USA > Iowa > Page County > History of Page County, Iowa : also biographical sketches of some prominent citizens of the county > Part 26
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"Whose orders?"
"Anderson's-no, only reserved by his orders."
"Aha, I understand. Anderson was right," and spurring forward, he left me to anything but pleasant reflections.
Reserved !- and for what purpose? I racked my brain vainly and to no purpose, to arrive at a solution. The officer said he "understood it." Perhaps he did, but it was far from affording me any consolation at the time. I did not understand it and it was a source of much anxiety and trouble to me. I learned some days afterward who this man was and how he had joined the band without my observing him. He had joined us with the scout the day before but being then dressed in the common garb of the guer- rillas, he had not attracted my attention. He was an officer of Price's army at home on "leave," and had joined Anderson to insure his greater safety in returning to the Missouri river-thence to his command in Texas.
Brief as had been Anderson's notice of me, it certainly produced a re- markable effect with his men and tempered somewhat their former harsh treatment of me. I became less the object of their rude threats and jests- less espionage followed my every motion and I must confess the conduct of my two guards (Richard Ellington and Him. Litton) became familiar and kind to a certain degree, and probably to as great an extent as circum- stances admitted. They had always favored me from the hour of my capture.
The march was continued for a distance of about ten or fifteen miles, when another halt was made for the purpose of the men procuring some- thing to eat and of feeding the horses. We were near a cultivated field, the brush and timber consisting of a grove of about five acres, lying along the side of this farm. For greater security from observation we had entered
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this timber and encamped. The horses were all fed and a squad detailed to go and procure some provisions for the men.
Scarcely twenty minutes had elapsed before this detail came galloping back, helter skelter, through the brush, yelling aloud: "The Yankees are coming! The Yankees are coming !"
"Ride as though hell was after you!" shouted another. Without await- ing orders as was their custom, each guerrilla sprang to his horse and sad- dle and in less time than it takes to write it, formed by twos in column, and, led by Anderson, dashed out of the brush into the road by which we had en- tered it. Hope once more rose in my heart and the conviction of chances for speedy release grew strong, as the loud boom! boom! of a field piece was heard directly in our advance and a six pound shell came whizzing over our heads and burst with a loud crash among the timber, one hundred yards on our right. The guerrillas halted for a moment when another shell, nearly in line with the former set them in rapid motion. The column moved hastily by the left to the rear and making a half circle of the line of the timber. vinerged from the brush on the opposite side of the farm from that occupied by the federal troops. They had been for the moment, badly frightened, but upon emerging from the trap in which they were so nearly caught, and meeting a broad expanse of open prairie before them, with a loud shout of derision they galloped away toward an eminence in the distance. Lo! the God of vengeance is surely on their path, for no sooner did we reach the spot commanding as it did a view for miles of the undulating landscape than they thought there were "twenty Richmonds in the field." for the entire country seemed dotted over with squads of federal cavalry. The artillery had unearthed the game and now the chase began.
At a glance their bold leader saw and at once comprehended his peril, With a shout of peculiar character and interpreted instantly by the guer- rillas, Anderson wheeled and dashed by the column at full speed to its rear. halting immediately by my side. This was a trying moment for me. Here then was to be the end. I had no possible hope of being carried a "pris- oner through their peril." I had been reserved thus far through all, only to meet my fate, when love of life grew strong in the hope of liberty and that liberty almost in my grasp!
Anderson sat upon his horse, gazing long and intently after the flying, retreating men, who had formed the strength of his command, while the few men who remained cast restless and impatient glances at their leader, anon, changing their direction toward myself. I thought they only awaited his word to consign me, a bleeding corse to the other world. I shut my heart to every emotion and awaited the signal. It came at last. But merci- ful Heaven! how very different from what I anticipated. Anderson turn- ing quickly in his saddle and looking straight at me exclaimed :
"Prisoner, you must now ride for your life! Boys, we all must !"
