THE LIBRARY OF THE 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF 
 
 NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 AT CHAPEL HILL 
 
 THE COLLECTION OF 
 NORTH CAROLINIANA 
 
 PRESENTED BY 
 
 Belle P. Scharnagel 
 
 CB 
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 FOR USE ONLY IN 
 THE NORTH CAROLINA COLLEC 
 
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 J. R. PHILLIPS 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 After earnest soliciation I have prevailed on my 
 father to write out some of the events of his romantic 
 and eventful career. One main ommission I see in his 
 sketch is that he has nowhere mentioned the many 
 deeds of loving kindness he has shown to the needy 
 and numerous gifts to the church and to every deserv- 
 ing person or object that came to his notice, and they 
 have been many. In his humility he follows the in- 
 junction ''Let not thy left hand know what thy right 
 hand doeth". In the pioneer days of Marion county 
 he acted as physician, dentist, arbitrator of disputes, 
 and business and spiritual adviser. His time, 
 patience, and power have seemed to be unlimited. A 
 keen sense of humor and ability to tell and enjoy a 
 joke have made him friends and made his companion- 
 ship delightful. 
 
 His immense energy and dynamic force have 
 manifested themselves, not only in a material way, 
 but more than all in a religious devotion and ap- 
 plication of the teachings of the Bible. He read 
 to and with his children and encouraged us to mem- 
 orize verses and chapters from the sacred volume. 
 He taught us to sing. How well I remember the 
 family group sitting by the fire. My father in the 
 center leading and beating time to the music, every 
 child imitating in tone and gesture. My mother, even 
 then, was generally busy and would sing her songs 
 while cooking, washing, ironing or mending. I have 
 never heard sweeter music than her low tones on 
 "Come, come, come, to the Savior," O love divine how 
 sweet thou art," and other old songs of Zion. Our 
 attendance at religious service was just as regular as 
 the Lord's Day came with every extra opportunity the 
 time and locality afforded. After all these years and 
 as they grew old their lives prove that ''The path of 
 the just is as the shining light that shineth more and 
 more into the perfect day." 
 
"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the council 
 of the ungodly nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor 
 sitteth in the seat of the scornful but his delight is in 
 the law of the Lord and in His law doth he meditate 
 day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the 
 rivers of waters, that bringeth forth his fruit in his 
 season. His leaf also shall not wither and whatso- 
 ever he doeth shall prosper." 
 
 I could not find a passage anywhere that in every 
 word, phrase, and sentence more aptly describes my 
 Father's life than the first Psalm. As the years have 
 passed he has grown from grace and his saintliness and 
 Christliness have ever increased. His life is and al- 
 ways will be an inspiration and benediction to us, his 
 children. 
 
 MRS BELLE PHILLIPS SCHARNAGEL. 
 Tuscaloosa, Alabama, July 26, 1923. 
 
MY LIFE STORY 
 
 By J. R. Phillips 
 
 The subject of this sketch was born on the 18th of 
 October, 1837, in Jonesville, Surrey Co., North Carolina. 
 My father's name was John Spencer Phillips, a son of 
 Phillip Phillips and Susannah Spencer. Phillip Phillips 
 was one of five brothers and five sisters who emigra- 
 ted from Scotland and settled in New Jersey. My 
 father was born in 1810 and died in 1844. He was af- 
 flicted when a boy with rheumatism and white swelling 
 which caused a stiffening in the joint of his right leg. 
 He could not straighten this limb, and had to walk on 
 crutches. His parents bound him as an apprentice and 
 he learned the tailor's trade. My father's father died 
 before my remembrance, but I well remember his 
 mother. 
 
 My mother, Susan Hastings Roberts, was born in 
 1818, and died at my home in Alabama in 1882. She 
 had been blind five years. My mother's parents were 
 John Roberts and Nancy Cockerhan. John Roberts 
 was the youngest of sixteen children. His father was 
 Olive Branch Roberts a veteran of the Revolutionary 
 war. Grand mother Roberts lived to be over a hundred 
 years old, and stayed alone in her own house after the 
 death of Grandfather. 
 
 Aunt Jennie Roberts, sister of Olive, acted as a 
 scout for Francis Marion during the Revolutionary war. 
 Women often assisted the patriots as scouts, riding 
 wild horses which they took up when needed. Aunt 
 Jennie swam Yadkin River to carry a message, hidden 
 on her person. She was crippled in the service. I 
 might have been a Secessionist but for Aunt Jennie's 
 influence. She told me so much of the hardships and 
 privations of our forefathers to gain American inde- 
 pendence. 
 
 I was about seven years old when my father died, 
 leaving Mother the full burden of bringing up a family 
 
 5 
 
of small children. She taught us habits of industry, 
 thrift and morality. A few books she gave me, besides 
 the Bible, which she taught us daily. One book was 
 "The Discontented Squirrel", another was "Thomas 
 and Harry" and another was "Thrifty and Unthrifty". 
 In each of these virtue was rewarded and vice punished. 
 She encouraged me to hear certain cases tried at court 
 at Rockford, the county seat of Surrey Co. One trial 
 was that of a prominent singing master, named Todd, 
 who was convicted of passing counterfeit money. 
 Grandfather got some of it. Todd was whipped thirty 
 nine lashes; he hollowed each time the lash struck: "O 
 Lord! O Lord!" One old man kicked at the sheriff 
 when he was whipped. I saw a woman named Elisa- 
 beth Pig, tried for child murder. John A. Gilmore, 
 Attorney, cleared her. At court whiskey and brandy 
 were sitting around in buckets. These things made a 
 lasting impression on me. Father's people would drink 
 no whiskey, nor sell negroes. They were too conscien- 
 tious to trade in these things. Mother's people would 
 do both. 
 
 When Father died. Mother turned me over to a 
 trusty negro who taught me to work. His name was 
 Gabe. I loved him. He was a good religious negro 
 and wanted me to do right. I would work with him 
 through the day and many nights we would 'possum 
 hunt. He slept in the kitchen and would skin his game 
 at night. I would enjoy v/atching him. Often I would 
 get sleepy and crawl up in his bed and sleep there all 
 night. Mother would laugh at me for sleeping with 
 Gabe. Mother sold out and moved to Fannin Co., 
 Georgia, when I was about fifteen years old. I never 
 went to school any more. 
 
 I was the oldest of five children, by my mother's 
 first husband. Thomas, the next oldest, fell off of a 
 log, where he and I were playing, while we were on a 
 visit to Uncle Ambrose Roberts, Mother's brother. 
 This resulted in his death. The next older was a girl, 
 
 6 
 
Sister Ann. She married Dolph Grey. They moved 
 to the Cherokee Nation, near Tahleqhuh, Indian Terri- 
 tory. Here they reared a large family, and are still liv- 
 ing there. Mother's youngest child was a boy, his name 
 was Spencer. He died in infancy. The one younger than 
 Sister Ann was named Micagah. He was Mother's pet. 
 He was a mighty good boy There was no mischief or 
 foolishness about him, while I was considered a mean, 
 mischievious chap, who delighted in worrying good 
 boys, mostly because they would not engage with me 
 in mischief. I am inclined to think that at times he had 
 a grudge at me yet in remembrance of the treatment 
 I gave him in our boyhood days. I remember on one 
 occasion my mother would spend the night with her 
 mother, during her last illness, a distance of three miles. 
 He wanted to go with her. On one occasion I 
 went with her to the gate where the road led out of the 
 field, to open the gate for her as she was on horseback. 
 He followed along crying and said he was going too, 
 and refused to go back with me. Mother told me to 
 take him back with me if I had to drag him back, as that 
 was no place for children. I had to throw him down 
 and hold him until she was gone. He was in such a pas- 
 sion that he tried to curse and swear but did not make 
 much success as we had never been associated with that 
 class. I had to drag him most of the way back. He 
 married into a prominent family in North Carolina, who 
 were distantly related to the Cherokee Indians. Soon 
 after his marriage he moved to Indian Territory and 
 got possession of a large tract of that fertile land. He 
 reared and educated a large family of children. He 
 gained considerable wealth in the agricultural and 
 stock raising business. During the days of the oil 
 boom, they all accumulated fortunes. They are still 
 in that country. 
 
 About this time Mother married the second time. 
 She had two girls by her second marriage. The oldest, 
 Cenora, moved to Oklahoma and died there. The 
 
 7 
 
youngest one, Sarah, still lives in North Carolina. I 
 was obedient to her husband, and we got along all right 
 for a long time until he imposed on me, I thought, and 
 we did not get on well at all after that. I ought to state 
 that Grandfather Roberts gave me a nice little silver 
 mounted rifle when we left North Carolina. Mother 
 was fearful that there would be serious trouble between 
 us and told me that I could go out and work for myself. 
 She was one of the best women, I thought, in the world. 
 I never remember seeing her in an angry humor, nor 
 heard h*er speak an unkind word of any one. She gave 
 me an interest in a small piece of land and I went to 
 work and built me a log house and lived the life of a 
 bachelor. I set out an orchard and went to farming. 
 I cannot remember my exact age at that time but was 
 a little over sixteen, I think. Those lonesome nights 
 and wet days I spent my time in reading and learning 
 to play on a fiddle I had bought. I had a real good 
 time. When I built my log cabin I procured a large 
 auger, bored the holes, at the proper distance apart, in 
 the logs of the house, got a piece of timber and made 
 bed posts, bored two holes in it and made what was 
 known as a Georgia bedstead. I got a froe and rove 
 out boards the right length and laid them across some 
 slats and weather beams to put my bed on. I made 
 my dining table from the same material. In covering 
 my cabin I used small logs a little longer than the logs 
 in the building to project out over the ends for weather 
 protection of the wall. To lay my four-foot boards on 
 for a covering the last log across the building at the 
 ends was a little longer than the others. I then laid a 
 piece of timber on for the boards to butt against a prop- 
 er distance from the wall to protect the walls from the 
 dripping of the eaves, then placed out poles on the top 
 of the boards a proper distance apart to hold the boards 
 in place. My chimney, I made of what was then called 
 stick and dirt, thus my house was finished without ex- 
 pense of buying nails as I had no money. It was all my 
 
 8 
 
own labor except some of my good neighbors helped 
 me to put up and notch down the logs and then la:id 
 weight poles on the boards to keep them in place. I 
 had a few hens and got plenty of eggs and it took but 
 a few minutes to cook a meal, and I only washed dishes 
 after supper. I rarely had any company except an- 
 other bachelor that lived a few miles away. He would 
 visit occasionally. I was advised by many of my 
 friends to get married but I was too bashful even to 
 think of such a thing. 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 But I have left out some things that occurred while 
 we w^ere in Georgia. Mother sold out in Georgia and 
 moved back into North Carolina. We only had to 
 move some twelve or fifteen miles as we lived near the 
 North Carolina-Tennesee line and we moved to the ex- 
 treme western corner of the State. It was only one and 
 a half miles from our house to the corner of the state 
 where Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina join. 
 Before Mother sold out I was teaching school in Geor- 
 gia. I was then about fifteen years old. The family 
 moved but left me there to finish my school. I did not 
 want to teach but through the solicitation of a very 
 prominent man, who lived near the school house, and 
 who promised to assist me, and the encouragement 
 Mother gave me, I consented. I got along with the 
 school fine and gave good satisfaction, I suppose. The 
 patrons insisted that I should teach for them again and 
 asked me to name my price, but I had enough of school 
 teaching. The family I boarded with had three girls, 
 one of which I dearly loved, but she was very bashful 
 as well as myself and no one knew that I loved her ex- 
 cept myself, as I never told her nor any one else. 
 
 My mother had not finished moving when my school 
 was out. The cattle had not been moved and I went 
 with a hired man to drive the cattle in. The road we 
 traveled went up a creek called Hot House. There 
 were large bottoms and fertile lands on that creek. 
 Good buildings and a number of progressive farmers 
 lived along there. As we were passing one of the 
 houses with the cattle a little girl was crossing the road 
 in front of the cattle. She tripped across the road and 
 stopped to watch the cattle pass and I took a good look 
 at her and thought she was the smartest little girl I 
 ever saw. I kept looking back at her until we got out 
 of sight and she remained where she was, looking at us. 
 She told me since then she told her mother that she had 
 seen her boy. Her mother told her she was foolish, 
 
 10 
 
that she would never see that boy again that was driv- 
 ing those cattle. While I was looking back she stood 
 there watching us. I went on with the cattle back 
 home, went to work helping to clean and fence in lands 
 in this newly settled land v/here there were no improve- 
 ments. 
 
 This part of the state was then called the New Pur- 
 chase of North Carolina, which had been bought from 
 the Indians and was being sold to the settlers at a low 
 price, the Indians being removed to the West. I con- 
 tinued to work on here until this trouble came up be- 
 tween Mother's second husband and myself. I went to 
 Duck Town and worked some at public works at the 
 copper mines, which was not at all satisfactory to me. 
 The kind of society there was not the kind that suited 
 me and I soon got enough of it and went back and went 
 to work on the land before mentioned, near my 
 Mother's. 
 
 There were two or three girls that lived in the neigh- 
 borhood, one of which I fancied very much but I was 
 too bashful to let her know the attachment I had for 
 her, and besides Mother wasn't struck on her by any 
 means. I had an associate boy, John Newton just a 
 little older than I, who wanted me to go to Hot House 
 creek with him said there were many pretty girls over 
 there in Georgia, I consented to go with him. When 
 I remembered the girl I saw when driving the cattle, 
 I was anxious to go back and see what had become of 
 her. We went on Sunday to Salem Church, a Baptist 
 meeting-house on Hot House near the place where the 
 girl in question lived. In those days the women occu- 
 pied one side of the house and the men the other side. 
 In looking over the woman's side of the house the first 
 attraction that met my eyes was the sweet smile of the 
 same girl I had met while driving the cattle just looking 
 as cute and pleasant as ever, only more so. While the 
 services were going on I spent my time in gazing at 
 those pleasing eyes and her beautiful countenance 
 
 11 
 
which was encouraging to me to note that she seemed 
 to be paying more attention to me than to the preacher 
 or any thing else that was going on. So that day was 
 a happy day to me but I was too bashful to even lap-^ 
 proach her after the services or to seek an introduction, 
 but went back home and went to work with the conso- 
 lation that I would go back to the next meeting which 
 was to be a month from that day. 
 
 The next meeting found me on hand promptly — on 
 hand at the same place and I met the same pleasing 
 countenance as before. I had got some what ac- 
 quainted with some of her brothers and resolved to go 
 home with them after services, which I did but was too 
 bashful to attempt to have any thing to say to her. 
 After the dinner a lot of the young folks took a stroll 
 down into the meadow to pass off the time. She had 
 a chum who was a great talker and had many suitors 
 and wanted all the boys she could get and encouraged 
 all the boys. She was very pretty and easy to get ac- 
 quainted with while she the girl I loved did not have 
 much to say and was quite timid. I had a pretty good 
 time that evening with the pretty girl and looking at the 
 one I loved. The pretty girl walked back with me to 
 the house in preference to going with another boy, but 
 without my solicitation. The one I loved was along. 
 She must have found out by some reason that she was 
 not the one I wished to be with from her actions and 
 talk. I only got a chance to speak a few words to the 
 one I preferred on that trip as the other girl was in the 
 way. 
 
 The next trip I was more successful. She seemed 
 to be not so shy and timid as before. I got to talk some 
 to her and to tell her that I wished to get better ac- 
 quainted with her. I left with the promise that I would 
 visit her, which seemed to please her. I did not fail to 
 see her every two weeks from that on. I would go on 
 Sunday morning and come back home Sunday night, 
 some times during the night, often it would be nearly 
 
 12 
 
daylight but was always at home ready to go to work 
 Monday morning, early. I kept romping around with 
 her chum all along during our courtship. She kept 
 telling my girl she was going to cut her out and my girl 
 would tell me that her chum was prettier than she and 
 for me to go with her. I told her if she desired me to 
 do so I would if she would let me do as I wished I 
 would not and that settled the matter. During our 
 courtship a very prominent young man in that vicinity 
 told me he was going to cut me out. I insisted on him 
 that he should do so and told him the time I would be 
 there and he was on hand promptly at the time. There 
 were a lot of young folks there that Sund-ay 4m¥«tg fi 
 good time. I had nothing to say to my girl, rather 
 keeping out of her way and romping with the others, 
 giving him a good chance which I wanted him to have. 
 When bed time came my girl was arranging beds for 
 the company so all could have a place to sleep. She 
 had a brother who had a store near by and had a bed 
 there on which to sleep. She told my rival that he 
 would have to go with her brother to the store and 
 sleep with him. He objected and wanted to stay there 
 as he had a lot of things he wished to talk to her about 
 and had come on purpose. She replied to him that 
 there was no place for him to sleep and he would have 
 to go on with her brother — that she had no time to talk 
 to him. He took his medicine all right and told me he 
 had waited too long but she was the sort he had been 
 looking for. Everything went on pleasantly after that. 
 My mother had been hearing of my frequent visits to 
 Hot House and was told that I was keeping company 
 with the pretty before referred to. She objected very 
 seriously and remarked to me, "If you will keep com- 
 pany with a girl why don't you go to see the old man 
 Ballue's girl." She said she would not give her for a 
 hundred of the other. I smiled and told her, **0h, 
 Mother she is so pretty." 
 
