USA > Iowa > Humboldt County > History of Kossuth and Humbolt counties, Iowa : together with sketches of their cities, villages, and townships, educational, civil, military, and political history, portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens > Part 43
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109
As soon as we were out of sight, our careless measured walk suddenly changed to a brisk run. Leaving the road we had for a little distance traveled on while in sight of the church, we struck into the woods again, and as good fortune would have it, we happened to discover a negro cutting brush, and immediately told him who we were and our dilemma.
"You git in de brush ober dar," said he. "Dere is a big ineetin' goin' ou, an' lots ob white folks on de roads. Mighty dan- gerous runnin' 'way to-day.
"But suppose they come after us, now, won't they find us?" we asked.
"Golly, marss, I reckon I ken fool dem if dey do, if dey don't go for de dogs an' dey ain't no nigger dogs less dan eight miles, an' its most night now. Reckon you uns is hungry, ain't ye? Looks as do yo didn't have nuffin to eat for a wee- S-a-h Mars! git in dat brush quick! deres white folks comin !"
1
The warning came not a moment too soon. In the road, not more than a dozen rods from us, we could see persons mov- ing. Throwing ourselves upon the ground, we crawled into a thicket and waited the denouement.
The negro caught his ax and com- menced cutting brush industriously. Soon gathering an armful of it, he started for his cabin, situated on the road in sight of our retreat in the thicket, and he so timed his rate of speed as to reach his cabin about the time the parties on the road passed it.
We could see them in conversation, and soon after we saw them pass on and the negro go into his hut. By this time it was nearly dark.
Imagine, if you can, our suspense dur- ing the time we were waiting for our sa- ble friend's return. Would he be true to the interests of three unknown men, simply upon the statement that they were Yankees? Would not the education of a life time of slavery teach him to side with the strong against the weak, as a matter of policy, knowing that, for him to deliver up to the whites three Yankee officers who had escaped from prison, would give him a local notoriety for fidelity to his master and his master's in- terests, that would make him the hero of the neighborhood, among the white men at least, and probably insure him a re- ward that to him would be riches? or, would he be faithful to his race and peo- ple, by succoring their recognized friends, for it is a fact that none of that race were so ignorant that they did not know that the result of the war was to be to them either freedom or perpetual slavery.
The action taken by the black man was to us a question not of capture, nor of im- prisonment, but of life, for we had fully intended that we would not be recaptured again. If necessary we would die, but be recaptured while we had life or reason
Digiced by Google
1
332
HISTORY OF KOSSUTHI COUNTY.
never! But little was said by either of us, but our thoughts were mirrored in our faces.
About an hour after dark we heard foot-steps stealthily approaching our hid- ing place. Oh, how anxiously we listened! Was there more than one footstep? Yes, there are two of them-we can hear them talking together-what shall we do? Run now, while we have a chance, or wait and fight? If they are after us they will be armed of course. Now, they are coming again! We can hear them breathe!
"Say, Joe, I tell ye dey was de patroles jest follerin' ye, boy; dey wan't no Yan- kees, deys jes tryin' to see wot you'd do if dey was Yankees, and dey'll gib you de debbil!"
"I know better'n dat. Didn't I talk wid 'em, and didn't dey talk Yankee? 'Sides two of dem had on blue coats. Tell ye I know dey was Yankees, and I'se goin' to find 'em an' gib 'em somethin' to eat."
Our fears were gone; our unjust sus- picion removed. We would have been ashamed to have had that faithful fellow know how unjustly we had dealt by him in our thoughts.
We left our lair and joined them at once. A hearty clasp of the hand, and fervent thanks from all of us in turn, soon convinced them that we were indeed Yankees.
A generous loaf of corn-bread and some sweet potatoes, nicely baked in quantities to suit the demand, soon filled our empty stomachs-and it . was wonderful how much brighter our prospects immediately became. Say what we may, there is a
very close affinity between one's stomach and state of mind we call courage. Poorly fed and over-worked troops will not and cannot fight with the courage of fresh troops with well filled stomachs.
Our prospects, that a few moments be- fore locked so dark, were now rose colored.