And away, away, following the lead of their companions, over the prai- ric dashed the little squad, Anderson leading the advance by some ten or fif- teen paces, on, on, twice during the next hour, avoiding only by the eagle glances and acute perception of their leader, several detachments of federal
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cavalry in our route. It was a most exciting ride and ever and anon the sharp rattle of distant musketry proclaimed that some of the guerrillas were not so fortunate as we in avoiding an encounter with the foe. For hours, without drawing rein or in any way checking the speed of our horses, we rode in retreat. Once about noon Anderson detached himself from the com- mand, with orders for us to pursue as far as practicable our direction in a given course, and wheeling his horse suddenly to the left rode toward a grove or thicket situated some two miles away. I noted a significant glance pass between the men as he rode away but it was not made a subject of re- mark and I was left in total ignorance as to his purpose. At last the guer- rilla who now acted as leader ordered us to draw rein and give our horses the benefit of a partial rest from their exertions of the past few hours. We had made a wide circuit and were not approaching the grove toward which Anderson had ridden about an hour before but were about to enter a similar piece of brush and timber, nearly one mile south of the former. Suddenly our leader halted and with a quick gesture called our attention to Anderson, who was approaching us at a rapid gait from the grove last mentioned. He was soon by our side and told us a federal vidette or outpost was estab- lished beyond this timber, and his sudden appearance was all that saved us from riding squarely into it. I noticed our leader and Anderson conversing in low tones together, shortly after, and changing our course we turned and rode in a northern direction. About half past four o'clock we entered a heavy piece of timber and after riding some twenty-five minutes, we came upon a camp in which we found some twenty of the guerrillas, who had parted from us that morning. They were some of Todd's men who had a brush with some of the federal cavalry, in which one or two of the men were badly wounded. One by one, squad after squad reached this point and I was somewhat surprised to observe many of them drunk. Todd was drunk as a lord and evidently in a bad humor. From the evidences to be noticed around, this spot had served them as a camp or general rendezvous for some time past and rough shelters had been constructed of poles, bark and boughs, presenting a rude but very fitting and perfect attribute of their ways of life. They seemed to possess some sort of a depository or commis- sary establishment here and both "grub and whisky" were dispensed with a very liberal hand. The consequence might easily be foreseen. By night nearly the whole command, Anderson and Todd included, were drunk even to madness. God help me, I never witnessed so much profanity in the same space of time before nor since and it is my earnest desire, I never may again. They whooped, ran, jumped and yelled like so many savages. Once Anderson, leaping on a horse, rode wildly through the crowd, firing his revolvers indiscriminately and yelling like one possessed. I trembled for my own safety. I felt that no man was safe when reason had succumbed to madness and all the brutal passions of fiends ran riot. My guards, how- ever, were true as steel to their trust and as far as possible preserved me from demonstrations of violence. At last, worn out with revelry, one by one the guerrillas sank upon the ground and were soon buried in the stupor of a drunken sleep. During the night it rained tremendously. I had lost my
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hat during the day, had neither coat, blanket nor vest, and with but an apology for shirt and breeches, I sat and endured it all. How very perverse is fortune! Here, with nearly all my captors buried in a drunken sleep, from which it would require a blast of Gabriel's trumpet to awaken them, I needs must have two guards who "never drank" to stand between me and this golden opportunity of escape. Tectotalers were below par in my esti- mation just then.
Upon leaving the camp in the wood, those of the guerrillas who had been wounded in the skirmish of the federals and Todd's men, together with the arms captured at Johnson's defeat, were left at this point. I witnessed here a specimen of "guerrilla surgery" as practiced by them. One fellow had a very bad gunshot wound in the hand who, neglecting to properly care for the same, found to his sorrow that it would require some severer treatment than he had administered to effect a cure. In fact, his hand was in an awful condition, swollen dreadfully, while all the parts adjacent to the wound seemed a living mass of putrefaction, overrun with maggots. The only remedy I ever knew applied was pouring oil of turpentine upon the inflamed mass, and greatly to the surprise of the operator as well as myself, it cured the patient.