 We were married August, LSS5. We diS not make 
 
 13 1^^'Vf 
 
our wedding very public. I went over there that day- 
 alone and on foot the nigh way over the mountains and 
 the next day we went home. Her father wanted us to 
 ride some of his horses but after consulting over the 
 matter we concluded to go on foot the nigh way, asj 
 there would be no one to take the horses back. We 
 went directly to my hut and she cooked our infair din- 
 ner. Some one had told mother and she came in about 
 the time our dinner was over and was greatly pleased 
 at the way things had gone as I had brought home her 
 preference for a daughter. She gave us a good scolding 
 for not coming home to let her cook our dinner. 
 
 14 
 
CHAPTER III 
 
 Things went on smoothly for a while. Mother had 
 given me a colt but it was too young to work. While 
 I was working at the copper mines for wages, I bought 
 a horse, a nice pony which suited me all right. The 
 man that I bought it from told me that he was six years 
 old and another man told me he was nine which dis- 
 heartened me as I thought at that age their usefulness 
 was about over. I was determined to trade him off and 
 ran up with a horse trader that showed me several 
 objectional points in my horse that I had not noticed 
 before. He said he had a horse that was just six years 
 old that he would trade me for mine notwithstanding 
 his age and other objectional points but must have boot. 
 I traded with him, had no money but he said it was all 
 right about the money he would wait with me. Pretty 
 soon after I got the new horse a man told me he had the 
 big head and was no good and I'd better get rid of him. 
 I then started out in earnest to get rid of him but could 
 find no one that wanted him. Finally I ran up with a 
 man who had two old steers and an old wagon that he 
 would trade me for the horse, big head and all, but he 
 wanted eighty dollars difference. I had no money and 
 he said he didn't need it then and would wait 'til I could 
 pay it so I traded with him and was in a high glee over 
 the deal . I decided I would just take the team and go 
 to hauling and would make money fast. I heard of a 
 man that had a clay mine and wanted teams to haul 
 his clay to the copper mines. The clay was to be car- 
 ried about fifteen miles. I struck out with my team in 
 good spirit expecting to make money rapidly and pay 
 off my debts I had been making. When I got there my 
 team appeared to be jaded and tired, but I put on a big 
 load of clay and started out with it, I got stalled at the 
 first hill and broke down the old wagon, my steers all 
 had the hollow horn and gave out on me. Finally I 
 got back home with my old steers and the broken wagon 
 leaving the load of clay behind. I soon decided that 
 
 15 
 
the wagon and team were no good and a failure and I 
 was determined to get rid of them the first chance. I 
 tried levery lOne that I could see or hear of but could 
 find no one that wanted to buy. I at last found a man 
 that had an old mare blind in one eye that he would 
 trade and I did not lose much time in closing the deal 
 with him. I traded this old mare for some oxen as it 
 was my plan to get a team and go in to the hauling busi- 
 ness. I heard that a man over near where mother had 
 moved from in Georgia had a fine pair of oxen to sell. 
 I was well acquainted with him and I went over there, 
 saw and bought them. He told me he would take fifty 
 dollars for them. He said that he did not need the 
 money and I could pay him when I wanted to. I then 
 had two good teams. I hired a boy named Jim Green 
 one that had gone to school to me in Georgia, at $8.00 
 per month with the understanding that he was to drive 
 one of my teams every day regardless of the weather. 
 I was in debt and was not going to lose any time. I 
 contracted with the boy to haul wood to the furnace at 
 Duck Town. It was five miles from the wood yard to 
 Duck Town. Jim hauled one cord on his four-ox 
 wagon and I hauled three-fourths cord, two loads a day 
 each. The mian we hauled for was a very wicked man. 
 His name was Ben Tolliver. He told me I need lose no 
 time, his work was regular, but any time I could make 
 more money working some where else just go ahead 
 and when the work gave out, to come back to old Ben. 
 We kept on regularly every day rain or shine, cold or 
 hot, snow or sleet, never lost a day. They paid once 
 a month and I commenced each month to pay my debts, 
 which were enormous for one of my condition. Ben 
 paid one dollar per cord for wood. 
 
 About this time a number of Virginians moved in 
 and commenced to raise tobacco. The large profits 
 they were making induced me to go into the tobacco 
 business and that required going in debt still more. 
 I had to clear up more land and build a tobacco barn. 
 
 16 
 
This extra work made my crop late but the prospect of 
 a large price for tobacco stimulated me. My crop look- 
 ed fine and many thought my tobacco crop would net 
 me ?500.00. On the 25th of September a big frost or 
 rather a big freeze, killed all my tobacco, corn and 
 every thing I had growing. My corn fell off the cob 
 in the field. My tobacco crop was a total loss. My 
 tobacco barn was just finished and me in debt for it all. 
 I had not a thing to eat nor feed my stock. Oh, how 
 badly discouraged I was ! The first thing I did was to 
 go and see all my creditors, tell them my condition and 
 ask them to tell me what to do. They all told me to go 
 on and do the best I could, they did not need the money 
 and would wait on me until I could be able to pay it. 
 Some of the merchants told me if I needed any more 
 help to call on them. With this encouragement I went to 
 work in good spirits. My Jim boy stuck on with me, on 
 and on. I got acquainted with a German by the name of 
 J. H. Raught, who was superintendent of the Congdon 
 Mines. He got me to make and deliver him a hundred 
 thousand two-foot boards which I delivered promptly. 
 I made some good money while on this job. He also 
 gave me a lot of other work to do from time to time and 
 seemed to be interested in me from the start. I always 
 thought that Uncle Ben must have recommended me to 
 him as he seemed to want to help me in getting jobs 
 where I could make more pay than by hauling wood. 
 Capt. Raught wanted me to burn and deliver to him one 
 hundred thousand bushels of charcoal, which I agreed 
 to do. That was a new work to me, didn't know any- 
 thing about coal pits. Henry Suits was an experienced 
 collier and said he would burn my coal at a dollar per 
 day. I hired him and advertised for good choppers. 
 It wasn't long until I had forty men cutting wood at 40 
 cents per cord, had a twenty-five cord pit up and burn- 
 ing, and I commenced delivering the coal at once. I 
 stayed with Suits, my collier, day and night and helped 
 him put it up and draw it out and load it on the wagons. 
 
 17 
 
Suits was afraid to stay alone at night, I was afraid of 
 nothing. Just before wefinished up with the first pit 
 of coal, Suits and I fell out and I run him off out of the 
 coal yard. Then I went on with it myself, from that 
 time on I stayed in the coal yard day and night until 
 my job was completed. However, Suits came back and 
 apologized, we made up and I hired him as a helper 
 only when I needed him but not as a collier. I made 
 good in this business. Mr. Rought wanted me to con- 
 tinue and I work ed on for him for quite a while. I 
 then commenced paying my debts pretty fast. I had 
 everything to buy and nothing to sell, had my grocery 
 and feed bills to pay out of my earnings each pay day. 
 What I had left went to my creditors. As my credit 
 was good for anything I needed, money or anything 
 else I always had plenty of hands to work and they were 
 all workers. When a drone got in with me I would 
 run him off. Notwithstanding my indebtedness and 
 bad management, I could always get money to pay off 
 my hands when they wanted to quit or I wanted them to 
 quit without waiting for pay day to come around. 
 
 Everything went on smoothly and I enjoyed life to 
 the fullest extent. I had already made up my mind to 
 go west as soon as I could pay up my debts and get 
 enough ahead to enable me to go. Iwas now getting 
 near the point and became more and more anxious but 
 no one would believe it. All that I knew would trust 
 me for anything I wanted to pay and my word was good 
 for everything else, still my friends would not believe 
 me when I said I was going to leave the country. At 
 this time I had paid every man every cent that I owed 
 except Jim Dickey for a yoke of oxen. He lived some 
 ten or fifteen miles away and I had no way of going 
 only to walk. I sent him word repeatedly that I was 
 going to leave the country and did not ever expect to 
 come back and if he ever expected to get paid for his 
 cattle he had better come or send. I was about ready 
 to start. Still he paid no attention to me. I waited on 
 
 18 
 
him and finally I had to walk all the way over there to 
 pay him. I told him that all I owed was paid but him 
 and that I come very near leaving without paying him. 
 He replied that he wouldn't have cared for he knew I 
 would have sent it back to him. I had rented out my 
 land to. Jack Fain for the third part of what it made. 
 The morning came in which we were to start. I 
 had prepared a good tent with iron spikes put on the 
 ends of the posts so they would be easy to put down in 
 any kind of ground. Notwithstanding all this no one 
 believed I was going. I drove my wagon up in front 
 of my cabin the evening before, packed up all the things 
 that we could spare for the night. Early the next 
 morning we commenced to load with not a soul there to 
 help. Pretty soon Nat Rice one of my near neighbors 
 came along and seemed to be greatly surprised. He 
 had said all along that he v/as going with me and I had 
 told him to be ready that day if he was going. He 
 helped meto load up and said he sure was going with 
 me and wanted me to tell him where I was going to 
 camp. He said he would overtake me some time that 
 night. I told him I was going through Duck Town and 
 just as far down the Ocoee River as I could drive that 
 day. I told him I did not want to hear anymore of his 
 lies and drove out. He left me in a hurry and went 
 back home. We made good progress on the road and 
 took the route planned. About sunset we found a nice 
 place to camp near a fine spring of clear water near 
 the banks of the river, here we pitched our tent for the 
 first time, all happy and in fine glee. After eating a 
 hearty supper we went to bed, sleeping soundly. About 
 midnight we were awakened by the approach of Bice 
 and his family. He had a pair of oxen and a wagon 
 without a cover on it, a load of children of most all sizes 
 and a few duds. Wife and I were delighted at their 
 arrival. Mary Jane, their oldest daughter, was about 
 grown. Enoch, the oldest boy, was nearly grown and 
 a good ox driver. Enoch drove my team, John, the 
 
 19 
 
next oldest boy, drove Bice's, Mary Jane rode in our 
 wagon to help my wife with our children. Bice and I 
 would rabbit and squirrel hunt days, some days it 
 would be night before we would overtake the wagon. 
 
 On the night of their arrival my wife and I got right 
 up to fix them for the journey. Mahala, my wife, 
 helped them cook and I helped to make a bow frame 
 and put a covering over his wagon. By the time it was 
 good day-light we were on our way. We were twenty- 
 one days on the road. Our first stop was in Winston 
 County, near where Double Springs is now located. 
 We left North Carolina about 25th day of September, 
 1858. This was a fine trip. We all kept well and were 
 as happy a set as you generally soe. The roads were 
 in an awful condition in most places. After we left 
 Georgia and got in the Lookout Mountains south and 
 west of Chattanooga there were nearly no roads at all. 
 
 20 
 
CHAPTER IV 
 
 The country in many places was uninhabited. Oc- 
 casionally we would come to a cross road store and get 
 some needed groceries. When we struck the line of 
 Winston County our rations had run very short. The 
 county site of Winston County was then Houston on 
 the east side of Crooked Creek. We kept inquiring of 
 every one we saw for the distance to Houston. The 
 last information we had it was three miles. We travel- 
 ed on and on for several miles before we saw anyone 
 to inquire of, then we were told that we had already 
 passed through Houston and that there was no store 
 there and never had been only one house where Judge 
 Hoskins lived and it was a little off the road. We 
 stopped on the east side of Sipsey River where one 
 McAlister lived. He had an empty house which he 
 let us have until we could look around and find a loca- 
 tion. We were looking for government lands which 
 we could get under the Gradation Act at twelve and a 
 half cents per acre. There was a great deal of it as 
 very little had been taken up at that time but it was all 
 poor land, all about the same quality. Pretty soon I 
 found a place where I thought I could make a living. 
 I sent one dollar and registered on it at Huntsville. 
 That held it for me a while subject only to my entry. 
 
 This was near the home of old man Charles Long, 
 who came there from Cherokee Co., North Carolina. 
 I located a place to build me a cabin, but there was no 
 place for me to move to while building my house. Tom 
 R. Long, a son of Chas. Long, lived in about one mile of 
 my location. He had a wife but no children. He kind- 
 ly invited me to move my family into his home, and to 
 stay there until I could build me a house. He just had 
 a nice little one room log house, with one fireplace in 
 it. I do not think I ever appreciated such a favor any 
 more in my life. My wife, two children and I found a 
 home in his house. We got along just as well as it 
 w^ould be possible for any two families to do. In fact, 
 
 21 
 
we were close friends as long as he and his wife lived. 
 I never did get over the appreciation of such a favor. 
 
 Mr. Long owned a pony and that was about all his 
 possessions. I owned two pair of oxen and that was 
 my estate. We both got out of meat about the same 
 time. He told me that he knew a man by the name of 
 Alexander, in the Poplar Log Cove about twenty-seven 
 miles from there, near Moulton, Ala., who had meat to 
 sell. So he and I went, he on his pony and I on foot. 
 We each bought a big side of bacon and brought it back 
 on the pony. We had to stay over one night at old 
 man Baker's, Henry Baker's father, it being too far to 
 get back the same day. It was pretty hard on a new 
 comer to be v/ithout meat, cows to give milk, or vege- 
 tables. We had been living on corn bread without 
 meat, and ofter trying it a while I did not propose to 
 continue in that kind of business. 
 
 I then went to work on my house, in good faith. It 
 was but a short time until I had my logs cut and hauled, 
 the boards made, to cover the buildings, and the pun- 
 cheons split out and hewn to lay the floor. At that 
 time there were no improvements like sawmills, 
 etc. A few men who lived near came and helped me 
 to raise my house. The next thing I did was to build 
 my stick and dirt chimney. Then I put in my sleepers 
 and laid down my floor, the first length, next to the 
 fireplace. I had already covered the house before 
 laying the floor. We moved in as soon as the floor 
 was laid next to the fireplace; that is, the first one 
 half. By bed time that night I had about finished lay- 
 ing the floor on the back end. I was then close to my 
 work and could work at nights, making a Ga. bedstead 
 like the one I left in North Carolina, sealing up the 
 cracks and making every thing as nice and camfort 
 able as possible. 
 
 My wife had a bedstead her mother had given her 
 that we brought with us, but mine was fastened to the 
 walls of the house many miles aw^ay. I just left it there 
 
 22 
 
knowing that I could make another one. I could then 
 finish up the house at nights and clear the land and 
 make rails in the day time. 
 
 Pretty soon after we had got fixed up mother's 
 husband, East Mosely and another man came from 
 North Carolina to look at the country. They traveled 
 on horseback. They did not like the country, so I 
 sold them my interest in my little piece of land I had 
 in N. C. I took the two horses they were riding, and 
 to pay me one hundred and twe.ity five dollars the next 
 fall and the same amount the next fall, making a total 
 of two hundred and fifty dollars. I took up my note 
 I had given Mother, which I think was four hundred 
 and fifty dollars. I was to get the rent that year. 
 Then I set in and built me two stalls and made boards 
 to cover my horses. 
 
 About this time John Suits, one of my North Caro- 
 lina neighbors, moved in. He had a wife, one child, 
 and his wife's sister, Sarah Redmond. I let him move 
 into my one-room house with me. So that made quite 
 a family in one sixteen by eighteen foot cabin, but we 
 got along fine. 
 
 One morning I took my mattock and went to grub- 
 bing up sprouts, before breakfast. When I would try 
 to cut the root the sand would give away to such an 
 extent that the whole length of the root would come 
 out. I then took my mattock handle and stuck it 
 down where I was digging, and I could push it down the 
 full length, in to the ground. I went to different places 
 with the same results. I just threw my mattock on my 
 shoulder and went to the house. I told Mr. Suits I had 
 done my last work on that place, and he was very much 
 surprised. 
 
 Old man Stroud Johnson had been telling us about 
 some rich lands on Buttahatchee, in Marion Co., called 
 'The Cove". This was less than a day's travel, and I 
 wanted to see it. If I did not get better pleased I would 
 reload my wagon and go west of the Mississippi River. 
 
 23 
 
If my money gave ont I would work for more. So we 
 went to see Johnson that day. He said he could not 
 go that day, but would go the next day. So Suits 
 stayed and I went early the next morning. I rode one 
 of my ponies. 
 
 We struck the Biler Road near what was called 
 Littleville, the home of Ap Little. Then to old Thorn 
 Hill where Judge Orrin Davis lived. He had a lot of 
 nice cottages furnished for the accomodation of summer 
 visitors, for it was a health resort, also for the accom- 
 odation of the traveling public. The many horse and 
 hog drovers, also negro drovers, found lodging and 
 board here. He had a postoffice here also, the only one 
 that was known of in that part of the country. That 
 was where Haleyville now is. I had an introduction to 
 Judge Davis. He was a large slave holder. He had a 
 negro quarter on Lost Creek where Carbon Hill now is, 
 also had land cultivated on Buttahatchee and Bear 
 Creek by slaves. He was a native of North Carolina. 
 He showed considerable courtesy and gave me en- 
 couragement. We went on down the Biler Road to 
 what was known as Boar Tusk Springs, where Crooked 
 John Cagle lived. After we left there William Brad- 
 ford who had bought land from Judge Davis, and lived 
 in the Cove, came along and Judge Davis told him about 
 us. He followed and overtook us and went on with us 
 and spent the night and the next day with us. He had 
 over bought and wanted to sell some of his land. The 
 next morning we struck the Cove at the ''Right Roden 
 Deadening". The land v/as very rich and in very small 
 bodies. It was heavily timbered with no improvements 
 and no roads. We proceeded down the road to the 
 land that Bradford wanted to sell us. It lay in much 
 better bodies and a good deal of it had been in cultiva- 
 tion but had grown up in cane, elder, muscadines and 
 grape vines. I liked the land fine and bought it that 
 day. I let him have one of my ponies on it and owed 
 him for the balance, which was to be in payments. He 
 
 24 
 
turned my notes over to Judge Davis for his payments, 
 or rather to meet them. Then I went back in fine glee 
 to move right on to my new purchase. 
 
