USA > Iowa > Statistical roster of the Fifth Iowa Volunteer Infantry > Part 6
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"Yes, " he said. The heard that the Yankees wore all the time get- tog away.
The persanmons that we had eaten for breakfast. dinner, and supper bed about done their duty. making it necessary that we look around for something else, so we tackled 3loses. that being the darky's name. For ar hile he tried to excuse himself, saying it was too far. etc. We offered to go with him. but this he declined to do. and justly too, we thought, for if the rebs huid caught us it would have been bad for him, bis aunt. and After some begging he finally consented to go, but first took us of the road a few rods, and left us by the side of a fallen atree, saying if we would stay there he would go. Somehow he began to doubt us, for he repeated the remark twoor three times. "Will you stay here sure?" We proused him as many times that we would.
It was about midnight when he left us, so werlag there "about two as the way condont we had going the hopes of gettingus on thing to But he was gone so long that we began to have khan's about Moses. because he was so particular to have us "stay theresure," and began to think that he had g me back on us, and was going to have us
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captured. If we had not promised him so positively to remain there w .. would have left a dozen times, bat Moses was true. He did come back with a large load of corn bread, some bolled pork. and a lot of roasted peanuts. How we would like to meet Moses now and give him a dozen or more meals that he would relish as much as we did his.
Moses was about twenty-two years of age. quite smart, and a good talker. Said he knew all about the country and the roads from they clear up to the Blue Ridge mountains, and of course he wanted to gu along and "lead us through the promised land. " We did not want him. and convinced him that it would be dangerous for all of us if cangh . We found out afterward that he did know something about the roads and country, for in describing the roads to us he said that that when we got up near the mountains, in a narrow valley we would come to two jack- oak trees standing in the road just wide enough apart for a wagon to pass through, and right there the road forked: that we should take the left hand road. This place we found some twelve days afterward, just us Moses had described it. We used up about three hours of very inter- esting time with Moses, and after shaking hands with a hearty good-bye; which was from the heart, too. we left him. After making ten miles for the night we went into camp. Our journey most all the way was through a timber country. which made it favorable to hiding. In the fore part of the day we would sleep. the latter part of the day keep in Hiding, and when the weather would permit, we would divest ourselves of our way- ments, and pick from them a small insect. a lineal descendent from Liboy wixon. vulgarly known as grey-backs, the Latin name of which we are unable to give.
At nine o'clock at night. November 30th, we left this place, and. about ten o'clock come to quite a large plantation with a half dozen slove houses about the premises. In one of these there was a light, and it was full of negros , what we're having a party. Moses spoke of this place, say- ing the darkles were all right, and that we should see Bab, who was the boss and would give us something to cat. We erept near the door. and after while a darky came out. Upon our calling him up to us and tell- ing him a true story as to who we were. as we did every other negro we met, he went in and came out with Bob. Bob was glad to see us. at least he said se, and took us into the house. It was full of colored men. women and children. They gave us our sapper. after which we re mained quite awhile. they dancing for us, and listening to our stories about the war, etc. They were quite anxious to hear about Abe Lincoln. and paid strict atention to all we had to say. Captain Page was quite a singer, and when he would sing "Kingdom Verting." it Would be Live the house, and it would make us laugh to say the dates tout Some of them woald almost split their physiognomies in twain, Prab- ably honors were equal. They were no more of a curiosity to as then
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we were to them. After awhile they sent a guide with us, who took us across a field to another Bob's house. Here we slept a few hours and fort car breakfast, after which a Peter took us to the wools for a hiding place. Having spent so much time with the darkies we only made four malles that night. After dark we resumed our tramp, soon met a couple of darkies who gave us our supper, after which we made twelve miles further and camped.