A council of war was held the morning following the night of the drunken revel and it was therein determined to divide the force into small squads, appointing at the same time a spot at which to reassemble for the purpose of crossing the Missouri river. They seemed to agree that the country was so thoroughly excited by their acts at Centralia and the subsequent fight that no efforts would be spared to procure their capture and it would prove very dangerous for so large a body to remain together. They had no artillery and could not expect to cope successfully with their pursuers in the field and they did not look for another opportunity to strike a blow until the federal troops were withdrawn. They therefore agreed to disband, with the previous understanding that on such a date all the living would reassemble to again commence their operations.
A few were ordered to remain in the immediate service of their chiefs, as guards, scouts, messengers and for such other purpose as he might require. Both Anderson and Todd now appeared and their detail also, appareled in federal uniform, taken probably from the dead bodies of the slaim soldiers at Centralia, and the field that witnessed the inhuman butchery of Johnson's men. The camp was left in no regular order as to time or numbers but as each squad got ready they struck out. Anderson, Todd,-with probably twenty men in all-including my guard, and I, left soon after the close of the council. We traveled hard all day until near sunset when a halt was made close beside an old church. My guards were ordered here to take me ahead. some distance ahead. I pondered upon this order for a long time and thought it boded no good to me but I am not aware at this moment that this halt and council related to me in any manner whatever. I am far more in- clined to the opinion that the old church marked some secret depository of the stealings of these free-booters and wholesale robbers. After a delay of probably half an hour Anderson and his men came up, and observing
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shortly after this, some farm houses, we were directed to scatter and pro- cure something to eat. The house at which we stopped, fortunately for me, happened to contain a thorough Union advocate in the person of the hostess. Learning my position as a prisoner among the guerrillas and the only one left of all they had captured at Centralia, she opened her sympathetic heart and under one pretense and another, succeeded in detaining my guerrilla friends until she was satisfied I had eaten and drunk all that I prudently ought, considering I had been before nearly half starved."
We all encamped close by this neighborhood and obtained a good night's rest. I slept tolerably comfortable, as I had on Anderson's old coat which he gave me when he adopted the federal officer's uniform. In the morning, feeling very much refreshed, we once more mounted and pursued our. jour- ney. On that morning we passed a short distance from Rocheport and stopped at a house near the town. Two ladies came out to greet us and Anderson held a long conversation with them. They evidently imparted some intelligence unexpected, for he called Todd forward and after a moment's consultation Todd returned and sent a man to procure a fine look- ing mare that was feeding in a pasture belonging to the premises. This animal was saddled and bridled in lieu of Anderson's horse and the guerrilla chief rode away from the premises as though "all right, title and interest thereunto belonging" were vested in himself. We proceeded more leisurely this day, traveling but a very few miles before noon, when we again halted' at a large farm house. The woman of the house and an old looking man came out to greet us at the gate. There was much shaking of hands and all seemed highly pleased to see Anderson and his men. Their reception of me was not so cordial when told who I was. We here met with a recruit- ing officer belonging to Price's army. Observing the dress of the men, he had taken the guerillas for federals and hastily secreted himself in the house. The old man went back to the house and soon reappeared in company with this doughty knight of the Lone Star. He was a Texan and as we found afterward preferred the service of recruiting to active service in the field. He and Anderson held a long private interview, which resulted in his becon- ing one of our party. Anderson presented the two young ladies of this family with a handsome shawl each, which he took from a roll of "plunder" in his saddle bags. That night we lay encamped in the brush and so close to Rocheport, we could witness the burning of a part of the town, which had been fired by a detachment of federal cavalry who had been temporarily stationed here and had just returned from participating in the hunt for Anderson. They had orders to abandon the post and were making prepar- ations to do so by the light of the conflagration. We could distinctly hear their bugles sound the "troop" or "assembly," and watched them eagerly as they formed their column and marched away. This then accounted for the slow and cautious movements, confined to the cover of by-roads and un- frequented paths made by the guerrilla chieftain on that day, and I have no doubt he was informed of all the proceedings he witnessed as taking place from the lips of the ladies ( ?) at whose house he was so warmly welcomed, hours before he saw them transpire.