 This was about February 1, 1859. I was then a 
 little over twenty one years old. I tried to get my 
 friend Suits to remain on my location. I told him I 
 would give him my house, stables and all the rails that 
 I had made, as I was done with these parts and was not 
 expecting any reward for my labors. He declined the 
 offer and siad he was going with me, where I went he 
 was going and where I located he was going to locate. 
 He was a good worker, but would give out before night 
 some days when we were doing hard work. He was 
 much older than I and his whiskers and beard were too 
 big and long to keep up all of the time. I had no beard 
 then as I had not come to myself fully, yet. I was 
 strong and healthy and was an expert at running races, 
 jumping fences, etc. 
 
 I had learned that a man by the name of Bill Dodd 
 owned land adjoining the land I had bought and that 
 he had a little empty .cabin on it, near the line of my 
 land. So we loaded up our goods on the ox wagon and 
 Suits drove out with our families. I mounted my re- 
 maining horse and went on to see the man Dodd, who 
 owned the little house near where I was moving to. 
 He said I could get it, but only for a short time. It was 
 about twelve by fourteen feet. So one can imagin the 
 situation, with my wife, two children, and me; Suits, 
 his wife, one child, and his wife's sister, Sarah Red- 
 mond, who was about grown. There were eight of us 
 in all. 
 
 We got there on Saturday night and spent Sunday 
 in locating a suitable place for building our house. We 
 also entertained many visitors who had heard of us in 
 advance and came from several miles around to see 
 what we looked like, we supposed. They also wanted 
 to congratulate us on our arrival and offer any assist- 
 ance we might need in building our home. Among 
 
 25 
 
them was Stuttering Charlie Cagle. We highly appre- 
 ciated this, but told them we would only ask for help 
 to handle the logs we would use in the erection of the 
 building. We selected our building place at the foot 
 of a big hill on the north side of two large mulberry 
 trees, that looked as if they were grown there on pur- 
 pose for a shade for us. We agreed that we would 
 build our house thirty-two feet by sixteen feet and 
 make a partition of logs in the center and let each 
 family occupy his own side. This was done so that in 
 case we should have a row we vv^ould have time to re- 
 flect before getting into an engagement. This worked 
 out happily. 
 
 Mrs. Suits was a large, white-eyed woman, good 
 natured and kind but very high tempered. She was 
 very quarrelsome with her husband, who being a good 
 natured man, took it all. I took up for him, then she 
 and I quarreled daily. She did not care what she said 
 and would laugh at my cutting words. Miss Redmond 
 was a fine girl and sided with me. 
 
 Early Monday morning Suits set out, with the team 
 after the remainedr of our goods. I with an ax started 
 cutting logs. I found a lot of long, slim poplars grow- 
 ing on the banks of the creek. When Suits got back 
 with the team I had the logs already cut, the roads to 
 them cleaned out, and had found and cut down board 
 trees sufficient to cover the building and also a stable 
 for the horse. We lost no time in hauling the logs and 
 making and hauling the boards. 
 
 We were soon ready to raise the building. Several 
 willing hands were on hand to help us lift the logs, put 
 them in place, and notch them down. We soon had 
 our two room house up and covered and the roof on 
 with weight polls on the top to hold the boards in place. 
 We split out and hewed three pretty poplars and made 
 a nice steady floor. We built a stick and dirt chimney 
 in each end and were ready to move in. This we im- 
 mediately did. 
 
 26 
 
We had nothing to do now but go to work clearing 
 land and preparing for a crop. About this time I sold 
 my last pair of oxen to a man that agreed to clear five 
 acres of land and to pay the balance in corn. I had al- 
 ready bought fifteen bushels of corn from Burl Howell, 
 a well-to-do farmer some ten miles west of here. One of 
 my neighbors, Reuben Farrow, recommended to him 
 and signed a note v/ith me as a security for the corn. I 
 then had, with what corn the man owed me, enough 
 corn to do me. I was quite happy in being so well fixed. 
 About three miles down the creek a man had more 
 open land than he could tend, so I told Suits I thought 
 we had better rent some land from him. This 
 we did. I went to clearing land, as soon as we 
 got moved, in an old field which ran up to 
 the house. It had all grown up in briars and 
 vines, but there was no timber on it to make a shade, 
 so I got along fast with it. My good wife would go out 
 with me after supper often, when the weather was 
 good and the children were asleep, and make little fires 
 out of sticks and drift to make a light for me to see to 
 cut briars and sprouts until bed time. The man, 
 Dodd, that had a little house we moved into first, had 
 about three acres of cleared land close to the little 
 house; and some that was not cleared. The line be- 
 tween us was not a suitable place for a cross fence, but 
 a little above there, there was a narrow place in the 
 bottom where we could make a line fence. He offered 
 to sell me the strip of land, including the little field 
 and the little cabin, for eighty dollars; and would wait 
 until fall for the money. So I just traded with him. 
 That little addition to the land I was clearing made me 
 a right nice little crop, but I kept on clearing and ad- 
 ding to my crop until it was too late for the crop to 
 mature. 
 
 I forgot to mention a circumstance that solved a 
 problem in feeding my family. On my trip in advance 
 of the wagon that moved us from Winston Co. to Marion 
 
 27 
 
Co. and soon after getting to the Biler Road I met up 
 with an old settler by the name of Buck West and we 
 rode together for several miles. He lived where the 
 Natural Bridge village now is. He gave me a lot of in- 
 formation in regard to the country. I told him I was 
 in need of a cow and he said he had a nice young cow 
 he would sell for twelve dollars. I had only five dol- 
 lars to pay on a cow, but he told me just to come and 
 and get the cow and he would wait for the balance un- 
 til I was able to pay it. So that fixed me in the way of 
 milk. As soon as we got into our house I went and got 
 the cow. I paid him the five dollars, and that left me 
 indebted to him seven dollars. She was a first rate 
 cow but I had a great deal of trouble with her. She 
 sucked herself, and we needed the milk so bad that I 
 tried various plans and ways to prevent this and was 
 successful in the end. 
 
 When I got the land Mr. Suits and I had rented, 
 fixed up and planted I told him if he v/ould help me as 
 long as I was planting the rented crop I would let him 
 have it and would keep on adding to my clearing and 
 make out with what I could get in. He accepted it 
 and w^ent on and made a crop to himself. After I fin- 
 ished planting my crop I had some leisure days as I did 
 not have enough land to keep the busy all the time. 
 Mr. Farrow, three miles away told me he would give 
 seventy cents a day if I would bring my horse and plow 
 for him. I was glad to this as we needed the money. 
 We had meat only when I would kill a deer or turkey 
 which was right often. That summer w^as the most 
 leisure period I had ever had. My crop was small in 
 comparison to what I would have had if I had had more 
 land cleared. We made a bountiful crop, had enough 
 made to last us two years or more. 
 
 28 
 
CHAPTER V 
 
 I could not get any work to do save the few days 
 that I plowed for Mr. Farrow through the summer. 
 There was lots of game in the woods and wild bees 
 too. We found a number of bee trees and lots of wild 
 honey to eat besides supplying myself with a good sup- 
 ply of bees for future use. We also had all the ven- 
 sion we needed and some to give away. I bought some 
 hogs and they increased and grew. The earth was 
 covered in many places with acorns and beech nuts, 
 so the hogs had nothing to do but grow and thrive. 
 
 When I bought the land referred to I sold my horse 
 in the land deal but reserved the use of him to make) 
 my crop with. As soon as my crop was finished I turn- 
 ed him over to Judge Davis as I had agreed to do. I 
 had kept him sleek and fat and the Judge was highly 
 pleased with him. 
 
 The hardest job I had was to build a fence around 
 my crop. The rail trees had been cut and used around 
 near the land I had cleared and it was about a quarter 
 of a mile to where there was any good rail timber. I 
 was an expert in splitting rails and liked the business. 
 I had sold off my oxen and had to carry the rails to my 
 shoulder to build my fence. I am sure that was a hard 
 job, if not the hardest, I ever had; but I succeeded and 
 made a good fence that protected my crop. 
 
 Along about then I got acquainted with a man by 
 the name of Green Haley. He was a slave holder, a 
 farmer, horse trader, and what was then called a Camp 
 bellite Preacher. He was one of the most accomodat- 
 ing men I ever saw. I told him of my trouble, about 
 giving up my last horse and that it would take all the 
 money I had owing to me to pay off my indebtedness 
 and I did not kno wwhat I would do to get something 
 to plow to make a crop with. He told me not to suffer 
 any uneasiness in regard to that for he would furnish 
 me with any kind of a horse I wanted and that I could 
 just set my own time to pay for it. That sure made me 
 
 29 
 
feel good. I had two hundred and fifty dollars due 
 me on my North Carolina land, one half to be paid that 
 fall and the other half the next fall, and the rents off 
 the place that I had reserved. Mr. Haley tried, almost 
 every time I saw him, to sell me a horse. I told him 
 how much I appreciated his kindness to me and that 
 I would sure call on him when I got ready to plow, as 
 a horse would at that time be an unnecessary expense 
 to me as I could foot it around where I had to go. I 
 knew that it was necessary for a boy in my condition to 
 save all he counld until I got in better shape than I was 
 in at that time. I admired Mr. Haley as much as any 
 man I ever met, except his Campbellism, which T 
 could not endure. We had never talked on the subject 
 of Christianity but I had heard enough about that sort 
 to settle the matter once for all. My father and his peo- 
 ple were Methodists, while my mother and her people 
 were Baptists. So I held with the Methodists after my 
 father died but my mother went back to the Baptists. 
 We went to all of the Camp Meetings of each one every 
 year, and attended meeting regularly. My mother en- 
 couraged me in reading the Bible and I had read it 
 through by the time I was ten j^ears old. Nearly all of 
 my neighbors were Campbellites and I had many dis- 
 cussions with them on the Bible. Quite often I would, I 
 thought, get the best of the argument. As soon, how- 
 ever, as they would meet Mr. Haley they would meet 
 my argument and show my interpetation to favor them 
 and confound my position. 
 
 The mill I went to weekly was kept by a Methodist 
 Circuit Rider, who preached for the Ireland congrega- 
 tion. They were not able to support him and got him 
 the position as miller, to assist them in supporting him. 
 I told him of my discussions with the Campbellites and 
 desired him to come over and help me out. He said if 
 I could get a place for him to preach he would come. 
 So I got him to make an appointment at my house. I 
 went to work and split out some puncheons and made 
 
 30 
 
some respectable looking benches and placed them 
 under the Mulberry trees in front of my door. I in- 
 vited all my neighbors, and all that I could see, to come. 
 The country was sparsely settled, and I do not suppose 
 there had ever been any preaching done in that settle- 
 ment before. When the appointed time came we had 
 quite a crowd for a place like that. Some that were 
 there came ten miles. The Campbellites were there 
 also. We fixed dinner for all that would stay. I 
 wanted the preacher to skin the Campbellites, just rip 
 them up the back, he did not, but gave us all some good 
 practical advice. After dinner I told the preacher 
 I wanted him to help me to put down such doctrine as 
 they preached, that I had some children that would 
 soon be old enough to need teaching the religion 
 of the Bible, the old reliable religion of our fathers and 
 mothers, and I did not want them to hear any such stuff 
 as they would hear at what is now called 'The White 
 House". He told me the best thing I could do was to 
 not go to their meetings and not to associate with them 
 any more than I could help, as it was a dangerous doc- 
 trine they advocated and he did not feel competent to 
 discuss religious subjects with them. I told him if the 
 devil was the strongest I wanted to be on his side. I 
 had good neighbors that helped me roll logs and were 
 good and kind to me and I could not afford not to asso- 
 ciate with them, but liked them and was their friend 
 and they had as much right to their way of thinking as 
 I did or any one else. So that ended the meeting at 
 our house. My wife was a Baptist but I had never been 
 so fortunate as to get religion nor to join any thing, 
 although I had tried often. 
 
 After I had finished working my crop I went to 
 clearing more land, making preparations for a large 
 crop the next year. Along early in the fall my time 
 was getting close to hand when I was to be in North 
 Carolina, to get the rent of my crop and collect some 
 money that was due me, and I had no money to bear my 
 
 31 
 
expenses with. I went to Judge Davis and explained 
 my situation to him. The man that had rented my land 
 had notified me the time to be there to take charge of 
 my rent as he would have it gathered by that time. I 
 sold Judge Davis fifty bushels of corn at sixty cents a 
 bushel. I was to have it gathered by a set time and 
 was aiso to have the road worked out. I went back in 
 fine spirits at the thought of getting the money and 
 and making the trip on time. I worked out the road, 
 had the corn gathered and ready on the day he was to 
 send for it. I waited on until noon and his team did 
 not show up. I went up there on foot, seven miles, to 
 see what was the matter, thinking that I might possibly 
 meet them on the way, but no such luck. I asked the 
 Judge why it was that he had not sent for the corn that 
 day as he had promised to do and then explained the 
 situation fully as I had done when he bought the corn. 
 He replied that his wagons were all broken and he was 
 not in any shape to get the corn now. I told him I 
 had worked on all the road and my corn was lying on 
 the ground ; my time was up to start on my trip and no 
 money to bear my expenses. He told me he would try 
 to get it in a week or so and talked some-what about it. 
 It made me so mad that I made an effort to take him 
 by the throat, but he got out of my way and gave me 
 time to reflect. He was quite an old man and I told 
 him if he was a young m.an I would knock him down 
 and give him a good stamping, and that his age was all 
 that saved him. I told what I thought of him in gene- 
 ral. He did not say much back to me, only that he 
 did not want any thing to do with me any more. I 
 I told him that suited me exactly, that when a man 
 proved to me that he v/as a liar and a rascal ; that T 
 was only too glad to quit him, that I owed him and was 
 going to pay him and then it would be all over with 
 us. 
 
 Well, I started back home mad and discouraged. 
 Old man Alec Underwood lived on the road that I pass- 
 
 32 
 
ed on my way home. I told him the treatment I had 
 got from Judge Davis and he bemeaned him to the 
 lowest degree for the way he had treated me and said, 
 "Well, John, I will pay you fifty cents a bushel for 
 your corn, and will come and get it as soon as you come 
 back, and I will give you the money now to enable you 
 to go right on and meet your matters in North Carolina 
 on time." One can hardly imagine the good feelings I 
 had for the old man for the great accommodation he 
 had done for me right In time of my great need. I went 
 back with a light heart, cared for the corn I had gath- 
 ered that day and was ready to start on my trip next 
 morning. 
 
 Hillsborough, in Lawrence County was about the 
 nearest point to the railroad, and I started out by day- 
 light, on foot, with a little satchel of food to eat, on my 
 way to Hillsborough, nearly fifty miles away. I 
 walked on at a brisk gate until late in the evening 
 when I met a man who told me I could not catch a train 
 until some time in the night. I kept on thinking I 
 would try and get there in time to catch the first train, 
 which I did and went to Chattanooga. There I had to 
 change for Cleveland, Tenn., arriving in that place on 
 the afternoon of the next day. I had to walk from 
 there on, which was about fifty miles. As soon as I 
 got off the train I set off for Duck Town. My feet 
 were so sore I could scarcely walk, they hurt me so bad, 
 but when I got warmed up they got much better. It 
 was about seven miles to Ochoee River, but when I got 
 there I could find no way nor no one to set me over the 
 river. The man who lived near the river told me there 
 was an old crippled horse there that might take me 
 over, he did not know but I might try him. I looked at 
 the horse and concluded I had rather wade than get 
 wet all over. The river was wide but shallow, the man 
 told me he did not think it was over knee deep. So I 
 pulled off my shoes and socks and to my surprise the 
 skin came off my feet in places and stuck to my socks. 
 
 33 
 
I then pulled off my pants, took my shoes, socks, and 
 pants under my arm and started in to wade across the 
 river. The water was terribly cold and when I got 
 across I found to my surprise that the cold water had 
 drawn the soreness out of my feet. My legs were so 
 cold that when I squeezed them they had no feeling in 
 them. I put on my pants and shoes and went on like 
 a new man, the soreness was all gone from my feet. I 
 went on to the mouth of Greasy Creek, where there 
 was an inn, the only stopping place to Duck Town and 
 stayed there that night. I slept very sound that night 
 and next morning I arose feeling good and well rested. 
 It was about twenty miles to the next house as the river 
 along there ran through a ravine and the road had been 
 blasted out of the rocks and there was no place suitable 
 for a house or anything else. I kept trudging along to 
 get to my dear mother's, that blessed sweet mother with 
 whom I had been in close touch all my days and as long 
 as she lived on this earth except the dark days of the 
 rebellion of 1861. I got there and there was much re- 
 joicing that night and not much sleeping done, not 
 withstanding my much needed sleep. 
 
