know of any good horses
in this section?" 1t instantly dawned
on US who they were.
In the field just across the road
from where they stood was haystack
and we could see a good rcan horse
standing by the stack, but it was not
seen by the Confederates. They ques-
toned us at some length. There was
nothing but forest between where we
stood and my fathers farm, but part
of the cleared land could be seen from
there and would have been seen but
for woods fire that had broken out
that morning in the forest. They ask
ed us if there were any farms over
that way, pointing in the direction of
the farm, but we lied glibly and de-
clared that it was nothing but forest.
Just at that time the roam horse
walked out from behind the hay stack
and when they caught sight of him,
one of them with a sardonic grin said,
"You lying little DEVILS" and jumped
off his horse and began taking the
boards off the board fence so they
could go into the field and catch the
roam horse. When that took place we
made a Decline for my uncles house.
We dashed through the house to the
porch, which faced east, and over
looked a large meadow which extended
to the Maryland line. AS we came out
on the porch, out of breath, my uncle
and aunt were entertaining some
guests on the porch, and l heard my
uncle say:
~ wonder who all those people are
coming into the meadow on horse
| back"
We could see perhaps two dozen rid
ers putting their horses across the
fence into the meadow. We had breath
enough to say:
Rebels" and with that my uncle
went back through the house, we boys
following, and he picked up some hal
tiers and brides that hung at the rear
of the house and made Decline for
the pasture field on the West side Of
the farm near the pine forest, where
now is the summer resort known as
'The Pines" We hurriedly bridled the
four horses that my uncle had put
out to pasture that morning and lead
them into the pine woods, but. only
got them about 100 feet from the road
and tied them to saplingS and got
back into the road, when we met the
Confederates, who stopped US again
and inquired about horses.
Standing in the road we could see
the horses that we had tied under the
pine trees, but sitting on their horses
they could not see them.
Just why my uncle's horses did not
betray themselves by nickering, l
never knew, but they did not We then
made a hurried trip to my fathers
farm where he had some ten or twelve
head Of horses and we took them all
into the forest and hid them, but the
Confederates did not go to the farm.
There was a small company Of sol
diers at Oakland, Md, part Of Com
pany O, called the Home Guard, and
| was told that they were captured
without resistance, disalmed and par
oled and their muskets were brought
to the Youghogheny River about two
miles west of Oakland and tossed into
the stream. I do not know just how it
was known at Terra Alta, then Gran
berry Summit, that the Confederates
were coming, but there was some little
advance information.
Matthias F. Stuck, who owned a
small grocery store there, heard OF
their coming and he armed himself
with his rifle and took a position be-
hind a stump on a vacant lot in the
east end of town opposite what is now
the B. G. O. "Y." When the vanguard
of the Confederates came opposite him
/, n 1 L,