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Another day's weary traversing of timbered brakes and hollows, bypaths and old blind roads and totally devoid of incident worth recording, and again late in the dusky eve we reached a miserable log shanty, situated in the timber, whose sole inhabitant consisted of a most villainous looking, cad- averous specimen of the genus homo-a guerrilla, and the custodian and keeper of the surplus wealth of the band invested in horse flesh. There were a number of splendid horses said to be the personal property of their chieftain, while many others and good ones too, were public property. We camped here during the night. From the nature of the surface of the country over which we had passed that day I began to think we were approaching the Missouri river and ere long I was assured of the fact by hearing the steam whistle sounding in the distance. I was told it proceeded from the ferry- boat at Boonville on the river. This was welcome news to me, as I had fully determined to risk attempting an escape as soon as they undertook the passage of that river. The whistle was repeated several times and I ob- served its direction and tried hard to retain it, but a few hours rambling amid the brush and cross roads of the country on the following day com- pletely obliterated all idea of the location of Boonville. Another short but painful march and the guerrillas reached their camp or rendezvous near Maxwell's Mill.
Again mounting we started for "Harkers," the point before indicated as the spot of rendezvous for all who designed to cross the river and risk further service under the leadership of Anderson. When a short distance from the house, we suddenly met another party of guerrillas who mistaking us for "feds" fired a volley which fortunately harmed no one. We ar- rived at Harkers and remained there one day longer than was originally in- tended before attempting the passage of the Missouri, a very heavy and violent storm on the night of our arrival having interfered somewhat with the plans of their chief. At Harkers large numbers of the citizens of the country came into our camp and many and repeated were the congratulations extended between their friends and the guerrillas. Anderson came in for a large share of these attentions and I, too, was somewhat worthy of "note" as I was frequently pointed out as the "sole survivor" of all the enemies they had captured. This operated very singularly upon different individuals and it is so powerfully affected the "budding murder" in one youth's heart- a mere boy-he repeatedly begged and petitioned to be allowed to kill the "d-n Yankee."
On the evening of the tenth day of my imprisonment, or rather of my captivity, the guerrillas bade a final adieu to their old stamping ground and to their confederates at Harkers. Everything was hurry and confusion un- til the column was in motion, when by express orders, perfect silence was preserved. We rode some six or eight miles and struck the Missouri river at a point about one mile above Rocheport. For some reason the spot did not meet Anderson's approval and we turned back, passing through Roche- port and again came to the river some three miles below. The night was dark, with nothing but starlight to guide a search. I had made up my mind in the confusion likely to attend their embarkation, to accept all risks and at-
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tempt my escape. I had everything to gain-only one thing to lose-my life! I thought of those I loved at home better than my life and I was will- ing to risk the sacrifice of that life, to reach them once more. You can well imagine then, how closely and how eagerly I watched every preparation that was being made. What a jealous eye I kept upon my guard to observe if possible if any additional restraint was to be applied to me. I eagerly . listened for every word that fell within my hearing to learn the exact dis- position made concerning the manner of their crossing the stream. I soon learned they had but thirteen skiffs, holding say from five to eight men, ac- cording to size. The men only were to occupy these boats-leading and swimming the horses By a rough estimate I calculated that three trips made by the skiffs would transfer them all and I was now concerned lest I should fall among the first installment. I was thinking of Fayette and the federal soldiers there and had no desire to cross the "Rubicon" that would crush my hopes and defeat my plans. At last, chance informed me that my guards and I would be among the last to pass over the stream and I con- cluded to seize the moment of confusion attending their first trip as the golden opportunity for the trial I was about to make. I was soon to take a step attended with eminent peril-a failure insuring certain death! I was closely surrounded by many of the most heartless and desperate men the world ever knew. Yet, I had one, and only one chance in my favor. It was this: For a day or so back, since in fact, my conversation with the gentleman where the guerrillas had left me alone by the yard gate, I ob- served that I was granted more liberty of action and had frequently moved about among the men going from spot to spot, without my guards follow- ing me or exercising any apparent surveillance over me.