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The following night we went across a field to a road aud affer trainp- ing awhile we lay down on the other side of the fence, expecting to stop som> darky that might be going by. It boing Saturday night we did not have to wait long. until one lone darky come along, whom we halted. He was not expecting anything and of course was considerably frighten- on. We confided our usual story to him, after which he took us to his sister's hous . We soon got there, and as usual, and, also natural. we wanted something to eat. This colored woman, whose husband was then away some place to market. put us in the master's house a nice two- story frame building. They, "the white folks." were gone, think she Said to the war. As she left the room in which she left us she pulled the Good to and locked it. This we did not like, but they had proved so true this we concluded not to offer any objections. After groping around the room in the dark we came across a lot of books, among them being an old sesalatlas. We lighted a match and tore out the page containing a map of North and South Carolina, and put it in one of our pockets. This was inst what we wanted, and provel a fortune to us. We did not disturb anything else, and regroftel this disturbance som. for fear that the darkies might suffer for it when the white folks cam . hymn .. After grille we heard two reports of a gun. We raised the window and sled var hastess. She did not know what it meant. but thought there was no danger. S on her husband came home from the direction of the aring. He said there were two guards at the fork of the road: that they watstopped him, and had taken his eggs and some other things away hon bon: said they were firing just for fun. We wanted to ship out. bot the darkies took it so cool that we concluded to wait for var suppers. which soon came in. They had killed and fried a chicken. which with cor a meal milk, etc. constituted our supper. We ate this in the dark The four a light would expostas. After we had finished our meal the darky guided us through a field and past the picket posts. As soon as he left us we got onto a railroad track, and after marching ten miles we waar into camp for the night in a field, getting into a deep gutter that
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with sticky yellow day. However, as the das hed dawned. we de Ffre con pre Hled to stay until dark.
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CHAPTER INI.
AFTER dark, on December 4th. we came out of the gutter and afte traveling awhile approached a largo plantation where the last darkies said .Hamp lived. We found that the white folks were at home and had not retired yet. This was the first white family we had found at home since our escape. However, there were very few white fammies living in the country. The mon had all gone to the war. and the wouldn and children had moved to the villages and cities to be better protected from the ravages of the war-a much different situation of affairs that was in the north. After evading the dogs and seating up a lot of hogs. we flanked the "white folles' " house and go ground into a shanty where we thought Hamp night live. We were bold enough to rap on the dout and inquire for Hlamp. He was there all right. and said he was glad to see us: took us in, and after talking awhile toid us that a squad of robe! cavalry had passed that day. and advised us to be careful.
He sent another darky up the road to make inquiries, but he som returned having learned nothing. He said that there were some other Yankee prisoners down Ih a felh. so we, darkies and all went down there, and sure enough there were five oficees who had got out of C. umbia since we had. After a pleasant talk. the darkies struck out to different house- and brought us nay suppers. We thought Vost not in ravel together, so after supply we went our ways as before. We heard nothing of them afterwards After marching sixteen miles we were inte hiding.
For the next few nights ve went along about as described. the ex- citement getting somewhat time with us. We were generally fed al directed from one plantation to another by the darkies. of whom it May be said. a bigger-souled people never lived." It rained for a for days and nights and being cod we had a hard time of it though we made from twelve to eighteen allesa night. The longest tramp werden of cape was twenty-eight miles one night good thing another.
On the night of December 10Gr & Vil marcon colorel darky b the name of George. matched with you as he was going our way to his home. He was the most intelligent and best educated of any of the ed- ored men we had met. Arghaga ins destination. he secreted us in the barn in the hay mow, where we hal a good sleep antil long after daylight. In looking around we found that theurge land taken down the oder so that the chitar to
mila pails so as not to create Sur
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Fontaine out. through the cars for the Yarn. we saw a very large
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two-story house with fine surroundings. This being Sunday, and a very nice day, we sat there for quite a while watching the white folks and darkies outside. Presently two young ladies came out and capered around. We watched them for some time. White girls looked good to 's, as we had not seen any for a long time nor spoken to any for over a voar. How we would have liked to have been in a condition to spend he Sunday with them. But this could not be. We were fleeing Yan- ces in an enemy's country, uncouth, footsore, and ragged. If one had occasion to be homesick it was our little crowd sitting there in the barn that fine Sunday afternoon looking through the cracks and watching the white folks as they would come and go out and in the house.
As we have given an account of the most interesting part of our journey through South Carolina. where we were so kindly treated and protected by the negroes-much more so, probably, than we would be willing to do for them-we will leave out part of our journey through South Carolina, not wishing to make our story too tedious, and give a small account of that part of North Carolina, through which we were padded and fed by the Union men. On the night of December 14th, after marching fourteen miles, we went into hiding on the top of a high moun- 'ain peak from which we could look down and from whence we came as fw as the eye could reach. Through the day the sun shone brightly, but the wind was so cold and chilly that we could sleep but little. although we so badly needed it. We could see a house way down in the valley in the direction we proposed to go. so we started on our march quite early. After going some distance we came to a log house on the in't side of the road and a barn on the other side. The valley was nar- row and the hills steep so we thought best to go right by. We knew that there would not be three men there, and less than that number could not take us. Just as we got between the house and barn. a lady who had been milking the cows straightened up somewhat surprised.