It was not altogether that we had satis- fied the cravings of hunger, and thereby invigorated our physical powers, that re- newed our courage to endure the hard- ships before us; we now had evidence of the fidelity of the negroes to us as the representatives of the great element of freedom, then in combat with slavery. It was evident to us that we could trust the negroes as a class-not because of any sympathy they had for us personally, but because they appreciated the vital neces- sity of their race in the struggle. The difficulties of the long and dangerous road before us seemed vastly lessened, and to a great extent shorn of their terrors. The majority of the inhabitants along our route were friends; ignorant, it is true; prisoners at large, so to speak, but nevertheless our friends, who would shield us so far as lay in their power; would feed and 'shelter us from our enemies; and to the best of their abili- ty, would aid us on our journey.
These faithful fellows also told us how our first friend had managed to mislead the persons our unfortunate exposure at the church had put on our track. He managed to meet them on the road, with his load of brush, and upon their inquir- ing if he had seen any strangers pass along, replied that he had, and that they had crossed the field and gone off in a di- rection opposite to our place of conceal-
Lg end by Google
333
HISTORY OF KOSSUTH COUNTY.
ment. They, believing his statement, had followed the direction indicated by him.
We were warned, however, that they would probably get the dogs and put them on our track, and as the reader can easily imagine, this did not serve to make us feel any the more secure. We determined to make our greatest efforts in the way of traveling that night; so, securing the rem- nant of our supper, and an old coverlet furnished by our friends, we again start- ed on.
As ill luck would have it, early in the evening we were unfortunate enough to again incur the risk of capture, by rea- son of-as it seemed to us-extraordinary religious excitement among the inhabi- tants. We were traveling along the road, using, as we thought, all due care, when suddenly we came upon a private house, situated near the road, where there was another gathering for religious services. The door was open, and several gathered around it on the outside. We passed along the road, without attracting any particular notice, as we thought then, but taken in connection with our appearance at church the day before, it might serve to put the hounds on our track. We pushed on, however, with accelerated speed and beating hearts. We made a good night's march-traveling at least twenty-five miles, as near as we could judge.
At daylight we again sought the cover of a thicket, and throwing ourselves upon the ground, were soon soundly sleeping.
It would seem, that after our experience of the day before, we would have been sat- isfied to have remained quiet during that day; and so probably we would, had it not
been that about noon we heard the bay- ing of hounds! Were they after us? We listened. They were certainly in the direction of our trail! What should we do? Remain and test the question as to whether the dogs were after us or other game, or should we again risk traveling by daylight? and if after us, give the dogs a long race, even if we should be captured in the end? We decided on the latter course; so, taking our direction from the compass, we started on through the forest -running where the ground would admit of it; and again plunging through the most inaccessible thickets, to delay horse- men if they should attempt to follow us.
About four o'clock in the afternoon we came into an open, cultivated country. Here, great caution was necessary. We were beside a fence-on one side a corn. field, in front and on the other side, an open, uncultivated space. Skulking so as to keep our heads below the top of the fence, we started.
We had nearly reached the end of the field, when on our right, in the corn-field, in a hollow that bad concealed them from our sight, were about twenty negroes of both sexes, two white men and one white woman, engaged in husking corn. They saw us about the same time we did them. There was but one way to do; so straight- ening ourselves up, we walked by them, trying to look as unconcerned as possible.
We passed the field, and on into the woods beyond; then, at the first opportu- nity, we halted, and one of our unmber skalked back to see what effect our and- den appearance had upon the natives in the corn-field. It took but a moment to satisfy ourselves on that score. They had
Din co by Google
334
HISTORY OF KOSSUTH COUNTY.
scattered like a covey of quails at the ap- proach of the linnter-all running, some in one and some in another direction. It was evident that the country would be aroused, and we would have the hunters on our trail, if they were not following us before.
Now then for it boys ! We must gain all on them we can. A short run brought us to a stream of water, and into it we plunged, without a moment's hesitation. Turning our heads down stream, we flonn- dered along; now over huge boulders, then into holes up to our chins, now through shallow rapids and again through the deep still water. We were profiting by the South Carolina "man hunter" in the swamps. The stream was rapid most of the way, and would carry our scent down with its turbulent waters. We must stick to the stream as long as we could. Stop! What is this? A bayon putting into the stream, and overhung with willows on its banks. Here was our refuge. Wading out into the bayou and behind the willows, we were safe from observation, at least.