 I only remained long enough to sell my rents and 
 collect my dues. There was a hundred and fifty five 
 dollars due me that I had agreed to wait for another 
 year, but the party told me that if I would buy a mare 
 from him he would pay me then. He had a beautiful 
 little mare, fine quality, and a fine saddler that he 
 gave me for the debt. This I readily accepted, and 
 caused me to make the trip back home horseback. 
 The mare was tender footed and I took her to a shop 
 and had her shod all around. The next day I started 
 on my trip home, but my mare's feet were so sore that 
 she could not travel fast. I did not go near so far as 
 I expected and next morning she was so lame that I 
 would not attempt to ride her, but drove her before me 
 and I only got twenty seven miles that day. I tried to 
 trade her but no one would trade with me, she had been 
 
 34 
 
foundered, which was the cause of her sore feet. I 
 did not know it when I traded for her. 
 
 I got to my wife's brother, Jack Ballue's, that night. 
 He lived in Ringgold, Ga. His brother Arch was there 
 too. He had a young horse, a strong rough one, but 
 a fair saddler. He offered to trade with me for ten 
 dollars difference, so I traded with him and left out 
 early next morning. I made forty miles that day, and 
 the next day I struck the mountains where very few 
 inhabitants lived. 
 
 I had a hard time finding a place to spend the night 
 but happened up on a well-to-do farmer who said they 
 had a corn shucking that day and that the young people 
 were expecting to have a fine time that night at his 
 home, but if I could put up with the company I could 
 stay. There were a lot of boys and girls gathered 
 there planning to have a good time, but the man who 
 was to make the music had not shown up. After sup- 
 per was over I saw a nice violin lying on a bed and I^ 
 picked it up and began tuning it, then drew the bow 
 over it a time or two which attracted the attention of all 
 of them, and they insisted that I play a few pieces for 
 them, which I did. I commenced on "Billy in the Low 
 Ground", a piece that I admired very much. I had 
 hardly commenced when the floor was covered with 
 them, dancing for dear life. I continued until about 
 time I wanted to retire, but they wished so much to 
 dance longer that I agreed to play for them a little 
 longer. I told them that I was very tired and wanted 
 to resume my journey early the next day so as to make 
 forty miles that day, and that they must not insist any 
 more. They commenced to dance in good earnest and 
 and made so much racket that the sound of the music 
 could only occasionally be heard, and all I had to do at 
 those times was just to keep the bow moving slowly 
 over the strings. After playing a while longer I just 
 quit, over their protest, and went to bed. 
 
 I got a pretty early start the next morning and the 
 
 35 
 
land lord told me that if I could get to a man's house 
 bj" the name of Scot where I could get enter- 
 tainment. This was where the town of Albertville 
 now is. He said if I missed that the chances would be 
 bad to get a place to stay. I had to ride hard that day 
 to get to Scot's and it was getting dark when I got there, 
 as the roads were so bad that it was difficult to make 
 much headway. Mr. Scot v/as away, had gone to 
 Guntersville, and would not be back that night and his 
 wife did not take any one in when he was away. I 
 asked her the distance to the next house and she said 
 it was three miles but she was sorry to tell me that they 
 were not prepared to entertain me. My horse was very 
 tired and so was I so I insisted that she take me in but 
 she woulld not consent. She said there was no one 
 there with her except a little boy and she could not 
 take in a stranger. I reasoned with and told her that 
 all good people were not dead, that I had a family at 
 home, and that if any one were to undertake to disturb 
 her during the night she might be glad to have me 
 there. All my entreaties seemed in vain. I then asked 
 her if I might have feed for my horse, and she replied 
 in the affirmative. I dismounted and told her I would 
 sleep under a tree in the yard, if I could get my horse 
 fed I could make out all right. She said, "Well, if that 
 is what you are going to do you can come in the house 
 and stay for I cannot put up with that way of doing." 
 The little boy got corn and fodder for my horse and I 
 fed him seventy five ears of the smallest corn I ever 
 saw and a bundle of the shortest fodder also. My 
 horse did not leave even a cob he had cleaned it all up. 
 I got a fine bed to sleep on, and also fine supper and 
 breakfast. I got a good early start next morning and 
 the lady told me I had better go down the mountain 
 through the Cotaco velley and by Danville and Moulton 
 as the chances would be bad in getting accomodations 
 on the mountain route. 
 
 I did as she told me and did not have any further 
 
 36 
 
trouble. I stayed the last night at Moulton and got 
 home next day. I found all well and happy. I got 
 back with enough money to pay off all of my debts:' 
 this I did the first thing. I let Mr. Underwood have 
 the corn I owed him and started gathering my crop, 
 which v/as fine. I made about five hundred bushels 
 of corn. I never had made such a crop before, in fact 
 I had lots of corn to sell. I had bought some hogs and 
 and had plenty of them to make our meat and plenty 
 of stock hogs for the next year. I had paid all the 
 debts I owed except som^e on my land that was not 
 driving and I never was happier, nor in better spirits. 
 Every thing looked good to me, a fine range for stock, 
 cattle could live through the winter without food; and 
 all we had to do with hogs was to feed and watch them 
 to keep them from going wild or being stolen. They 
 only needed to be fed enough corn to keep them gentle. 
 I cleaned up a whole lot of land that year, as I was then 
 able to hire some work done. I had plenty of corn, 
 and fodder as well as meat that I could sell and pay 
 for labor. I had lots of friends and could get all the 
 labor I could pay for, and it looked like every thing; 
 was going my way. My wife was one of the most in- 
 dustrious women I ever saw. I would not let her work 
 in the field but she spun, wove, sewed and knitted and 
 kept us all in clothes, in fact she was always doing 
 something. The next year we made a fine crop, and 
 our stock of hogs and cattle had increased. We got 
 a good price for everything we had to sell and paid all 
 we owed on the land, and had some money left. 
 
 37 
 
CHAPTER VI 
 
 At this time the Civil War broke out and our happy 
 days began to cease. Great clouds of war loomed up 
 and trouble commenced in earnest. Men and boys had 
 to leave their home and loved ones and go off to fight 
 the battles of Secession. The first thing that was done 
 was to hold an election in each county and beat to elect 
 delegates to go to Montgomery and vote on the proposi- 
 tion, ''Union or Secession." We sent Lang C. Allen, 
 G. M. Haley and Winston Steadham from Marion Co., 
 and instructed them to vote for the Union first and last 
 and all the time. About all the people in this part 
 were for the Union. Even Judge Davis and Alex 
 Underwood my advisers told me, ''Now, John, be sure 
 and go to the election and vote for the Union for if we 
 out we are gone." When our delegates got to Mont- 
 gomery nearly the whole state was solid for the Secess- 
 ion, only a few of the mountain counties were for the 
 Union. Our delegates wrote back to us and told us 
 about the condition of things. It was, they said, a 
 dangerous thing to say any thing in favor of the Union, 
 much less to vote that way. Some of the delegates just 
 went on and voted for Secession while the others slipped 
 off and did not vote at all. However, Chris Sleets, the 
 delegate from Winston Co., stayed with them and con- 
 tended for the Union. They put him in jail but it did 
 no good for he fought them all the time and his consti- 
 tuents stood behind his, hence the name of "The Free 
 State of Winston", this being the only county that did 
 not secede. Soon the bugles began to blow, meetings 
 were advocated and secessionists on the stand plead 
 with the people to voulenteer and go out and fight for 
 their country. Making all sorts of promises they in- 
 duced many to go. My good friends Judge Davis and 
 Underwood had changed, they said "Now John, we 
 have lost the Union and we cannot afford to fight 
 against our homes and all we have. We stood by the 
 
 38 
 
Union as long as there was any, and now we must not 
 forsake our homes and our all." 
 
 Going back a little, in the summer before I under- 
 took to teach a small school, after crops were laid by. 
 Soon after I started I took the ague and had a very 
 severe spell, had to have a Dr. with me and took calo- 
 mel and quinine for a long time before I got rid of it. 
 I then had to give up my school and almost every thing 
 else for a good while. The Dr. told me to move out of 
 that Cove or I would die. The weeds and grass had 
 grown up to such an extent that I got wet up to my* 
 waist every morning. So I bought forty acres of land 
 out on the public road about one half mile from where 
 I was. There was a little old house on the place and I 
 moved into that. I was now living on the public road. 
 
 We will now go back to the war. About 1860 was 
 the time the call was made to arms. I listened to the 
 advice given by Judge Davis and Mr. Underwood, but 
 did not discuss the subject with them. It was firmly 
 fixed in my mind that I would never go back on ''Old 
 Glory". I had heard too much from my old grand 
 parents about the sufferings and privations they had to 
 endure during The Revolutionary War to ever engage 
 against the ''Stars and Stripes". However, I went slow 
 and talked but little and thought by not talking either 
 for or against it and giving them all they asked for, and 
 treating them kindly they woulld let me alone. 
 Although they were taking our outspoken friends off, 
 putting them in jail, and punishing them in all sorts of 
 ways. We entertained all the rebel soldiers in any 
 way we could as we lived on the public highway and 
 they were continually calling on us to stop over for the 
 night, and often they would steal all they could get their 
 hands on. Many of them would abuse me for not be- 
 ing with the army; of course, I had to take it although I 
 was loath to do so. I loved my wife and children and 
 it was almost like death to have to go off and leaVef 
 them, especially at such a time as this. I cherished the 
 
 39 
 
hope that Uncle Sam would surely put them all to death 
 at an early day and I would stand it the best I could. 
 My happy days now seemed to be at an end, all was 
 trouble and disappointments. I soon began to think if 
 Uncle Sam did not hurry up I would have to leave home. 
 I moved my family back into the Cove where they would 
 not be in such a public place and might escape, at least, 
 some of the impositions. 
 
 In the fall of 1861 or 1862 I do not remember the 
 date, I worked that day, gathering corn. About ten 
 o'clock that night the rebel soldiers called me up and 
 asked me to go with them to arrest some of my neigh- 
 bor, whom they claimed were tories. I tried to beg off 
 from them in various ways, but they told me if I was not 
 willing to go, then they would arrest me. I then knew 
 what was up. They said for me to carry my gun, which 
 I did. They charged one house but found no one there 
 but women, however they waylaid the house all night 
 waiting for some one to come in. They strated on and 
 met some of our neighbors in the road and handcuffed 
 them. They w^ent on to Alex Underwood's arresting 
 all they met. They got some liquor to drink and con- 
 scripted me and one of my neighbors, and that told us 
 that knew w^e were all right, and they gave us a fur- 
 lough and said we could go back home and get ready 
 to come on. The others were handcuffed and driven 
 off like brutes. I then found keeping a still tongue had 
 been some advantage. 
 
 We then began to make preparations to go as every 
 one did who went to the Rebel army. I had a little 
 tow head mule to ride, so I took him to Hugh McClellan 
 who shod him for me. After he got through he looked 
 at the mule and remarked to me, ''The first battle you 
 get in that mule will run off and the first thing you 
 know he will have you in the Yankee Army". That 
 meant something, but I never replied. Well, we, Ans 
 Plyde and I left out before our furlough expired for 
 Glen Dale, Miss., the place we were to go to. We spent 
 
 40 
 
the first night at old Judge Anderson's at Good Springs, 
 beyond Russelville. We told him where we were going 
 and he cursed the Rebels, and told us we had better go 
 to the Yankees, they were at the East Port then. He 
 was a staunch Union man and said what he pleased 
 and used plenty of curse words. We went on to Tus- 
 cumbia down the M. and C. rail road. We met lots of 
 rebel soldiers who were leaving Gun Town and aiming 
 to encamp that night at Cherokee. They said we need 
 not go to Gun Town that the command (Roddy's) would 
 be there that night, but we went right on. Hyde got 
 sick that day, he had a bowel trouble. He was not 
 used to horse back riding any way as he plowed a steer 
 and did not own a horse until he got this one. He had 
 an old picked up saddle, with some ropes for stirrup 
 leathers and sat humped up on his horse, and was about 
 skinned all over. He got awfully home sick and said 
 he was going to die if he did not get to go back home. 
 He kept begging me to go back with him but I stead- 
 fastly refused to do so. By this time we were going 
 down Bear Creek, and near Chickasaw, which was on 
 the east side of Bear Creek, and is now called Riverton. 
 The Yankees were stationed at East Port on the west 
 side of the creek. We were now out of danger for we 
 had not seen a rebel for some miles. Hyde stopped 
 his horse got off and lay down in the road and cried 
 like a child. He looked awfully bad and I was real 
 sorry for him, I told him to go back to Cherokee and go 
 on v/ith the Rebs, which we would both do if we turned 
 back and I had as soon be in hell. He would hear 
 to nothing but for me to go back with him, and if I did 
 not he was going to lie there until he died, for it was 
 death any way. If we went on to the Yankees they 
 would shoot us down at the picket post. I finally 
 yielded to his entreaties, if he would promise me that he 
 would keep his mouth shut and let me do the talking 
 when occasion required. 
 
 The chances looked bad for us to get back as we had 
 
 41 
 
to go back through Roddy's camp at Cherokee, as it 
 would not do to try to surround them, and we would 
 just make a bold front. So we went on to Chickasaw 
 and bought us a sack of salt apiece and put it on our 
 horses in front of us and started back. It was then 
 nearly night. We got to Roddy's camp about dark. 
 When we came to the guards a mile or so from the camp 
 we told the officers of the guard that we belonged to 
 the the command. The corporal remarked that it 
 would be useless to send a guard in with us as we were 
 soldiers and they were busy putting out the pickets at 
 that time. This was very pleasing to us. We rode 
 right on in through Roddy's camp. They were busy 
 cooking supper and no one seemed to notice us. We 
 soon got to the pickets on that side, which was not 
 guarded so closely at the side next to the Yanks. I 
 told them we were citizens that lived up in the valley 
 and that we had been to Chickasaw after salt. That 
 seemed to satisfy them. Now we began to think we 
 had passed the worst part of the danger, and Hyde 
 began to complain again, the excitement now thought 
 to be over. Soon as we were going o nin the dark, a 
 sharp voice sounded out loudly, ''Halt, who comes 
 there"? My response was, 'Triends, with out the 
 counter sign". We advanced slowly and met up with 
 a bunch of Rebel soldiers with a lot of prisoners, taking 
 them to camp. Some were hand cuffed and others 
 tied together. I informed them we were citizen who 
 had been after salt, and thy kept moving on except the 
 one who was interviewing us. He did not seem to be 
 satisfied, exactly, with our answer. I touched my 
 mule with a spur and told him to look out for those 
 fellows and not let any of them get away, as we did 
 not need them. He took my advice much to our grati- 
 fication. 
 
 Our chance was to take to the woods and travel 
 only at night for any degree of safety. Hyde got 
 along pretty well while the excitement lasted, but he 
 
 42 
 
was too sick for it to last long as he was then about ex- 
 hausted. I was also very tired so we turned out and 
 lay down in an old out house, to get some sleep and 
 get somewhat refreshed. We were up and out before 
 daylight to get some place siutable to conceal ourselves 
 that day, which we found and did. At night we took 
 our course and got in home before day light the next 
 morning. 
 
 Now it was noised abroad that we were in the Rebel 
 army and it occurred to us that we must keep oursleves 
 secluded as we would and our families too have some 
 protection while that was the thought. Soon they 
 found we were not in the Rebel army, and next thought 
 was we had gone to the Yankees. This meant the con- 
 fiscation of our property. I had by industry, labor, 
 and economy accumulated some property and was out 
 of debt. I had about seventy five head of cattle and 
 the same number of hogs and four head of horses and 
 mules. I had made a big corn crop and had about a 
 thousand bushels of corn and plenty of fodder and hay, 
 I had lots of bees and a lot of Confederate money on 
 hand. Now my liberty was gone and I could not work 
 for my family nor enjoy their association, which made 
 my life miserable to me. They commenced robbing 
 my family of the support I had left for them, they drove 
 off my cattle and took my horses and mules, also my 
 corn. They even went so far as to pour what meal my 
 family had out in the floor and fill the sacks with meat. 
 They even took their cups, saucers and plates, not leav- 
 ing any thing for their sustenance. 
 
 I went home one morning about daylight, to see how 
 they were getting along. Spies were concealed, lying 
 in wait for me. They ordered me to halt but I turned 
 back the way I had come. They fired a volley at me, 
 but I escaped without a scratch, I only lost my old straw 
 hat. They did not pursue me, for I waited for them, 
 as soon as I found an advantageous place. I then went 
 to a house and sent a woman, Prudie Tidwell, to tell my 
 
 43 
 
wife that I was not hurt and to bring me me something 
 to eat if there was any thing left, and not be uneasy* 
 about me. She stayed nearly all day, waiting for the 
 Rebs to leave, and then started on her way with some- 
 thing for me to eat. Hyde was with me and I told him 
 they might follow Prudie when she started back and I 
 was going to waylay her path way. After a while I 
 saw her coming, and a lot of armed men slipping along 
 after her. I placed myself in a good position and when 
 they got to a certain point I fired my squirrel rifle at 
 them. I watched them for a while and there was some 
 old fashioned running done by them. Prudie had a 
 lot to tell us, she said there was a whole regiment there 
 and that the Colonel said he going to turn over every 
 leaf in that country or have us. 
 