MEET A UNION MAN.
We asked her the way to Franklin. She came to us and was mark- ing the way in the road when a bushy, stout looking man came out of the House to where we were. In a little while he said :
"Gentlemen, I guess I know who you are, and if mistaken I offer an spongy. I hear that the Yankees are getting out of Columbia prison pretty fast and I think from your talk that you are some of them. If you are. you need not be afraid for you are in a Union settlement."
While we had been talking. the lady who had been milking came od y ph a dish of apples and passed them around. Then the old gentle- man invited us into the house. After sampling about all of his supper We sat by the fire-place and talked until eleven o'clock. This valley was called Cashier's valley, and the man's name was Zachary. He gave us
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directions and names of Union men for thirty miles ahead. although Le advised us to avoid Franklin. He said the rebel Colonel Thomas was there, with a company of rebel soldiers. In doing this it made our march about fifty miles longer. After we got ready to leave he advises us to go about three miles down the road where we would be a barr He said his two boys were husking corn and were sleeping there. told us to crawl in and sleep with the boys, and in the morning would come to a house three miles further on where we would breakfast. He said the man was in the rebel army, but the wom. would get our breakfast. and we were then as free to continue our march in the daytime instead of nights. We took Zachary's advice, and slept with the boys. In the morning we wended our way to the house for breakfast. When within a hundred yards we saw a rebel major and two soldiers with guns standing on the porch.
TALK WITH A REBEL MAJOR.
We were too close to them to run, so all we could do was to face the music. They had arrived there that morning and had just finished breakfast. We called for ours, which the lady proceeded to prepare. and after having eaten it all of us sat on the porch and talked matter- over We told them a straight, true story. who we were, and what : hard time we had in getting this far to liberty. They seemed to show and express a little sympathy for as. The two majors gor off by them- selves and talked quietly for over an hour. What they said, Page and 1 did not know, but when their conversation was finished we bid one an- other good-bye and parted, they goly their way and we vars. The last words the rebel major said to our major were, "t hope you will find a success of it." These fellows were up in this country gathering up cattle for beef for the rebel army, and it so happened that we ran to- gether. They were good boys. They acknowledged that the Confeder. acy was on its last legs. General Sherman was even then maxing his famous march to to the sea.
Major Marshall was a Mason, and we suspicioned that the rebel major was also one, which had a great deal to do with our getting of so easily. When we visited Major Marshall some twenty-two years after- ward at his magnificent home in Chattanooga. we broached the subject to him. He said there was "nothing in it." "The reason they did not take us was that we were not worth the taking, and it would have beer too much trouble for them to have taken care of us."
We tramped the rest of the day with a little more handity then he fore, and had put twelve miles behind us when we come to the house of which Mr. Zachary advised us to stop. This man's name was Keuzer. and he appeared to be glad to take care of us. We ate our suppers. chatte lovite awhile, then climbed up a ladder to the loft and slept till
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Keuner advised us to stay there a couple of days. He said he had a friend who would be there then, and would guide us through. As he talked of going that way anyhow. so we accepted his hospitality. We spent the day in an old log house of his, located up the side of the mountain on a small level piece of ground, and at night slept at his house on the left. Kenner was a clever man. and had plenty to eat. We would ar down to the house a little early and chat with him and watch IS Kommer get our supper.
COOKING IN A DUTCH OVEN.
Toro were no stoves in that country, but instead every house had . biz the-place in one end of it. Here the cooking and baking was done. The eating was done in a Dutch oven which would be set over some hot coats, then more coals would be placed on the cover, and when it was done it would bake as well as any oven. We saw Mrs. Requer ako de biscuits, then fry the meat in this oven for our supper. and rapper the children, before retiring, would wash their feet : being nice and warm. In the morning it would again fry the I hake the biscuits. They did not, however, ask us to wash our They knew where to draw the line.
CHAPTER IV.