We had left no track since reaching the stream, and unless the hounds were saga- cious enough to catch our seent from either the air or water, they would be baffled. At all events, it was our only safety.
Hark! did yon hear it? Listen! Yes here they come! Away up the creek, at regular intervals, the baying of the hounds could be distinctly heard. Now then for it! Will they be able to discover our re- treat? Listen! do you hear them? No, they have eeased their infernal howl. Now comes a long pause, and then the
notes of a horn; soon a noise along our side of the ereek was heard! The hunt- ers are upon us! The bayon is reached and crossed-on and on, down the ereek, out of sight and hearing!
Thank God, thank God, we are safe! Hark! not too fast! they are coming back! Nearer and nearer the hounds of the hunt came, on the other side of the creek, and going up again. They have passed us, and again the sounds of the chase die ont, and are heard no longer.
Shivering with cold, we remained in the water until night, and then, exhausted as we were with cold and hunger and ex- citement, traveled during the entire night, making at least twenty-five miles.
Just before daylight it . commeneed to rain, not a drizzling mist, but a regular down pouring rain-as though it had a days work to perform, and meant to get most of it done before noon. A rain that not only wet to the skin, but gave you a good sound pelting beside. The reader will recolleet that it was in October, and even in South Carolina the weather was not as warm as it might be, and the nights especially, were cold and unpleasant. It was no pleasing prospeet-that of crawl- ing into a thicket and lying down in the pelting rain, with neither shelter nor fire. But disagreeable as it was, we hailed the rain with rapture. We remembered the lesson of our man-hunter of the swamps.
"The rain gits us; dogs can't keep the scent after a smart rain." We knew that beyond a reasonable doubt, that the hunt- ers would be able to get on our traek in the morning, and without this merciful rain-sent, as it seemed, by kind Provi-
Da zedby Google
-
HISTORY OF KOSSUTH COUNTY.
335
dence-we should probably be overtaken before night.
Shivering with cold and nearly exhaust- ed by fatigue and want of food, we crawled into a thicket, some twenty rods or less from the highway upon which we had been traveling, and throwing our- selves upon the ground, drew our one blanket, and the old coverlet obtained from our black friend over ns,and sought, by lying close to each other, to retain enough of the natural heat of our bodies, to prevent perishing with cold. Oh, how we did suffer! It required all the force of will of which we were possessed to prevent us from stirring around. It was only by keeping before our minds, con- stantly, the fact that if we attempted to travel, or even stir around among the wet bushes, it would be a very easy matter for the hounds to get our scent again. So with aching bones and chattering 'ecth, we lay there in the rain and waited.
The sun was up, but his rays could not penetrate that dense rain cloud. Oh, what a blessing would have been even a few moments enriched by his cheering beams! If we had only dared, we had the material with which to build a fire and relieve our suffering; but to build a fire would only advertise our exact local- ity for miles. Thus the tedious hours slowly passed.
About noon we were rewarded for our self-denial by seeing two horsemen and five hounds pass along the road. Their business-it required no stretch of the imagination to determine. The men were armed with carbines, and were evi- dently searching for somebody, and we
were strongly of the opinion that we knew who it was.
In the afternoon the sun came out once more, and throwing off our wet blankets, we sunned ourselves in his cheering beams. But still we did not dare to move around much. Our own safety consisted in keeping down the scent. If we started on now through the wet bushes, we could be easily followed, for after our impromptu bath of the day before and our thorough drenching sub- sequently from the rain, it would not re- quire a very sagacious dog to smell us at a quarter of a mile.
We were nearer the road than we thought really safe, but we were afraid that if we attempted to put more distance between ns and the road, we would run more risk of creating a scent that could be caught by the dogs than by remaining where we were.
About 5 o'clock in the afternoon we saw the same men and dogs returning. As they were about opposite to us, one of the dogs, evidently the leader, stopped and threw up his head, snuffed the air for a moment as though there was game near; but the men fortunately did not notice him. After annfling around for a short time, he dropped his head and followed the other two brutes on horseback-on, and out of sight.