 So we concluded to leave the neighborhood, for a 
 while at least, took to the woods and went to Buck 
 West's, on the Biler Road, in Winston Co., where Natu- 
 ral Bridge now is. Buck was a sort of a Secesh, had 
 two boys, Lucien and Buddy, in the Rebel army. Bud- 
 dy was at home on a furlough at that time. Buck was 
 a good friend of mine and had sent me word if I got in 
 a tight to come to his house and he would care for me 
 and keep me out of danger. I went up to Buck's house 
 and had a talk with him and he told me to go down on 
 the creek above his field, and I would find a rock 
 house under a bluff and he and Buddy would come 
 that night to us. I had left those who were with me 
 out in the bushes while I went into the house to talk to 
 Buck and let him know we had come. While we were 
 sitting on the porch talking, some armed Rebels rode 
 up to his gate. He went to the gate to talk to them 
 and I went too. I was hatless all the time and had a 
 red handkerchief tied around my head. They told 
 Buck that they had a regiment camped over in the Cove, 
 hunting for a Tory, and that they were going to get him 
 before they left there. They said that they had shot 
 him and seriously wounded him, even got his hat. 
 
 44 
 
However, he got away from them and shot at some of 
 their men the same day. I looked at Buck and he 
 looked like a dead man, his lips were as blue as the sky. 
 They left and Buck told me, 'Tor God's sake get away 
 as soon as possible and go where I told you." I picked 
 up my old gun which I had laid down on the porch and 
 made my exit, and we went on to the place that Buck 
 had told us to. About night Bill Dodd came in. He 
 had been keeping out of the army on the forty-year 
 limit, but orders had been received to take up and in- 
 clude the men forty years old. So Dodd had heard all 
 of this and had got him a supply of quilts and blankets, 
 and a lot of light bread and meat and come to us. He 
 had killed a deer on his way and had it on his back. 
 He had his blankets tied on him in a saddle blanket 
 form and he got down on his all fours like a horse and 
 put his blankets across his back and went about the 
 camp in that style, saying that he had come to stay with 
 us. He said that he was going to stay until the grass 
 grew on his back a foot long., He seemed in high spirits. 
 About night Buck and Buddy came with a load of pro- 
 visions, and by this time others had come in and we had 
 a jolly time. We also had enough on hand to eat and 
 do us a month. We stayed around there for some time, 
 until things got quieted down a little. 
 
 I had a very trying experience, I do not know the 
 date and have no means of finding out the date, our 
 oldest little girl was taken ill and died in the yard. I 
 went home as soon as I heard of it. The neighbor 
 women were assembled there and told me to just leave 
 at once as the Rebels were going to guard the grave to 
 get me. I told them that I was going to stay there and 
 bury my child regardless of the whole Rebel army as I 
 did not fear them. Any way I had just as soon be dead 
 as to live the life I was having to live, and that I would 
 stay right there and shoot them as long as I had 
 strength in my body to pull a trigger. They begged 
 me to leave saying that I would be killed and (they 
 
 45 ; 
 
would too. That the Rebels would burn up every 
 thing we had. They just took hold of me and pulled 
 and pushed at me until they made me go. The good 
 women and some little boys buried our little girl, Sa- 
 lome. I then resolved to shoot every Rebel soldier I 
 saw, if my chance for escape looked good, this I did. 
 At one time I was crossing the Biler Road in Winston 
 County by my self, a regiment of Rebels came along. 
 As soon as they had passed I went up the road and fired 
 at them in the rear. It stampeded them and they 
 double quicked it away from there and I did the same 
 thing. 
 
 I had a friend,, Riley Cole, whom I knew in Georgia, 
 who lived over near Sipsey River and I made my way 
 over there as I wanted some advice. He was too old for 
 the army but he thought he could hitch up a two horse 
 team and go to North Carolina and Georgia. He also 
 thought he could hide me when it was necessary and 
 we might get along some way until the war was over. 
 We needed some double trees and some other harness, 
 that I had at home, to make our equipment complete. 
 So he sent his boy along with me home to get the equip- 
 ment. We made the trip in the night. A man. Bill 
 Weatherford, fell in with us and we all went on to- 
 gether. He was a strong Union man but was exempt 
 under the forty year limit. We were going along a 
 trail near where Delmar nov/ is, when we were com- 
 pletely surrounded by a gang of Rebels, and were 
 promptly arrested. They took us to the old man Henry 
 McNutt's and called for something to eat. He got up 
 and went to his cellar and got out some potatoes all he 
 said he had. We roasted and ate them and then went 
 on. They arrested Bill McNutt, the old man's son, and 
 carried him also. We went to the old Stamford place 
 on Buttahatchee. They put us in an old house that 
 had but one door. They brought them in from differ- 
 ent directions and by daylight they had forty of us 
 jugged in. The next day we were brought out before 
 
 46 
 
Adjutant May to hear our doom. He commenced on 
 Weatherford first, wanted to know why he was not in 
 the army. Weatherford replied that he was forty. 
 May said that was the age they were wanting them. 
 Weatherford replied that he would go then but would 
 go then but would like to go by home and get some 
 clothes as he was not expecting this when he left home, 
 and besides he was badly afflicted with rheumatism. 
 To all this the reply was, it would be a long time before 
 he would see home any more, that they had a Dr. that 
 would fix up his rheumatism and that he would get 
 up some clothes for him. The consolation he got 
 taught me how to answer when my turn came. He 
 turned to me to know my age, general condition, and 
 why it was that I was not in the army (disdainfully). 
 I told him I was twenty-five years old, sound and 
 healthy, as I had never been sick a minute in my life. 
 I told him the reason I was not in the army was because 
 I did not want to go. He told me, ''I shall send you to 
 Richmond." I told him that it would take more than 
 him to send me there. He ordered all of us to be put 
 back in the guard house. The old room got so full 
 that they had to send a lot of us off to get room for 
 more, as this seemed to a sort of headquarters foit 
 them. A man by the name of Gibson, I will tell more 
 about him later on, was with them and seemed to take 
 an active part in this business. 
 
 One man had the water to carry for the crowd. It 
 was taken by turns and I was very anxious for my turn 
 to come to go for the water for I might get a chance to 
 get away, but after making my first trip I did not care 
 to go any more as the chances were too slim. The next 
 day we were to be sent off. They were going to send 
 me and possibly some others to Richmond; the others 
 were to be sent to Roddy. The place where we were 
 confined was too filthy for a hog to stay. We had to 
 lie on the florr all huddled together. They had great 
 
 47 
 
pots of beef boiled up and we had to stand all huddled 
 up and eat it off the bone. 
 
 A good many Rebel sympathizers would come 
 around the camp, among them was Burrel, Lang Allen 
 and Jim Allen who knew me. They got in with Adj. 
 May and asked him to let me have a furlough, they 
 told him they would sign any kind of a bond that he* 
 wanted him to with me. So I was released and went 
 home. Of course, I thought that I would have to go as 
 I could not afford not to, as they had befriended mef 
 and I could not afford to give them any trouble. 
 Under no other circumstance would I have gone. These 
 men have told me since then that the bond they signed 
 with me was not worth any thing, that they signed it 
 on purpose to obtain my freedom and it was not com- 
 pulsory on them nor me to go to the Southern army. 
 Had I known that I would have gone another way. 
 However I went on and was put in Roddy's army ati 
 Tuscumbia. There I saw many Union men that I 
 knew, more especially Cal Miles from New River. The 
 first night they put me out on picket, Cal and I were put 
 on the out post. He and I neither loaded our guns, 
 but prayed for the Yankees to come, for we were going 
 to surrender and go with them had they come. 
 
 The next thing was to go on a scouting trip near 
 luka. The Yanks met us and Roddy ran for life. I 
 had thought all the time that I would get through the 
 lines in the first engagement but the Rebs kept the rear 
 so closely guarded that there no chances. When 
 any one would stop there was some Reb ready to draw 
 his gun and order to close up, so I had no chance to get 
 through. Bill McNutt got shot through the leg by a 
 Yankee bullet, this caused his death. I got sick about 
 this time and was sent to what they called a hospital 
 I was put on a pallet on the floor by the side of a man 
 named Wamsley. He died pretty soon and that left 
 me on the pallet alone. Mose Pace, one of our com- 
 rades at the Stamford prison died while I was there. 
 
 48 
 
A man who lived near Allen's factory died and they 
 wanted to send him home for bural and I had a mule in 
 camp and was not able for service, they told me if I was 
 able to make the trip I could go. This I gladly did. 
 After taking him home I went on to my home and 
 stayed there until I got a notice to meet the command 
 at R. A. Mitchell's, just across the river from Greene 
 Haley's. 
 
 I did not intend to go but a friend of mine who stood 
 in with the officials told me to go on with him and we 
 would both get a furlough and not be bothered for a 
 while. So I went, but did not carry my gun. When we 
 got there the officer in charge gave us a cussing for 
 not having our guns. He passed some guns, any kind 
 he could get, to those who were not armed. When 
 they came around the line to distribute the guns I 
 pulled my little mule behind a horse and they passed 
 me unnoticed. They headed out in the direction of 
 Winston Co. to make a raid. When we got about op- 
 posite where I lived I rode out of the line, during a 
 shower of rain, and sat down at the root of a large tree. 
 The rear guard passed and shouted to me to fall in line. 
 I told him I was sick, had no gun, and was not going 
 any further. This man was Ham Carpenter and he 
 told me to go home and report at Fort Mitchell as they 
 called it. I went back home and made other arrange- 
 ments and that was the last time the Rebs ever had me. 
 
 I took to the woods and hid out. There was an old 
 man by the name of Roberts who moved from Randolph 
 County about the commencement of the war and 
 entered him a home on the south side of the Cove. He 
 was an industrious man, and had some money and a big 
 family of children. He had a team and brought in a 
 few things to sell, groceries and such like, and his 
 neighbors bought his stuff, and borrowed his money, 
 and did not pay him back. He was taken sick and 
 died and his widow soon ran through with what he had 
 left, and was in want. The oldest girl was named Mary 
 
 49 
 
and I made arrangements with her mother for Mary 
 to go and live with my wife, for I knew well that I 
 would have to leave the country until the war was over. 
 We began to meet in bunches to consult the best thing 
 to do as it looked as though something would have to 
 be done. No one was left to work and to make any- 
 thing except small boys, old men and women. The 
 Rebels had been robbing all the time until there was 
 not much left to subsist on. 
 
 We kept on sending word among our sort and let- 
 ting them know our meeting place, until as well as I 
 remember there were three or four hundred of us got 
 together at a big bluff down below Natural Bridge on 
 the head waters of New River. Some four or five 
 counties were represented and we finally agreed that 
 we make three propositions and let each one walk out 
 and join the side that he wanted to take. 'Tirst, all 
 that want to join the Rebel Army step out." 
 Not a man stepped out. ''All that want to go 
 to the North and join the Union Army, step 
 out." There were over a hundred men stepped out. 
 Number three were left to decide for themselves. We 
 then began to make arrangements and set a day when 
 we would start. Some of the number lived in Ran- 
 dolph Co., Fayette, Winston, Marion, Franklin, Jeffer- 
 son and some were from Mississippi. We set a day 
 and when the time came for those south of us to pass 
 through the Cove where we lived we fell in with them. 
 They kept on falling in with us and over taking us un- 
 til there were a hundred or more of us. All had haver- 
 sacks with provisions in them, as much as we could get 
 on with. We told all we could find or hear of that 
 wanted to go to fall in line, that we were going to stem 
 the flood, live or die. 
 
 We had a tough old time our food gave out, and 
 of all the tired, worn out, hungry set you could 
 imagine, we were that. Almost all of us were on foot, 
 there were some few horses in the bunch. The rag- 
 
 50 
 
gedest, bare-footedest and most hatless set you ever 
 saw. Finally, many of the weaker ones had given out 
 and were at the mercy of any one who might come up 
 with us. We consulted over the situation and decided 
 for two of the bunch to get on horses at night, hit the 
 road and go in haste through the line. We were then 
 some twenty miles from the nearest station of the 
 Yanks. They got through that night and the com- 
 mander ordered out a detachment of soldiers, provis- 
 ions, and horses sufficient to supply the demands. 
 Here they came double quick and all of the rejoicing, 
 shouting, and shaking hands you could inmagine it 
 took jV)lace then for we had met with our friends at 
 last. 
 
 In uniform, mounted, and well armed, equipped 
 with every thing we needed one cannot imagine how 
 happy and brave we all felt. After eating a hearty 
 meal we mounted the horses they had brought us and 
 rode in with out any further trouble. We all enlisted 
 in the U. S. Army with out any medical examination as 
 we all wanted to enlist. I told them the Rebs had con- 
 scripted me and would claim me as a deserter and I 
 never would suffer myself to be captured by them, 
 alive. The head officer said he would appoint me 
 Co. Sergt. and that would relieve me from guard duty, 
 and place me in a position that would shield me from 
 the chance of being captured as much as possible. I 
 accepted this. We were then put on drill for quite 
 awhile. Many of the boys got sick and many of them 
 died, the change in diet and habits had a good deal to 
 do with it. We all drilled hard, early and late fixing 
 to get in fighting shape and out on guard duty, until 
 we got ready for the field. 
 
 The first engagement that was worth speaking of, 
 was in Miss. We, were the whole regiment, had two 
 small howitzers, wagons, teams and pack mules with 
 tools on them to tear up R. R. tracks. Of course, none 
 of us knew where we were going nor when we would 
 
 51 
 
come back. We were all loaded down with ammuni- 
 tion and bountiful supplies. We started south when 
 we got to the line of Walker Co., Ala. We got orders 
 to turn back which we did and met with Gen. Wheeler's 
 command with five thousand men, who were sent out 
 in pursuit of us. We had stopped for dinner, just 
 about noon, and about the time we had been com- 
 manded to eat our lunch the pickets opened fire and 
 we got orders to mount. I remember having my pan- 
 cake about ready to turn when the bugle blew to mount. 
 Instead of turning it over in the pan I just turned it over 
 the pommel of my saddle, with the cooked side up, 
 mounted and went to eating on the crust as we were 
 preparing to go in my first fight. We felt like we 
 could whip the whole Rebel Army. Our first line was 
 down in an old field. Just north of us in a thicket of 
 underbrush were the Rebels and on the right of our 
 artillery. We were placed there to protect our artillery 
 on that side. We could not see the Rebs for the under- 
 brush, but they were firing into us volley after volley. 
 Some of our company were slightly wounded in that 
 line. Our artillery was busy shelling the road. We 
 had orders to fall back a quarter or a half of a mile 
 south, and were also ordered to dismount and form a 
 line on the right; our artillery had fallen back also. 
 The Rebels then came in sight and we began to do some 
 shooting in good earnest and held them in check for 
 awhile. However, the Rebs soon brought up their 
 artillery and began to rain constant shot among us. 
 
 We were then ordered to mount which we, or I, 
 found very difficult to do. As the fourth number was 
 kept on horse back to hold horses and that was my^ 
 number, I pursuaded Clint Tittle to take my place 
 holding the the horses and I went in to the battle in his 
 place. There was so much confusion and so much go- 
 ing on that it was some time before I found my horse. 
 I was looking for Clint and he was looking for me. 
 When I got my horse I was almost exhausted, as I was 
 
 52 
 
loaded down with ammunition. However, I felt good 
 when I was again mounted. 
 
 We fell back from time to time, formed lines and 
 defended ourselves as best we could while retreating. 
 This continued until dark, but a little before sunset we 
 came to a creek where the road seemed to give out. 
 Here we found our artillery deserted and did not see 
 any way of crossing the stream. The banks were from 
 six to eight feet high and perpendicular. The Rebs 
 were pressing us in the rear, charging us and shooting a 
 continuous volley in the rear. Our men were shouting 
 forward at every breath. I plunged my horse off a 
 steep bank, into the creek and he commenced pawing 
 and trying to go up on the opposite bank. I slid off 
 of him in the water and assisted him all I could, and as 
 he went up the bank I caught him by the tail and went 
 out with him. Lieut. Emerick's horse went in to the 
 creek a few feet below where mine went in, and broke 
 his neck. I do not know what became of Lieut. Emer- 
 ick as I saw him no more during the engagement. I 
 then mounted my horse and started up a long hill. 
 Every one that I saw seemed to be excited and confused. 
 Finally, I came up with a squad of soldiers who had 
 formed a line of defense, headed by an old uncle Sim 
 Tucker, a private, who was calling every one that pass- 
 ed to fall in line. Many were too badly excited to stop 
 although his gun was pointed in their faces. As soon 
 as I saw Uncle Sim in his shirt sleeves and bareheaded, 
 my energy was renewed and I rode up by his side and 
 said, ''Uncle Sim, I will die by your side." Soon all of 
 our men had passed us, at least those who could not be 
 prevailed upon by us to stop and fall in line. The 
 Rebels came in sight in pursuit of us. Uncle Sim gave 
 orders to not fire a gun until they got near enough for 
 each one of us to get one of them. They were led by a 
 large man, riding a gray horse. I took a good aim at 
 him and when the smoke went up I saw him fall back- 
 wards off of his horse. I think the whole bunch of us 
 
 53 
 
shot at him, as every one that I talked to afterwards 
 claimed the honor of shooting him. 
 
