Year: 1861

military strategy not to underrate the power


Of the enemy His explanation ayaiIed hin


nothing lie was seized and one side Of h.


head and face shaved clear Of the hair anC


whiskcrs. Then the newly barbercd por


tions were daubed with tar and feathers. lie


then received forty ashes, and was given tC


understand that be had twelve hours in which


to make himself scarce.


This was not an isolated instance Deed,


of violence were Of daily occurrence and


many times they resulted in the death Of the


victim With such state Of society boil.


ing around me, naturally feltanxious to re-


move my family beyond all chance Of injury


Finally, when they had for some time been


drafting troops from the city for jeff. Davis


army, | foresaw the time when | would be


called on, and determined TO remove my wife
and children to the North. started of


with them, ostensibIy 70 20 to another place,
and TOOK them to Atlanta, where | bought


through tickets for them ard sent them for
ward, while returned to Augusta to close
up my business


| continued in my trade there for short
time, endeavoring TO convert my property in.
to funds which would be current in Iowa
! dared not purchase gold at the banks my
self, Tor fear Of attracting the attention Of
the Vigilance Committee. No ono was al


lowed TO leave the country openly. Through
the friendship of young man named Pow
ers, who had been boarding with me, pur-
chased some cnrfen; funds, perhaps S400.-.
lie was a bookseller fiom Ohio who bad been
selling work entitled Cotton Is King, ="
and was not suspected Of fostering liberal
sentiments. 1t was through his services and
friendship mainly that escaped.


One afternoon an Orderly Sergeant came
into my counting room, and informed me it
would be necessary, IN accordance with re.
cent rcquisition from Montgomery, lor me to
enlist. saw it would not do to hesitate an
instant, and therefore manifested great rcad
ness anu even eagerness to Join. was told
] could have my choice between infantry
and cavalry, aud must meet my comrades
that same light at the grmory 49,.
TO JOIN tie cavalry, aud at the appointed
hour was on and to enroll my name
was very Jealous apparently in my wishes
to fight the Aboliiiouists, and by skilliully
guarding my speech led my comrades to be-
lieve that was tho best secc,sionist Of them
all, and the Sergeant presented me with n
splendid Colts navy revolver, which had been
stolen from the United States. requested
him to load it for me, as was not posted on
that sort Of thing, He did so. Those five
charges are still In the barrels, aud so help
me, they shall never be fired Oft, until they
are discharged in the streets Of Augusta, and
one OF them into the body Of tic Sergeant
who loaded it.


got away from the armory aud hurried
home, where found Powers making prepar.
ations to 90 North by the next train, which
left at halfpast ten that night told him
| must get away from Augusta hat night at
any cost. asked him to take my carpet
bag on board The train, aud it did not call
Tor it at certain time 10 send it to my iam-
lily il Dubuque He sand he would DO SO.


locked up my store and use-the one
furnished rom top to bottom, and
the other containing $4,000 worth of goods
which was obliged to leave behind to fall
into the hands OF the rebels,


then repaired to the depot nearly an
hour before the time Tor the departure of the
train, and secreted myself under the rear
platform of the rear ear, on cross-picco
which connected the wheels Grasplng my
pistol in my hand aud resolving to shoot the
first man who discovered me, waited for
events.


Soon after gained this position, the Vigi-
lance Committee came into the depot. They
were party Of men appointed to see that nc
Northern man went away on the train, and to
exercise general surveillance over all suspi.
cious characters. If they discovered Nor
thern man he was taken out, whipped, and
forced to enlist. If they found one who had
enlisted already, it Jared worse for him. lie
was whipped aud otherwise maltreated. and
then usually shot, so | knew what my fate
would be if was detected. As the hour OF
starting drew near, my suspense was agoniz.
lug in the extreme. Finally little incident
occurred, which probably insured my salvation
from their clutches. The committee went
through the ears after the passengers wore
seated, aud closely questioned and scrutinized
every individual. Ia one car they found an
old man who answered to the description of a
man who had been larred and feathercd at
Savannah and shipped Off Appended to the
dispntch describing him, was this Christian
injunction, If you catch him. give him
hell


One of tho ruffans lifted his gray locks
and saw the tar still adhering to his brow
where he had been unable to remove it. lie
fairly yelled with delight Here's the old
devil Now we've got him /! etc. They then
dragged him from the car to the platform out.