Hurrah! we are saved! Not by any skill or foresight of our own, but by the merciful interposition of Divine Provi- dence, in sending the rain, and thus de- priving our enemies of their only means of tracing ns.
We had now been withont food abont twenty-four hours, were cramped and onr
Dgi zedby Google
336
HISTORY OF KOSSUTH COUNTY.
joints stiffened by cold and exposure to the rain; yet we hailed the friendly dark- ness that closed around us, shielding us from observation, with feelings of grati- tude to the Great Giver of all Good. We could endure hunger and fatigue vastly better than we could our enforced inaction.
At the earliest practicable moment, therefore, we were again on the road. Onr greatest need, just then, was food. We were becoming weak, and we knew that unless we could get relief soon, our strength would entirely fail. We knew also that it would not do for us to attempt to visit the negro quarters to procure supplies-that the country was surrounded, and that we were un- doubtedly watched for. The negro quar- ters would, of course, be placed under surveilance. We therefore concluded to depend upon our own resources, or rather upon our ability to forage upon the resources of the enemy, to supply our pressing need. It was late, however, nearly, or quite 12 o'clock at night before we reached the plantations. Immediately ou discerning one, reconnoisance was made and the location of the dwelling house and negro quarters ascertained. Avoiding these, we commenced a search for food. Sweet potatoes are usually abundant on the southern plantations at this season of the year, but we were not able to find any. We found plenty of corn, however, but hard as flint. We also found a quantity of black peas or beans, before described; and this was all we could accomplish in the way of providing a supper. Skirting the plantation we finally reached again the highway be- yond it, and a consultation was had and
all the pros and cons of the situation were discussed.
After dne deliberation it was decided that it would not be safe to build a fire- the light would betray us. We must do the best we could with the raw material. So dividing it between us, we munched the hard, dry corn as we walked.
We were now near the Savannah river, about two miles south of Abbeville, in the parish of Abbeville, S. C. Since our adventure at the church, detailed in a former chapter, we had been obliged to devote all our energies to saving ourselves from a recapture, and had necessarily made many divergencies from our line of march, so that while we had traveled a long distance we had gained but little so far as reaching Sherman's lines was con- cerned. But now we again took up our regular line of march, as there was but one obstacle in our way that caused us much uneasiness. The Savannah river, a deep and rapid stream, was to be crossed, and but two of the party could swim- Spencer and myself. Hatcher must be got over the river in some way, but how ? We had studied on this difficulty for sev- eral days, and had concluded that if we could do no better, to make a raft and float him across, provided we could find the materials with which to construct one. We did not dare to take a boat, because if we left it on the opposite shore from which we took it, the enemy would cer- tainly get on our track. If we turned it adrift after crossing, the missing boat would serve the same purpose, and after our success in getting rid of the hounds in one case, we were determined not to
-
Dazed by Google
337
HISTORY OF KOSSUTHI COUNTY.
have them again on our track if we could avoid it.
Slowly the long night passed away. I say slowly, for we were becoming wretch- edly tired and faint. Long exposure and excitement was beginning to tell upon us. It was only by the exercise of will that we were enabled to move at all. Under or- dinary circumstances neither of us would have believed himself capable of marching an hour. Daylight at length admonished us that we must seek shelter again for an- other twelve hours. It so happened that on this morning daylight overtook us in an open, cultivated part of the country, and the best we could do was to crawl into a thicket in the midst of an open field, where we lay all day, dozing and munch- ing corn alternately. At length darkness again closed around us, and exhausted, footsore and almost disheartened, we again started on our tedious journey.
A road not very well traveled, evidently not a turnpike or public highway, running in the direction we desired to travel, be- ing discovered, we concluded to follow it. This road, unfortunately, as we then thought, led us to a plantation, and di- rectly through the negro quarters. It was early in the evening. The house was sit- nated but a short distance from the quar- ters. It seemed a fearful risk to run, to attempt to pass at so short a distance from the house, and through the quarters so early in the evening. If we had not been so nearly exhausted, we certainly should not have attempted it, but to make a de- tour would involve extra travel, through the forest and woods, and we were just in that state of mind that rather than ineur any extra travel and the bruises and
scratches to our already blistered feet and lacerated limbs, we would rather take the extra risk, so we boldly pushed on. It was Sunday evening. The cabins of the negroes were all, with one exception, closed, and no one stirring. In passing the last cabin I discovered, through the only open door of the row, an old negro apparently alone, sitting before the fire. I instantly determined to apply to him for help, and whispered to my comrades my thonght. They hid in an angle of a fence while I boldly entered the cabin, closed the door and barred it.