 We then retreated to a good position and waited 
 for another attack and continued this until dark. At 
 one time in making the retreat my horse ran astride a 
 sapling that lifted his hind legs off of the ground, and 
 I fell off of the right side of him. My left foot caught 
 in my baggage and ammunition bag on the rear end of 
 my saddle and my right hand on the ground. In this 
 condition I struggled for a while but finally I regained 
 my position in the saddle. By this time the Rebels., 
 were in a few yards of me shooting at me continually. 
 I just fell over in my saddle and reached after my 
 horse with my spurs and soon caught up with my com- 
 panions. About dark we, about fifteen or twenty of 
 us, who had been engaged in these skirmishes came up 
 with a bunch of our comrades. There were perhaps 
 fifty of them huddled together looking at something. 
 I saw our First Lieutenant, Perry, whom I had not seen 
 since the engagement commenced. He was in line and 
 I rode up beside him, but just about that time a volley 
 was fired in to us and Lieut. Perry fell dead off of his 
 horse. I was told afterwards that he was shot through 
 the heart. Another fell dead in the line. I heard the 
 word, ''Surrender" from some one, so I just pulled back 
 my horse and started west, the opposite direction from 
 ^hem. Going down in to a hollow I looked up on a 
 ridge in front of me and could see between me and the 
 sky a lot of mounted men, whom I was sure were Rebs. 
 About this time four or five soldiers came down the 
 hill the way I had come. I called their attention to 
 what I saw and we all concluded they were the enemy. 
 Our chance then was to go down that hollow far enough 
 to avoid danger then go west far enough to avoid con- 
 tact with the enemy, and then turn north to get back to 
 our lines. We had to leave our horses and side arms 
 as we did not see much chance of getting away with 
 out being captured with our horses. Before day we 
 
 54 
 
passed through a corn field and each of us secured an 
 ear of corn, and that was about all we got to eat for the 
 next three days. 
 
 It was estimated that we did not have more than five 
 hundred men in this engagement. The writer had a 
 talk with Gen. Wheeler about this engagement. He 
 said that he had made preparations to capture every- 
 one of us, that he knew our number and our wherea- 
 bouts, that he had never met as brave and determined 
 set before. To his great surprise, he did not capture 
 a single prisoner. Some twenty odd men were killed, 
 most of them were officers. 
 
 Going back to when we made our escape. When 
 daylight came we discovered one of our bunch was a 
 Rebel soldier who was trying to make his escape into 
 the Union lines. So he remained with us. There 
 were five of us in this bunch and we were three day's 
 getting back to our lines. During this time we were 
 without food, and passed through large swamps and 
 waded water that was some times up to our necks. We 
 had to stay hidden all of one day between two roads, 
 where we saw hundreds of Rebs pass us. 
 
 After we got back to our company we moved from 
 Glendale, our former camp to Corinth. From Corinth 
 we moved to a stockade on the M. & O. railroad south 
 of Corinth which was called Camp Davis. I think this 
 was built by the Rebs before the evacuation of Corinth. 
 We had a good deal to do while there, scouting through 
 the country and patrolling the little towns on the M. 
 and C. Rail Road. We occasionally had engagements 
 with squads of Rebs. While there we made a big raid 
 with Gen. Wisener in command, down the M. & O. 
 R. R., tearing up the track and burning corn and pro- 
 visions, that the Rebs were shipping to Atlanta, Ga. to 
 supply their forces while they were engaged with 
 General Sherman. We had a hard seige on this trip, 
 so much happened and so much was to do and to be 
 done that I shall not attempt to go in to the details. 
 
 55 
 
While I was with others on detail we had to dismount 
 and roll the cannon wheels to get them through a 
 swamp. The column kept on the move and when we 
 were through we were several miles from our com- 
 mand, and had to make double quick time through 
 the woods, as the roads were full and we wanted to 
 catch up with our several commands. 
 
 My horse happened to the misfortune of falling 
 down, and on me. This hurt me to the extent that 
 I was not able to mount for quite a while. However, 
 by considerable exertion I finally got on him and went 
 on. It was several days and nights before I was able 
 to take off my coat, as the greater part of my hurt was 
 in my shoulders. We captured so many prisoners and 
 contraband that it was necessary to send a detachment 
 back to camp with these prisoners and stuff that was 
 not needed. I was on that detail, and we sure did 
 have a tough time getting back. Rain, high water, 
 swimming creeks, repairing bridges, and bush whack- 
 ers were some of the things we had to put up with. 
 
 One night we were encamped at an old barn, had 
 got a house ("with one door in it in which to put our! 
 prisoners. We had a Reb Col. in there and during the 
 night he succeeded in jumping over the guards and 
 making his escape in his night clothes. It rained all 
 night and we slept on a hillside with our horses staked 
 out. The water ran under us and over us during the 
 night. About daybreak there was a volley fired into 
 us. I was up but the greater part of them were asleep. 
 We were all wet as well as our guns, blankets and cloth- 
 ing; but we were ordered to mount as the firing had 
 ceased so we got in readiness to march. We had not 
 got far when a volley was fired in to us from the rear. 
 Our commander ordered a squad of soldiers to dismount 
 at a suitable place and have their horses led on, and the 
 command to holt and await the results. It was not long 
 until the firing commenced and a detachment rushed 
 back to their relief and found that they had killed six 
 
 56 
 
of our pursuers and that ended the trouble for that day. 
 It was necessary at every big swamp or thicket to pre- 
 pare for the skirmish. We succeeded in getting back 
 without the loss of any life, that I know of. 
 
 Afterwards we were ordered by Gen. Grant to re- 
 enforce Sherman's army at Chattanooga. We went 
 via Memphis, Nashville and Decatur, Ala. We evacu- 
 ated Corinth and started on our march for Memphis. 
 I was right sick when we left Camp Davis and was sent 
 with the ordnance department on the R. R. from Cor- 
 inth, while the command was sent on horse-back. 
 When we left Corinth our camps were all on fire. Our 
 first stop was at La Grange, Tenn. I slept on the or- 
 dance in an old ware house, and next morning I went 
 out to see if I could find something to eat. Through a 
 mistake I went into the small-pox hospital. I was still 
 sick the next day. However, the next day the com- 
 mand came in and struck camp about a mile north of 
 town. They hauled me out with the ordance. We 
 were soon ordered out to Memphis, the command was to 
 scout through and I was sent with the ordnance. When 
 I got to Memphis I was real sick and had no where to 
 go nor any one to look after me. I lay around on the 
 platform at the depot until the command struck camp, 
 about four miles out. The wagons came in after the 
 ordnance and I was placed on a wagon and hauled out 
 to camp. The Capt. sent for a Dr. and hesaid I had 
 measles but I thought it must have been small-pox as 
 I had been exposed to it. He sent me to a large hospital 
 tent, they were just erecting and put me on a litter. It 
 was not long until the tent was filled with sick soldiers. 
 It rained during the night and the water must have been 
 some six inches deep all under the tent. Many of the 
 sick were unconcious and were up paddling in the 
 water all night, for we had no one to care for us. I 
 was very sick and could not sleep a wink, but I knew 
 better than to go out in that water. The next morning 
 the ambulance came and carried us to the hospital in 
 
 57 
 
Memphis. They carried me to the Overton House, and 
 I was only there a few days until I broke out with 
 measles. In a few days I felt as well as ever. 
 
 They had taken all my clothes and had given me a 
 calico gown to wear. I lay there for days just feeling 
 as well as could be, and my whole desire was to be out 
 where I could get some exercise, for I felt the need of 
 it. I kept insisting on the Dr. letting me have my 
 clothes but he would not. I would get up and run 
 around in the room kicking the walls as high as I could, 
 in my thin calico gown, trying to get what exercise I 
 could; but I would get so cold that I would have to go 
 back to bed and cover up. Finally the Dr. agreed that 
 I could have my clothes and sent a negro porter to bring 
 them. The negro brought part of them but one of the 
 boots he brought was not mine and I could not wear it. 
 I sent him again but with no better results. I then 
 went down three sets of iron steps, to the baggage 
 room on the lower floor. They had been carrying 
 water up the stairs and they were wet. I finally got 
 my own clothes and got them on but by that time I 
 needed a fire. 
 
 I went down the same steps as before to where 
 they were cutting wood. As they only had one axe I 
 had to wait until my turn to get it. The wind was blow- 
 ing hard, right off of the Miss. River, so I got very cold 
 w^hile waiting for the axe. When I got the axe I cut 
 a good load of wood and carried it to my room. This 
 was, as well as I remember, about March, 1864. I 
 made a good fire and sat down in front of it. I soon 
 got very warm and took a severe headache. I got back 
 in bed and do not remember anything that occurred 
 for many days. It all seemed like a dream to me. I 
 imagined that Lieut. Fishbach, whom I thought well of, 
 was punishing me all of the time all he could the whole 
 time that I was in this condition ; but he seemed to think 
 he was helping me. I am sure this was only imagina- 
 tion. While I was in this condition Capt. Trammel 
 
 58 
 
visited me, of this I have no recollection. He went back 
 and told them that Sergt. Phillips was going to die and 
 all that wished to see him alive had better go at once. 
 He gave them a pass and I was told that the whole Co. 
 came, but I have no recollection of any of them. The 
 first thing I remember seeing was a Sister of Charity 
 bending over me trying to talk to me. This Sister 
 waited on me from day to day and I owe my life to her 
 close attention to me, while I was in this condition. I 
 have had the kindest of feelings for them ever since 
 that time. I am sure it is by the kind treatment she 
 gave me that I am still in the land of the living. 
 
 While in camp at LaGrange, Tenn. I forgot to men- 
 tion a circumstance, that took place while we were 
 there. A regiment of negroes were encamped about 
 a mile from our camp. Some of the boys, who did not 
 like the negroes any too well, for some cause got to 
 shooting into their camp, and it almost terminated in a 
 serious battle, as their officers were white men. We 
 had orders to move at once. 
 
 When I rejoined the command, many of my com- 
 rades were surprised as they thought I had died. I 
 worried on in the hospital for a long time and was not 
 able to move or turn over without help, and had no 
 desire to get up. The Dr. told me one morning that I 
 must get up that day. I told him it was not possible, 
 that I did not have the strength. The next morning 
 when I told him that I did get up he was angry, and 
 and told me that just had to get up that day. After 
 awhile I moved over to the front of the bed and eased 
 off on the floor. My legs had no strength in them so I 
 could not stand up. I stayed out on the floor for some 
 time before I had the courage to try to get back in bed. 
 Finally I succeeded in getting back to bed. I went to 
 sleep and do not remember how long I slept but it was 
 a long time. The next morning I told the Dr. of my 
 adventure. He was not well pleased and talked rough 
 to me, he even wrote me a pass and told me I had to go 
 
 59 
 
out that day. I contended with him that it was not 
 possible but he used some threats and left. I was 
 afraid of him and had lost all resentment I had ever 
 had. I got up and crawled around over the floor un- 
 til I became exhausted. I then got back in bed and 
 took another long nap. 
 
 Next morning he was very worth with me when I 
 told him that I had not left the room. He gave me an- 
 other pass and said he would dare me not to go out that 
 day. I knew that I would be compelled to try so I got 
 up and crawled out of the room, to the head of the 
 stairs, then down the steps to the lower floor, resting 
 often in the mean time. When I got out of the building 
 on to the porch, the sun was shining brightly. While 
 holding to a post to steady myself I lost my grip and 
 fell full length on the floor. A lot of guards who were 
 stationed there picked me up, and carried me back to 
 my room. Two of them took my arms and shoulders 
 and one my feet and carried me back and put me in 
 bed. They cursed that Dr. for every thing they could 
 think of. This met my approval. After this I took 
 another long nap. 
 
 The next morning the Dr. was more angry than ever 
 when I related my experience. He told me to go right 
 on back that day to go to some store and buy something 
 and bring it back to him, so that he would know that I 
 had gone. I got out that day and went down to where 
 those soldiers were on guard, at the entrance. They 
 fixed me a good comfortable seat and I remained with 
 them for some time. They did not fail to curse the 
 Doctor. One of them said : "I would not go where 
 he told me to." He offered to go and get me something 
 to carry back to that *'cussed Doctor." This he did. I 
 got back to my room without help that day, by crawl- 
 ing up the steps and resting repeatedly. I got back to 
 bed and took another long nap. The next day the Doc- 
 tor seemed angrier than ever because I had not gone 
 out and made the purchase myself; and he dared me 
 
 60 
 
not to go that day. I had been treated so badly from 
 time to time that I had lost all the energy and courage 
 that I had ever had. The Doctor fed me so long on 
 Jayne's Expectorant, that I cannot bear the smell of it 
 yet. He would dose me out things to take and leave 
 directions for taking it. He would say, ''This is the 
 very thing for you, you are coming right along, and I 
 will just continue the treatment." All of this went in- 
 to the spittoon, for just as soon as he would leave I 
 would throw it there. Some mornings my spittoon 
 would be full and run out into the floor, and for that I 
 would get a big cursing. My best friend, the Sister 
 who had been waiting on me, almost deserted me when 
 I began to get better. I did not get to see her often, 
 in fact, I never did get a chance to thank her for her 
 kind treatment to me while I was so sick. 
 
 The next morning I went out again and the same 
 soldier wanted to go out and make the purchase for 
 me again. I told him that I was afraid to not make 
 the trip myself. He went with me and I made the 
 purchase, came back and stayed some time with the 
 guards that day. The next day the Doctor seemed to 
 be in a better humor than usual. He told me that I 
 should go out every day and stay all day or as long as 
 possible, this I promised to do. I met up with a soldier 
 whom I knew and he told me he was boarding with an 
 old Irish woman and he wanted me to go and take din- 
 ner with him, as it was only a few blocks away. He 
 said that he would help me along and that we would 
 rest when I felt like it. I consented to go with him 
 and we went slowly and rested occasionally. Finally 
 we got there and the old woman ran and met me and 
 said, ''Lawsy me, you do look so weak and bad." She 
 led me into a well furnished room and put me on a 
 good bed to rest. She said when she got dinner ready 
 she would call me. When I went to dinner she had 
 Irish potatoes well cooked and lots of other good 
 things to eat. Everything looked so good and I en- 
 
 61 
 
joyed my dinner so much. After dinner I went back 
 to bed and felt better than I had for many a day. 
 
 As soon as I got able to be up all day I was put in 
 a room to look after a sick man during the day and' 
 went back to my room for the night. The young man 
 that I was first put to watch over was from our Co. 
 His name was Cheek and he was suffering from a re- 
 lapse of the measles. He was unconscious and per- 
 fectly wild. He would get up out of the bed and try 
 to jump out of the window. As he was stouter than I 
 he almost succeeded in jumping out at one time in 
 spite of all that I could do. When I got him back to 
 bed I was almost exhausted. Soon one of the stewards 
 came in and I told him of my trouble. As he was much 
 stronger than I was I just slipped out of the room and 
 told him to take charge of him, that I was not coming 
 back there under any circumstances. Some days after 
 that I ventured to his room and looked in at him. He 
 was almost gone, died in just a little while. A lot of 
 soldiers from our Co. died in that hospital, among them 
 were Clinton Little, Jim Little, Green West, Jack Har- 
 bin, and many others that I cannot now recall. 
 
 About this time I heard that we had orders to leave 
 Memphis. I sent word to the Captain to come right in 
 as I certainly wanted to see him. Pretty soon he came 
 and told me that they had moving orders and that they 
 would leave there on a boat. I told him that it would 
 mean death to me to be left there, all that I needed 
 was to get back into a saddle where I could get plenty 
 of exercise and fresh air, otherwise I would die. He 
 laughed at me and told me that they would not dis- 
 charge me from the hospital. I told him that I knew 
 that but if he would promise me his assistance I would 
 try to remedy that as I only had the old Doctor to con- 
 tend with. I told him that I did not want the Doctor 
 to know or even suspicion such a thing. He promised 
 me faithfully that he would come back and let me 
 know as soon as he found out more. The old Doctor 
 
 62 
 
was not paying as much attention to me as he had 
 been, but kept me supplied with passes from time to 
 time. So I began to make my preparations to get 
 away. I got a boy to go around with me, and got my 
 blankets and effects where I could lay my hands on 
 them when I needed them. The Captain came one 
 evening and told me that they would load on the ord- 
 nance, and the whole outfit the next day, and that if I 
 was going I had better be there by ten o'clock. I got 
 the boy to carry my luggage and we trudged along to 
 the river bluif . 
 
 Below Front Street near where they were loading 
 the big boat which was to carry us, I had the boy to 
 make me a pallet on the ground, near the boat. I then 
 paid him and told him to go back. Soon Capt. Tram- 
 mel came along, took up my pallet and told me to fol- 
 low him. He went on the boat and up to the deck 
 where he made me a pallet and told me to lie down and 
 hold my position. All were busy loading on horses, 
 wagons, and teams, and everything that the regiment 
 had. I got orders to move out of the way, by various 
 parties; but I told them that I was there by superior 
 orders and was not going to move so they let me alone. 
 When we got loaded, the old steamboat, "The West- 
 moreland", pulled up the Mississippi River. We all 
 got off and cooked and ate at Cairo, Illinois. When 
 we were near Paducah we had orders from one of our 
 divisions to get off and help fight Gen. Forrest whom 
 they were in an engagement with at that time. Our 
 Colonel refused, saying that his men and horses were 
 not in shape for service as they had been aboard the 
 vessel and needed rest and refreshment instead of go- 
 ing in to battle. Too, he said that he was on a forced 
 march by Gen. Grant to reenforce Gen. Sherman's army 
 at Chattanooga, Tennessee. However the commander 
 of the post turned his cannon on us and ordered us to 
 Cast Anchor, which we did. Our Colonel telegraph- 
 ed Gen. Grant and we waited there a week to hear 
 
 63 
 
from headquarters. When the order came from Gen. 
 Grant we were released and we moved on up the Cum- 
 berland River. 
 