The moment for the trial I had resolved to make, came at last. The men of the command were busily engaged in removing saddles and bridles from their horses and preparing their lead halters. The first lot who were to cross were by the boats-the skiff being first occupied by the men and many of the horses in the water, or about to enter it. All immediately near the river bank were in a state of bustle and much excitement prevailed. Some of the horses proved restive and the attempt to force them into the water momentarily increased the confusion. At this juncture one of my guards said, "You watch the prisoner, I want to go and see the start," and as he spoke he moved away toward the boats. A moment after, some sud- den and increased excitement by the riverside attracted the attention of my remaining guard and he moved about a rod in that direction. I seized the opportunity and walked rapidly away from the spot and directly into the crowd of men and horses near me. I passed carelessly through the crowd and emerged near to a dense mass of bushes and brush wood on the river side. I hastily entered this thicket and walked as rapidly as I could some two hundred yards and stopped to listen if my absence had been noted. My breath came fast and my heart beat so rapidly it almost made me faint and sick. I was very much excited. I listened with every nerve of my being strung to its utmost tension, expecting every sound to hear the shout of the fiends in hot pursuit. Ten seconds seemed an hour-the time only, I prob-
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ably paused to ascertain if I had been missed. Reassured, I hastened forward and was suddenly arrested in my course by distinctly hearing the tramp of horses' feet and evidently approaching in the direction of myself. I had but just reached an old road and I hastily drew back into the brush and secreted myself. Four mounted men passed by-guerrillas doubtless, on their way to join Anderson. Thank God, I thought! They were not in search of me ! I now paused a few moments and sought out the North star as a guide on my course. I walked with all the speed and vigor I possessed and suddenly emerged from the brush in full view of a house, about the yard of which stood hitched, ready bridled and saddled, some six or seven horses. I was strongly tempted to turn guerrilla for the nonce and appropriate one to my especial use but I reflected that comfort and ease in this case might not be the best method of insuring safety, so I made a wide detour and passed this spot without meeting any one from whom I might have obtained some information as to my locality. My earnest desire was to reach Fayette but I was in absolute ignorance as to the proper direction for me to pursue. It was the only military post I had any knowledge of in the country and I knew that much depended on how near I was to it, in considering my chances of success in my escape from the guerrillas. Again, I had every rea- son to believe that Anderson meditated active operations soon and why not he direct his force against Fayette? I was then anxious to reach the post and at least place its commander on his guard. I felt very much exhausted. Physically, the excitement had proven too much for me and with slow and wearied step I wandered through the woods until about daybreak, when I entered a road whose beaten way indicated considerable travel upon it. Here was a sign post and clambering up to the board at the top I read by the un- certain light of the early morn the inscription thereon. I had only traveled, so it informed me, eight miles from the point where I left the river and yet, doubtless twenty more would not make up the distance traversed by me on that night, so devious and uncertain had been my course. I was very weak and tired and feeling it would be very injudicious to travel by daylight, I sought me out a shelter wherein I might find rest. Looking about me I ob- served an old tobacco shed in a field and I made for it. I found it partly filled with hay and I crept into it, and making a snug nest I enjoyed this welcome retreat with all the unctious delight manifested by a grandee in his daily siesta.
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