The next day a man by the name of Wood, who was to be our guide. toour camp and spent the day with us. We wished siger that not seen him, though we did make a good trade with him. We 're ich him our old boots that were worn out -- except the red tops. wait he took a fancy too-for his shoes, which were more serviceable. am wasted us through to our lines. We also out the twelve brass but- tors . our coat and sold them to him at five dollars a piece frebel " ... ). At eight o'clock at night we left our kind friends. the Kenners. and order the guidance of Wood continued our march. After going soto ten miles we found that Wood did not know as much about the ro bs and country as we did. He did not know whether we were going with. south. east. or west. We did not either. for that matter, the oizo being quite dark. After tramping around for quite awhile without aus success we spread our blankets and slept till morning. when by mitval consent we parted. Wood going back. On examining our haver- she'ss after Wood was gone we found that he had stolen some little bour- I had whittled out while in Libby prison : a couple of napkin ring -. har buttons, and a watch charm. Many hours were spent in ing and filing on these little trinkets. and if we had them now they " ... not be purchased at any price. Our negro guides would not have
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stolen them. We lay secreted all day, and at night resumed our march, but it was so dark and the country so mountainous that we only made & few miles and went into an old church for the rest of the night, but the weather being so cold we were unable to sleep. In the morning we started out on a dim road or path, when a man who gave his name as Watts overtook us. He knew Mr. Zachary and Mr. Kenner with who. we had stopped. We journeyed along together and finally got up offra high mountain ridge with only a path for a road. These are a part of the. Blue Ridge or Smoky mountains, a broken. straggling lot of hills. ning in spurs, peaks, and chains, with an altitude of over 6.000 feet. v. valleys 2,000 feet below. These mountains are higher than anythi east of the Mississippi river. We had often thought that if this country had been recently discovered, what an opening it would be for the maga- zine writer.
At last we came to the end of this mountain ridge. which has the local name of Chunky Gal. and we could look almost perpendicularly 2,000 feet below. It was so steep a mule could not travel it. Here Watts pointed out a Mr. Al Moore's house down in the valley below. and said that we should stop there. and that he was a Union man. After traveling thirteen miles for the day we came to Moore's. He had been. having considerable trouble with the rebels, they having killed two off his boys and having carried of all his stock. He gave us our sapper after which we slept in his barn. or fodder house, as all barns in il South were called. The next day we marched only a little way and stopped at a Mr. Patterson's, who was scared, and in return scared us He said that the guerillas were around the country. So we went up th side of the mountain, and lay there all day. Don't believe there was a guerilla within fifteen miles of us.
The next day. after our scare was over we went on and came in i. Mr. Ledford's house. Here we were at home and remained for five days. boarded at the house, and through the day we stayed up a ravine h: hij- fodder house. It was now about time for us to do a little washing. needed it. and the Ledfords knew it, too. besides, as we were to spend Christmas with them, a little fixing up was necessary. Mrs. Ledford furnished the soft soap and a big iron pot. so we wont up to the foller house and went at it. We had no change of clothing. so while washing we kept a sharp lookout down the valley so that no charge visitor Should surprise us, or we them. The most important thing our clothes needed. so far as our peace and comfort were concerned, was to get the arthated life out of them by a good seald. At least they would not stand much rubbing. The most durable garments we had ware .. " moglie- end these were made out of rice bags by cuttinga Tale in the bottom in win over our heads and holes out in the sides for your arms. You n:IS! remember that our other clothes were the ones we had on when buien
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prisoners over a year before. The modern tramp would have thrown them away long ago.
The next day we went down to Ledford's. His brother and nephew bad also come over for dinner. Now we had a Christmas dinner all right. Among other things was venison. killed the day before, with au adjunct of apple brandy, called by them apple-jack. In these valleys they raised a great many apples which were worked up into brandy. The little worms, or distilleries, were about as numerous in this country as the old cider mills used to be in Pennsylvania, and most every house like Ledfords had a quantity of this apple-jack in store. It had one vir- tue. It was pure. The furniture and culinary departments of Ledfords
Was very seant. We sat on benches, ate from broken dishes with broken forks and wooden spoons. Table-cloths were also something they didn't have, but these inconveniences did not mar our pleasure any, and poor Mrs. Ledford, who was so good and kind. knew that apologies were not necessary. There was but one needle in the house, and this would go the rounds among the neighbors. These stories may seem a Hitle doubtful. but they are nevertheless true. These were things that the South could not make, and all trafhe with the North was cut off and had been for over three years.
On the 27th we left this Ledford's and after going some little dis- toned spent the rest of the day and night with the other Ledford. and on the 29th we Started on our journey again with Kit Ledford, a lad of about twenty-one years, as a refugee and guide, though the latter we did not need. We had heard of eleven more escaped prisoners over in another vahey. so we went over to where they were, and found them very tired They had got out of Camp Sorghum some time after we Jid. bat they had traveled much faster and with not halt the interesting pleasure that we bad. There were too many of them. but in our party there was just the right number to get around easily and extract what little fun there might be in the business.