 About this time small-pox broke out among us on 
 the boat. We had to unload them as fast as they took 
 it. Vinse Roden and Wash Farehouse, Marion County- 
 boys, were two that I knew who broke out with it. 
 After that at an average of two to five daily were 
 stricken with disease. We had possession of the river 
 and had guards posted at every landing, and they were 
 left with our soldiers to care for them. About this 
 time I took the mumps. The banks and the drifts of 
 the river were filled with the dead carcasses of horses, 
 and we had to drink this water. The boys said they 
 had to strain it to get the maggots out of it. When we 
 landed at Nashville they sent me in an ambulance to 
 the field hospital, instead of the camp, here I remained 
 quite a while. While there I had an attack of rheuma- 
 tism and was not able to turn over for some time. I 
 suffered terribly with it. It was not so very long until 
 I got to where I could walk on crutches and in a little 
 while after that I could walk with out them. Soon I 
 began to call on the Doctor to send me to the front as 
 I felt as though I would get well if I could get in to the 
 saddle again. Finally, he said that I might go but 
 that he would wash his hands of my blood as I 
 would never see the front. There was a detachment 
 arranging to go and I fell in with them. I got to the 
 soldiers home and stayed there waiting for my trans- 
 portation until I gave way and could not go. The 
 Doctor in charge w^anted to send me back to the field 
 hospital but I had had enough of that and refused to 
 be sent. He then told me that he had an exchange 
 camp about two miles up the river and I could go to 
 that if I could get there. I told him that I would try. I 
 got a boy to carry my luggage and we started for the 
 camp. By my lying down and resting occasionally, 
 we finally got there. 
 
 64 
 
We had pretty good quarters out there on the bank 
 of the river. The next morning the Lieutenant had me 
 go see the Doctor. After an examination he sent me 
 to a small tent with a large fireplace in it. This tent 
 was occupied by two Irishmen, one of them was named 
 Hugh McGraw, and the other one was Dominick Mor- 
 ley. They both were kind and good to me. Domin- 
 ick was a fat, jovial kind of a fellow. Hugh was a 
 thin, tall, bony fellow and I never did see him smile, 
 but he was very good natured. They both could speak 
 some English. They did their own cooking. The 
 Doctor told me he would come and see me when he got 
 through. When he came he brought a bandage for me 
 to wear, and told me to lie on my back and not get up 
 nor turn over until he came back the next morning. He 
 told the two Irishmen to leave my food and canteen 
 where I could reach them without getting up. This 
 they did. When the Doctor came back he still had me 
 stay on my back, in fact I remained in that position the 
 most of the time for several days. The result was I 
 grew stronger and finally got to where I could walk 
 again. I left the Irishmen's tent and went to the bar- 
 racks. 
 
 A Canadian and I became attached to each other 
 and ran around inside of our limits together. There 
 were a lot of fine Jersey cattle sunning on the banks of 
 the river and I made the remark that I would like to 
 have some milk from those cows. He told me to hand 
 him my canteen which I did. I picked up a stick and 
 had the cow stand in the edge of some briars and he 
 soon had my canteen as well as his filled with milk. 
 After that we got milk right often that way. He said 
 that he and his sister. Poll, milked fourteen cows when 
 he was at home. 
 
 Many incidents happened while I was in that ex- 
 change camp. Some time there were thousands of 
 soldiers there and some times not so many. I became 
 very anxious to go to the front as soon as I began to 
 
 65 
 
pick up. I finally got in to a detachment but instead 
 of sending us to Georgia they sent us to Decatur, Ala- 
 bama. There we were joined by a hundred or more 
 men who had been left behind for some reason or 
 other. We were mounted and started out one even- 
 ing but only went a few miles and camped that night. 
 The next morning I was able to get on my horse. The 
 officer in charge told me he would have to send me 
 back to Decatur if I did not feel able to go. I told them 
 I thought I would be able to get back, so they carried 
 my horse on with them and I started back to Decatur 
 on foot, where I was told to report to Lieut. Lukins. I 
 took my own time, and rested along as I felt like it. I 
 crossed the Tennessee River on the pontoon bridge, 
 which our soldiers had put in just below the trestle, 
 where the bridge had been burned. I reported to 
 Lieut. Lukins and he told me to put up a tent and he 
 would make a requisition for rations as several private 
 soldeirs had reported to him that morning. He said 
 that I might put the tent any where I wished. I 
 had the tent put across the river. Over there, there 
 was good fishing and hunting ground. An old man 
 v/hom I knew in the hospital, and whom I had seen in 
 the Exchange Camp, sent for me to come to see him. 
 I went to see him and found him very low. He told 
 me that he was going to die. He had some money 
 and a fine mare which he wanted me to send or carry 
 to his wife. This I did. He lived out on the mountain 
 near Days Gap. I took charge of the mare and rode 
 her while I stayed there. 
 
 The boys of our regiment began to come in until we 
 had about seventy-five men there in camp. Some of 
 the families refugeed and were living around there. 
 I had instructions to give them a pass good for twenty- 
 four hours, and to renew these, until we were called to 
 the front. We certainly had a fine time while there. 
 We had nothing to do except fish and hunt, and there 
 was plenty of fish in the bayou, and plenty of rabbits 
 
 66 
 
and squirrels in the woods. The boys found an old 
 one-horse mill on a farm not far from camp. There 
 were a lot of old calvary horses running out on the 
 commons, and pens of corn all of which had been de- 
 serted. The boys took these horses and ground meal. 
 We had all of the corn meal we wanted and the boys 
 would grind meal and take it across the river and sell 
 it, in Decatur, in order to get them some money. So 
 we certainly had a fine old time while there. My 
 strength began to return to me rapidly and I soon felt 
 strong and able to do anything. 
 
 We finally got orders to go to the front, and we 
 were to be transported on freight cars. Our boys 
 were then stationed at Rome, Georgia. On the way 
 from Chattanooga our train sidetracked at a station 
 called Graysville, and switched off on a side track in 
 to the woods. One of our boys by the name of Ford, 
 from Marion County, was very sick and weak with 
 diarrhea. He had to get off while up there and two 
 of us helped him off and before we could get bacfk on 
 our train it pulled out. The other fellow ran after 
 the train saying he was not going to be left. I insisted 
 on staying and helping the sick man to the station, 
 where there was a little squad of soldiers at a wood 
 yard. Ford was not able to walk without help so he 
 put him arms around my neck and I helped him along 
 until we got to where the soldiers were. I left him 
 with them and they said they would care for him. As 
 my train had gone and there was a wood train on the 
 side track ready to pull out, I got on it. At the 
 next station we caught up with our train and I got off 
 of the wood train and ran to get on the other one, but 
 they pulled out before I caught up with them. Then 
 my chance was to get back on the wood train. About 
 this time there was an officers' train, with one car, came 
 by. They slowed down and beckoned me to get on. 
 They were all commissioned officers. I told them of 
 my troubles and why I was left. They told me to sit 
 
 67 
 
down and be contented as they would overtake my 
 train. I had left my effects, all that I had hid in a. 
 freight car and I knew it would be lost if we did not 
 catch them at Kingston, as we changed there to go to 
 Rome. I had the officers there to telegraph back for 
 them to send the sick man on, and got my baggage 
 allright. 
 
 We went on the first train to Rome and there was 
 a lot of rejoicing over getting back to our Company 
 once more. I was then well and hearty and there was 
 nothing to do but mount a horse and go in for duty.i 
 Our regiment was stationed there for the purpose of 
 foraging for the sick and the wounded. We were to 
 get all of those who were badly wounded, and those 
 who were too sick to move back North. Those who 
 were slightly wounded or who would be ready for ser- 
 vice soon were sent to Rome. We were continually 
 foraging for beef cattle and other supplies for them 
 to subsist on. We were having a tough time as we 
 were being bushwhacked all of the time and were in 
 great danger the most of the time. However, I cer- 
 tainly enjoyed the change of hospital to field. Many 
 of my comrades I had not seen since my severe illness 
 and they thought I was dead. There I got news from 
 home and they were still living. Many of my friends 
 were sending me word to come back and help them, 
 and if I only would they would be ready and waiting 
 to come back with me. We were continually on the 
 scout, and sometimes we would be out for several days 
 before we would be able to bunch up a drove of cattle. 
 
 One time we went to Cedar Town, Georgia, and the 
 officers in charge who had left a garrison to take 
 charge of the town, sent out a detachment on each 
 road to search for cattle. I got the Major to send me 
 out on the Van Wert Road, as I had an Uncle who lived 
 out on that road. We went on a short distance and 
 came to a road which turned to the right. We took 
 this road and soon came to a large house with several 
 
 68 
 
horses hitched outside. We charged the place but the 
 riders made their escape, but left their horses. We dis- 
 mounted and searched the house for arms and ammu- 
 nition. We found a large table well loaded with 
 plenty of good things to eat. We had no time to stop 
 and eat but each of us got a lunch. I filled my haver- 
 sack with turkey and other good things to eat. We 
 then went on leading our captured horses. In a short 
 distance we struck the long leaf pines and it looked 
 rather discouraging as far as the cattle were concerned. 
 We then turned in the direction of the left hand road 
 which we had just left. Not far from town we struck 
 some old fields and found a nice bunch of cattle. We 
 drove them on in the direction in which we were going 
 and found a lot more. We then had about all we could 
 handle, so we turned toward town. 
 
 In riding through the bushes I found a man on foot. 
 He told me he was a citizen of this country and not a 
 soldier. I ordered him to get up into the road where 
 the horses were being led as he was going on with us, 
 and for him to get on one of those horses, his own if he 
 preferred. This he did. I rode on with him and asked 
 him if he knew Daniel Roberts who lived some where 
 near that place. I told him that this man was my 
 mother's brother. He told me that Roberts was his 
 own uncle. The next house was Uncle Daniel's. I 
 called at the gate. Uncle Daniel had gone South but 
 a cousin, his oldest daughter was there. I remem- 
 bered having seen her and she remembered me. We 
 had their cattle in the bunch and she was very much 
 worried about them. I told her to get on my horse 
 behind me and we would stop at the first suitable place 
 and take their cattle out of the bunch. The first fence 
 we came to I had the drove stopped and had her cattle 
 turned through the fence. I left her there with her 
 cattle but before we got to town they broke through 
 the fence and caught up with us. When we got to 
 town I told the major of our success, and that I had got 
 
 69 
 
my uncle's cattle and I would like to have them re-i 
 turned. He approved of this but as we had no way of 
 distinguishing them from the others we were com- 
 pelled to let them go on, contrary to my wishes. After 
 the war was over one of my uncles, a brother of my 
 mother, wrote me from Arkansas where he then lived, 
 censuring me for the crime of taking my uncle's cattle. 
 We passed several insulting letters in regard to this 
 matter. He was a rank secessionist and his boys were 
 killed in the Rebel Army. 
 
 While we went off on our scouting expedition after 
 cattle the reserve we left in town broke in a tobacco 
 ware house and had tobacco boxes open and scattered 
 all over the streets. They had also broken into one 
 of the lodges and had taken out the uniforms and had 
 them on wearing them. All who could got sacks and 
 filled them with tobacco and carried it with them to 
 chew on. Some two or three of us went into a house 
 where there were three women. One was an old 
 woman and theother two were v/ives of Reb Soldiers. 
 They were badly frightened at us when we went in, 
 but we told them we had just come in to make some' 
 coffee and that we were not going to harm them in any 
 way. So the old woman made the coffee for us and 
 the others went on cooking. The old lady was very 
 much delighted with the coffee. We all sat down 
 together and had a fine meal which we all seemed to 
 enjoy. The women told us they wished their husbands 
 were there as they would be glad that they were with 
 us as they were starving and almost going naked. 
 They said that from what they had heard of us they 
 expected to be killed when we walked in. We gave 
 the old woman what coffee we had left and they all 
 shook hands with us when we left. 
 
 When the scouts all got in we left for camp with 
 our drove of cattle. I took charge of my cousin and told 
 him to say nothing to any one. As we drove the cattle 
 along we had a long talk. He told me that he enlisted 
 
 70 
 
in the first Georgia calvary regiment that went out. 
 He said that he had been through it all and knew now 
 that they were whipped, and that he was now trying 
 to save his life. That he had a wife and baby and that 
 he had decided to fight no more, and that he was going 
 on with us and was going to take the oath of allegiance. 
 Pretty soon the guard found that I had a prisoner and 
 he took him away from me, and put him with the other 
 prisoners. When we went in camp that night I hunted 
 him up and we took supper together, eating the turkey 
 that I put in my haversack that had been prepared for 
 him and his own comrades for dinner that day. 
 
 The next morning I got up early and climbed the 
 fence where the guards were, to get some corn for my 
 horse. One of the guards was lying in the corner of 
 the fence with my cousin and both of them were sound 
 asleep. I climbed over and got my corn but I did not 
 molest either of them. The next day at noon I, being 
 in charge of the cattle, penned them and placed a 
 guard to watch over them. Then each of us started 
 on his own way to find some food. I saw a large house 
 in the distance and I galloped up that way. I saw 
 some ''Johnnies" run toward their ponies, get on them, 
 and start off. I put the spurs to my mare and soon 
 overtook them, shooting at them all of the time. They 
 soon threw up their hands and surrendered and I took 
 them both in. So I got but little dinner that day. We 
 got back to camp with out any further trouble that I 
 now remember of. 
 
 We continued in this line of duty until I agreed to 
 go on a scouting trip to Alabama, for recruits. I 
 always have regretted doing this, ever since we left 
 on the train for Decatur, on detached service. There 
 we met up with a noted scout. Bill Luny, who escorted 
 us to Days Gap, on top of the mountain. We had about 
 forty miles, or more to go to get through Winston Coun- 
 ty to Marion County. We were very tired and when 
 we reached a branch at the foot of a hill we stopped to 
 
 71 
 
rest. Just before that we had met a man, on horse- 
 back, in the road whom Luny knew. Luny drew his 
 pistol and shot him and left him lying there in the 
 road where he had fallen dead when shot. While we 
 were at this branch resting a bit and consulting, a vol- 
 ley was shot in to our party and two of the boys were 
 killed. One of them was a son of widow Carter, and 
 the other was Phillip Sutton. I knew both of them. 
 This created quite a bit of excitement, and about all 
 of the crowd ran off, Bill Luny with the rest. We had 
 two ponies with us, and had our coats and other things 
 piled up on these ponies, but we ran off and left what 
 we had on the ponies. I did not know which way to 
 go. but went up the hill and found Bill Elkins shooting 
 at them with a sixteen shot rifle. He was holding 
 them in check very well. I stopped and shot back at 
 them twice, with my pistol, which was all that I had. 
 I then ran again thinking that it might be best to save 
 my ammunition for closer quarters. I ran on until I 
 was about given out and noticed they were pursuing 
 me, on horses. I was in a long flat hollow where I had 
 no protection, so I just got behind a tree and shot at 
 them and they left off pursuing me. At that time I 
 was run down and was not able to run further, and 
 ;when I shot at them they did not care to take the 
 chances of coming further. I rested there a while and 
 then proceeded down the hollow until I came to a sort 
 of a bluff. There was a vacant space in the rocks and 
 some of our party had crowded in here for a place of 
 safety. I got them to come out and found there were 
 two white men and a negro. The negro had saved 
 his food and we all ate some of it and went on for some 
 distance to where we met up with some of our party. 
 All we could find to eat was a few roasting ears. 
 
 I got sick and it was with much difficulty that I 
 got to old Sammy Spain's. The old lady Spain took 
 me to a bluff, near their home and made me a pallet 
 under a large rock. This made me a comfortable hid- 
 
 72 
 
ing place, and she made it more so by giving me tea, 
 and medicine and doctoring me up. She kept me 
 there until I was able to go to my family, although I 
 Was not able to travel for some time, as I had a bad 
 spell. Some of my friends assisted me home but I had 
 no place to go when I got there. They carried me to 
 an old house, where no one lived, and which had no 
 road to it, this was two or three miles from my home. 
 My wife waited on me as well as she could, and I soon 
 began to pick up and get strong again. The chances 
 were bad to get back and I had to wait for an oppor- 
 tunity, and it was some time after I got able to travel 
 before I got the opportunity. I had many adventures 
 while here and escaped being captured or killed many 
 times. Finally I got a Rebel soldier's horse, a good 
 one too, and went through on him. There were several 
 of us in the bunch. 
 
 When I got to Decatur I learned that our regiment 
 had left Rome and had gone on the famous march with 
 Gen. Sherman, and there was no chance to get to them. 
 The portion of the regiment that was left was stationed 
 at Huntsville, Alabama, where we were sent a short 
 time afterwards. The surrender of Lee to Grant was 
 made on April 9, 1865 and we waited for the arrival 
 of our command; as they rode through from North 
 Carolina, they were some time getting there. There 
 was great rejoicing, hand-shaking, and shouting when 
 they did come in. Each one had a tale to tell, and all 
 were anxious to hear the details. They had certainly 
 had a tough time and lots of fighting to do. 
 
 About that time Vandorn's army marched South 
 from Nashville and passed through Winston County 
 and Marion County, destroying, practically, everything 
 that had been left to subsist on. This caused great 
 numbers to have to refugee. They had to go through 
 the lines in order to get something to eat, my family 
 not excepted. As soon as I heard that they were 
 coming I got a pass and went to Decatur to meet them. 
 