* * *
*
By this time our provisions were again exhausted. We were casting about in our minds as to where and how they were to be procured, when beside the road, not more than a dozen rods ahead of us, we saw a bright fire. We determined to re- connoiter the ground carefully, and if we found negroes in charge of it, to make ourselves known, and if possible to pro- cure provisions. So using the greatest care to prevent being seen, we approached near enough to see that a negro, appar- ently alone, was engaged in boiling some- thing in a large iron kettle suspended over the fire.
We at once advanced and engaged him in conversation. We told him who we were, and made known our wants. Ile called his wife, who immediately set about baking a corn pone for us.
We found that he was stealing from his hours of rest, after his daily toil, to make for himself a little sorghum molasses-the material for which had been furnished by his master, upon condition that he should make it after working hours. The corn
Dia zed by Google
338
IIISTORY OF KOSSUTH COUNTY.
pone and molasses, which he liberally fur- nished to us, was taken from his meagre allowance, and no doubt at the expense of actual hunger to himself and his wife. Nothing but the direst necessity would have indneed us to accept food from him under such circumstances. As it was, we took just sufficient to allay the cravings of hunger, and were about to leave him, but mistrusting that we refrained for fear of impoverishing him, he stopped us. "Eat all you want, massa's," he said, "de Lord will provide moe for dis chile. Dar is plenty of it; don't ye be afeard; 'taint as good as it might be, but de Lord bress ye, dar's plenty of it." The generous fellows importunities so far overcame our scru- ples that we accepted from him, in addi- tion to what we had already eaten, a good sized corn cake and about half a pint of sorghum molasses.
With thankful hearts we bade our friends good-bye, and again started on. By daylight we had reached the Etowa river. This is a much smaller stream than the Chattahoochee, and quite shallow. It now being daylight, we again found a thicket, and throwing ourselves upon the ground, were soon soundly sleeping.
At the approach of darkness, we plunged into the river and crossed it without dif- ficulty or danger; but, shortly after cross- ing the stream, the road we were travel- ing led us into a small village. I have been unable to find any record of it on any map-a place where three roads diverged. There was one building, evidently used as a store; there were two or three dwelling houses, and a blacksmith shop. The trouble was for us to select one of the three roads. Near the center of the vil-
lage was a guide-post; upon it were nailed three guide-boards. The village appeared to be buried in slumber. One or two curs welcomed us with noisy barking; otherwise we were unable to discover any signs of life.
It seemed dangerous for us to travel through a village, and yet it was most important that we should be able to select the correct road. We had determined to make Calhoun the point at which to strike Sherman's lines. After consultation, it was determined to risk an examination of the guide-board. So, boldly marching up to it, I mounted Spencer's shoulders, and being elevated by him to the proper height, I struck a match and read the dif- ferent directions, from which we learned that one of the roads lead to Dalorgia, distant twenty miles, one to Cassville, forty miles, and the other to Jasper, ten miles.
The road leading to Jasper was selected. This place, we learned from the map, was the county seat of Pickens county, only forty miles from Calhoun. We deter- mined to make one-half the distance that night, so as to be able to reach our lines the following night.
Unfortunately, about midnight, Hatcher became siek and faint. We had partaken of but one seanty meal of coru cake within the past twenty-four hours. Our long journey, and the hardships through which we had passed, were beginning to tell upon us. Hatcher and Spencer were older prisoners than myself. They had suffered imprisonment at Libby prior to being confined at Macon, and there were very few of those old Libby prisoners who retained sufficient physical stamina
Piattizoo by Google
339
ยท HISTORY OF KOSSUTH COUNTY.
to endure the hardships incident to such a trip. Spencer, however, was and is a man of iron constitution, and his indomi- table will kept him up. Hatcher, a noble, high-minded young man, had evidently concealed from us how nearly exhausted he was, until unable to conceal it longer.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.