We found young Zachary hore also. one of the young men we had slept with in Cashier's valley some two weeks before. He wanted to come with us, but not having his father's consent, we would not take him. Including three refugees, our party now numbered sixteen. We then moved along as fast as our sore feet feet would allow, making some thirteen miles, and towards night going into a vacant house to sleep. The boys did not all have blankets. and as it was very cold we could uot sleep much. so we concluded to continue our march until morning and then try and sleep through the day when it would be warmer. We indreand four miles and camped in the woods, where we slept until i . Resuming our journey we flanked the town of Murphy and care to the Hiawassa river. We awakened the ferryman, who took us gege ss. We paid him a little rebel money, and our thanks which were worth
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about as much as the money The ferryman toll us that a man by ti. name of Blythe would give us something to eat. We awakened him :: he gave us all he had, which would have been enough for three or four. but did not go far for so many. We marched a little further and w . . into another vacant house by the roadside. but could not sleep mue .. In the morning we found the ground covered with six inches of stone. unusual for this country. We marched the rest of the day. and at rial come to a little village. Here the citizens distributed us arving . different houses. Page. Marshall. and myself in one house. They gavedes a good supper. We apologized some for our ragged and dirty conditie. and told our hostess that if she would give us a couple of quilts w would sleep on the floor and not soll or pollute the beds. She remarked that the sheets were easier washed than the quilts, so we piled into bed-the best we have had for years.
It was fortunate for us that we were getting towards home. for ir the morning the thermometer registered at zero. They said it was never so cold there before this. We were now in Union territory. the only nine miles to Sweet Water. a station on the Chattanooga & Koox- ville railroad. In going there we found the road very circuitous around a low bottom land. so we took across the bottom. and while doing this we saw the first Union picket post a mile or so to the left of us, and to way surprise they let us pass in without being questioned. We arrived ar the station at two o'clock P. M .. January 1, 1865, finding the pls : guarded by a company of Union soldiers. The captain in conana! asked us how we got around the picket post. We told him that ve Banked them. that we saw them, and they saw us. He sent out another. party and had them come in. when they were probably censured.
We waited at the station until about four o'clock, when the pas -- enger train came along. We made a rush to get aboard. but here we were snubbed. the first snubbing we had received for a good while. guard stood on each platform. and it was his duty to let no one on unless he had a pass and a ticket. These we did not have. We had courage and perseverance, and enough of it to get us on the platform. Captain Page, who was generally known to have his own way, pushed the guard to one side and went in. the rest of us following. Still, there was hio one to blame. The guard was only doing his duty, and when the con- ductor came around we told him our story that bad now been repeated over a hundred times. This was equal to a pass to Knoxville. where we arrived about dark. and reported to the post commander who gave us supper once again at the expense of the United States government, aud at bed time put us in the soldiers hospital and gave us each a nice little cot to sleep on. But we were so clated and light hearted over our sur- cessful escape and prospects of soon being at home that we could not sleep much. The joy of a year had come to us.
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The next morning he gave us each an entire new suit of blue. sol- lier's clothes, but before discarding our old ones we put them on and went up town in search of a photographer. No caravan in passing ugh the streets woukl have excited any more curiosity than we did. There were twelve of us who had our pictures taken in a group, four of Fur party for some reason or other not being with us. This picture can on be seen at the writer's home. This picture can also be seen in Lossing's History of the Rebellion. He narrates on it as a group of velagrees who fled from west North Carolina to escape persecution. and came into our lines for protection." Mr. Lossing was off his base. After having the picture taken we went back to the hospital and had a bath, after which we put on our new clothes. and we certainly did feel queer. On January 3rd. we received transportation, each for his des- tination. We arrived at our home in Marshalltown, Iowa, January 11, 1465. being gone just three years and six months to the day.
[THE END. ]
(WE very much regret that we are unable to give the author's pic- there from the Prisoner's Group. It was the intention, but an accident prevented it. 'See portrait on page 73.)
Nous detober 25th. 1997: There have been many hindrances to the isine of this nos. and many comrades have doubtless thought it was "pit." But not so, here we are. Suite the subject matter of this edition went to the printer. our Reunion of 1-27 has come .drie. Twentyeight commeles were present.
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