 73 
 
When they came we had to camp in an old house with 
 a lot of other refugees. The river was high and the 
 ponds and lagoons were full of water on the north side 
 of the river so we had to wait for a steamboat to carry 
 us up the river to a landing place. The commander 
 gave orders to occupy any house that I could find va- 
 cant. The boat finally came. My wife had brought a 
 pair of oxen to move with and while we were waiting 
 for the boat I bought another pair, from a refugee who 
 who was going North. We loaded these on the boat, 
 but they ordered us to put them on a barge, which we 
 did. Soon after we pulled out in to the river the barge 
 began to sink. My cattle still had their yoke on so I 
 jumped out into the river and after some difficulty 
 succeeded in getting them unyoked. I got them ashore 
 again, then the boatman let us load them on the boat 
 again. When we got above the mouth of the creek 
 they unloaded us on the bank. 
 
 When I left home I had two large severe dogs. 
 One of them left when I did but the other one, a large 
 Newfoundland, remained with the family and looked 
 after the children. His name was Sheriff and he came 
 with the family to me. The only thing he ever saw 
 that he was afraid of was a steamboat. The children 
 would ride him and manage him as they pleased. 
 When the steamboat landed we were all ready to go 
 aboard. Sheriff just raved and barked at the boat 
 while it was landing. He caught the children by their 
 clothing and pulled at them to keep them from going 
 on the boat, but when they went on the boat, Sheriff 
 did too. 
 
 A man by the name of Bill Davidson, was at De- 
 catur when I got there. He was from Walker County. 
 He had no team and I did not know how he got there 
 as he had a wife, her sister, and his two orphan brothers 
 with him. As he wanted to go across the river with us 
 I let him have one of my teams. A negro, on the shore, 
 wanted to sell me a mule and offered to take twenty 
 
 74 
 
dollars for it. I told him if he would get me an old 
 saddle of some kind, and bring the mule and tie him 
 to a post that I would take him. The old negro did as 
 I directed and I gave him the twenty dollars. When 
 we were landed they had taken our wagons apart and 
 we had a time separating them and putting them to- 
 gether again. We had not gone far when we came to 
 some back water and had to stop again. I left them 
 and went in search of a suitable place to locate. I 
 went across the water on my old mule and a few miles 
 further on I found a large negro quarter. Here I 
 found a very good house, vacant. I went back and 
 moved my family in to the house. Davidson and his 
 family moved in to another one near me. 
 
 There was a man there by the name of Free who 
 had a contract to haul wood. I got Davidson and his 
 brother to take my team and go and cut and haul wood. 
 We got a good price for our wood so the teams made 
 all of us a good living. There were large wheat crops 
 all around us and as there were no fences our cattle 
 got all of the wheat they could eat so our feed bill did 
 not cost us anything. The Davidson boys became 
 dissatisfied with living with their brother and wanted 
 to come and live with me, as they said their brother 
 was not good to them. I talked the matter over with 
 Davidson and he said he was not able to feed and clothe 
 them and would be glad if I would take them. This 
 I did. I now had to go to the army as I had not been 
 mustered out and my time belonged to Uncle Sam. I 
 traded my old mule for a young one and while I was 
 away my wife sold it for seventy dollars in gold. I 
 traded for another mule and put one of the boys (Bob) 
 to planting a crop of corn. Work began to get dull at 
 the wood yard, so Davidson went up to Bell Font and 
 hauled wood for eight dollars a cord. This beat me 
 out of my part and Bill Davidson only got his board 
 for his work. 
 
 75 
 
CHAPTER VII 
 
 Soon I was called to Nashville, Tenn. to be mustered 
 out of the service. As soon as I got back I went home to 
 see what the prospect was to go back there and live. I 
 found things in a very bad condition. There was 
 plenty of corn to be had for fifty cents a bushel but it 
 had to be hauled from the prairies of Mississippi. I 
 had saved all of my wages while I was in the army, and 
 the Government owed me a lot. I had saved it all for 
 my family in case I did not get back. In all I had seven 
 hundred dollars, and as my wife had a little money too 
 I thought we would move back home. When I got 
 back to Decatur, the owners of the place we were liv- 
 ing on had made application to headquarters and got 
 an order to have all families moved. They hauled all 
 out together and left us camped on the outskirts of 
 Decatur. We were all reported as being a rough set 
 of people that had got in possession with out authority. 
 I just went right to Athens to the commander in charge 
 and took out my discharge and showed it to them. He 
 called the owner in his office and told him that he 
 recognized my right to remain on the premises unless 
 he would pay me for my crop. I told him that I did 
 not want to come back to gather the crop as I would 
 rather go to my own place and if he was disposed to 
 give me a hundred dollars for it he could have it, but 
 if not I would move back on the place. He finally 
 agreed and paid me the hundred dollars in gold. 
 
 I went back and went to a sale, v/here the Govern- 
 ment was auctioning off a lot of condemned horses and 
 mules. I bid in some stock very cheap. I then bought 
 in two old cows as I learned there were none where we 
 were going. I got on over as for as Moulton and a man 
 swore to the oxen my wife had bought to move with. 
 They claimed that Van Dorn's men had driven them 
 off. So he took them away from me. Another party 
 had been in our neighborhoond and heard of a mule 
 that had been taken from me and they went and got it. 
 
 76 
 
They said they were going to bring it to me. They 
 came to old man George Almon's with the mule and 
 swapped it to him for an old piece of a mule and gave 
 him ten dollars difference. The two of them had rid- 
 den the mule until it was almost given out. They 
 brought it to me and said the mule had given out and 
 that they had paid ten dollars difference. I paid them 
 the tendollars they said they had paid out. On the 
 trip out there the mule tried to run in Almon's lot with 
 me. He told me had traded the old mule to a man a 
 short while ago. I spent the night with Almon, and 
 found out that those boys had lied to me. They got 
 ten dollars from Almon and ten dollars from me. The 
 mule they traded Almon was worth two of the onel got. 
 
 About the time the men took my oxen from me a 
 man came along and swore to the mule that Almon got 
 from the boys and Almon was going to take the old 
 mule away from me. I went back to Moulton and 
 talked to Henry Speake, a young lawyer of Moulton. 
 He advised me to go to Marion County and get evi- 
 dence that the mule was mine. I got a house and 
 moved my family in to it and left them there while I 
 went to Marion County to get affidavits that the mule 
 was mine and had been taken from me. When I got 
 back with these, Almon had to release the old mule 
 and we moved on. 
 
 When we got back to our old home the buildings 
 were all run down and the fences were burned down. 
 The land had grown up in bushes and every thing 
 looked bad. I took courage and went to work again. 
 I kept a wagon on the road whenever needed, hauling 
 corn to live on. I also bought me some hogs. The 
 roads were full of negroes on starvation looking for 
 something to live on. I took a lot of them in and put 
 them to work, preparing for a crop. They offered to 
 work for their board but I told them that I would 
 pay them six dollars a month and board them. I did 
 not get any except good hands and they sure did work. 
 
 77 
 
I got all of land cleaned up, the fences prepared, and 
 everything in good shape for a crop. It was a close 
 pinch t oget through with what money I had, to meet 
 the crop we put in. We had nothing to eat except 
 bread, corn bread at that, and buttermilk and some 
 times not enough milk. We went barefooted and made 
 our clothing do. Then there was not a thing to be 
 bought in that whole community. We all lived very 
 much alike. My bees, cattle, hogs, and all were gone. 
 All that I had was my stumped tail dog Sheriff, a 
 one and one quarter auger that had been loaned out, 
 and a bull that had strayed off to Buck West's. West 
 had taken care of him and reported him to me when I 
 came back. 
 
 I v/ill now go back and tell some things that I re- 
 member. When the Reb Cavalry came through under 
 the command of Van Dorn they cleaned up the country. 
 At the same time that my family left, old man Roberts' 
 family left too. The only way they had to go was on 
 foot. Mary, the girl that was living with my wife, 
 went with her mother. They were shipped to Clarks- 
 ville, Tennessee, and put in refugee camp. There 
 they all died except Mary and her sister just younger 
 than Mary. By some means she found out where my 
 wife was and she and her sister came to us. She went 
 back with me when I went back to our old place and 
 when I was mustered out of service and we moved 
 back, Mary went with us and lived with us still. We 
 made a fine crop the first year and had plenty of every 
 thing to eat that could be grown. 
 
 About this time my wife was taken sick and died. 
 That was the worst trouble that I ever had in my life. 
 It seemed that I had got to the end of my row. Four 
 little children left with out a mother and one of them 
 only an infant a few days old. I did not have a rela- 
 tive nearer than three hundred miles. I could see no 
 chance for me and wrote my mother, the dearest friend 
 I ever had. She wrote me to come at once and she 
 
 78 
 
would do everything that she could possibly do. That 
 she would take of the children with all possible care, 
 and that it would be the greatest pleasure of her life 
 to do so. That letter was a great relief to me but all 
 that I 'had was here. I had no money and she was 
 poor as her husband had wasted everything that she 
 had, before he died. Besides she was too old for me 
 to impose on by taking my crowd of helpless children 
 to, so I did not try to go. 
 
 Everything went on smoothly for a while, the meals 
 came regularly and everything seemed to be going on 
 all right. The orphan boys seemed to be en- 
 joying themselves. So did the negroes. I noticed 
 that Mary seemed to be unhappy, especially at times 
 when her sister, who lived a few miles away, would 
 come to visit her. Her sister came often and often 
 Mary would not come to the table for her meals after 
 that. I asked Mary frequently what the trouble was, 
 but I could not get her to tell me anyhing. One day I 
 told her she just had to tell me her trouble as I thought 
 some one was imposing on her. She told me that all 
 were good to her and treated her kindly. She said 
 she had been told that she would be talked about living 
 there with only men folks and negroes, and that her 
 character was all that she had. She said that my wife 
 was the best friend that she had ever had on earth and 
 that she had promised her on her death bed that she 
 would stay there and take care of the children. Under 
 the circumstances she did not know what to do. I 
 told her to do as she thought best, that she felt to me 
 as one of the family and that I would treat her as one 
 of the children. I told her that the ones who were 
 trying to get her away from me were not my friends 
 nor hers and that they wanted her for a slave. I said 
 that it [would seem like giving up one of the family, 
 but for her to do as she pleased. She told me that she 
 would stay on as she felt it a duty and an obligation. 
 The next time her sister came she had a talk with her 
 
 79 
 
and after she had found out that she had failed in her 
 purpose, she broke down. I told her if she could not 
 come there without bothering my concerns she had best 
 get out from there and stay out. She left and that was 
 the last of It. 
 
 Everything went on as well as could be wished for, 
 except the little baby died. It died one night when no 
 one knew it, we did not even know it was sick. It was 
 sleeping with Mary at the time. Time passed and 
 Mary was so good to the children and was so devoted 
 to them and they were to her and she was looking after 
 everything so nicely that I fell in love with her and we 
 married. My mother had written to me repeatedly 
 and always advised me not to marry any one on any 
 condition. She said that she could not bear the 
 thought of those little children having a step-mother. 
 You can see that I did not know what to do. I had 
 never disobeyed her, but I thought if she knew Mary 
 as well as I did she would be reconciled. So I left 
 home one morning and went to Pikeville and told 
 Judge Terrel that I wanted a marriage license. I 
 came back by G. M. Haley's and told him that I wanted 
 him to come to my house the next day on particular 
 business. He came the next morning and all were at 
 work except Mary and the children. I handed him 
 the license and he preformed the ceremony that made 
 us man and wife. I told him to say nothing about it 
 and it was a long time before my mother found it out. 
 After many years she visited us and became ac- 
 quainted v/ith Mary. She then said to me, ''John, you 
 did not make any mistake when you married Mary." 
 
 When the Civil War was over and every body had 
 made a crop and had something to subsist on, and even 
 before that, society was very much like it was during 
 the World War. It looked as if many of the women 
 had gone wild about the few soldiers who were left. 
 I regret that I got off into wickedness that causes me 
 to shudder when I think of it. I feel at times that I 
 
 80 
 
was a disgrace to society and contrary to my early 
 training. I had passed through the war without being 
 tempted with evil associates and had no respect for 
 that class. Then to think that I would then fall after 
 being spared and preserved by a higher power to come 
 out safe and sound to my loved ones again at home. It 
 was too bad to even think of if one could help it. 
 
 However, it seemed as if Providence smiled on us. 
 We had bountiful crops from year to year, good mar- 
 kets, and high prices for all we made. My responsi- 
 bility increased all of the time, the children were 
 growing up uneducated, the family was increasing, 
 our clothing was short, no house to live in that was 
 even comfortable, and no furniture nor furnishings to 
 fix things so as to be comfortable and happy at home. 
 All of these things were needed and it took money to 
 buy them. So I started out anew to try to accomplish 
 something. As soon as I could get some capital to oper- 
 ate on went into any kind of work that I could get a 
 start in the world. Through sheer necessity I had to 
 work my little girls out at most any work there was to 
 do. My mares brought colts, my cows brought calves, 
 my sows brought pigs and my ewes brought lambs. 
 Pretty soon we had lots of stock. 
 
 Just after the war the mails were all to reestablish 
 and many made fortunes carrying the United States 
 mail. I got in that business too late to make a fortune, 
 but not too late to make some good needed money, 
 v/hile at it to furnish a lot of unemployed men with 
 work. I had from my early experience learned how 
 to do all sorts of work on the farm, as well as other 
 kinds of work. I learned how to control labor when 
 young. I could grub, split rails, cut cord wood, burn 
 charcoal, work in copper mines, dig wells and clean 
 them out. This last work I did a great deal of while 
 waiting for other employment such as pulling fodder, 
 saving hay, etc. I had learned something about trad- 
 ing in horses as well as trading in general. I used 
 
 81 
 
this to a good advantage and before long I was where 
 I could clothe and feed my children decently. I sent 
 them to school, a fact of which I am proud. Up to this 
 time I had never shunned hard labor and I never did. 
 
 My life has been a life or sorrows and troubles, the 
 older I get the worse it seems. My happiest days 
 were when I was young. I can look back and feel 
 happy at the thought of my blessed, little innocent, 
 lovely children. I did not think or even dream of the 
 trouble they were going to bring on me, in my old days, 
 when my body and mind had given way until I could 
 not stand trouble as I could have done in past days. 
 
 My daughter Susan died in 1902 and left three 
 children, without means, which we have reared. My 
 mother died at my home in 1882. Our dear boy, John, 
 died in 1902. I have had many trials and hardships 
 to endure during this life, but the good Lord has bless- 
 ed me and preserved and allowed me to remain on this 
 earth to the advanced age that I have now reached, 
 for some purpose unknown to me. 
 
 82 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 In the year 1858 there were only a few settlers in 
 the hill counties south of the Tennessee River. The 
 country was inhabited mostly by wild animals and 
 birds; such as, wild turkeys and lesser birds. Deer 
 were plentiful, while some bear, a good many wolves, 
 foxes, cats and catamounts were in evidence. The 
 people were poor and agreat many of them were only 
 half civilized. There were practically no roads, no 
 schools and but few churches. 
 
 The land belonged to the U. S. Government, and 
 only cost the settlers twelve and one half cents an acre. 
 Despite the cheapness of land very few people owned 
 their home, as they preferred to build on Government 
 lands as they would then not have to pay taxes; and 
 they had no idea that the land would ever be taken up. 
 These conditions existed mostly from the line of Miss- 
 issippi on to the east line of Georgia; and from the 
 mountains south of the Tennessee River to the coal 
 and iron fields in and around the city of Birmingham 
 and even south of there. There being no Rail Road 
 south of the M.& O. Rail Road in this state, and very 
 few public roads, the population was sparse. Even 
 where the city of Birmingham now is was only settled 
 to a small extent, it was nothing like a town, there was 
 not even a postoffice nearer than Elyton. 
 
 The people in these mountains lived mostly on game 
 through the fall and winter; and in the spring and 
 summer they subsisted mostly on milk. Many of the 
 old settlers, at that time, would use dried venison in 
 lieu of bread. The greater part of them only had 
 small patches of cleared land and would only plant 
 some small patches of corn and a few potatoes. A very 
 small per cent of them would raise enough to subsist 
 on. 
 
 When the people from Georgia, North Carolina, 
 and Tennessee, and other parts began to move in and 
 take up and improve the land. Many of the old settlers 
 
 83 
 
failed to enter their lands until the most valuable por- 
 tions were taken up and settled by the new comers. 
 They then had to take up and settle some of the poor- 
 est and most undesirable places or move to other parts, 
 which many of them did. The class of people who 
 moved in would, as a rule, build better houses, work 
 out and open roads, build churches, pay taxes and 
 build up the country. This caused the game to become 
 wild and scarce. Too, it caused the old settlers to 
 have to work roads, pay taxes, and do a lot of thinga 
 they 'Were not accustomed to doing, so they went to 
 other parts, not all, but a good portion of them did. 
 
 Not many of these old settlers, especially in Wins- 
 ton County, kept a horse, but almost all of them would 
 keep cattle, as they could get them through the winter 
 on the range, without food. When the grass would 
 start up in the spring they could take up an ox and 
 plow their little patches with him and then turn him 
 out on the range, after putting a bell on him so they 
 could find them when he was needed. They generally 
 had a small cart or wagon to do their hauling and to 
 make a trip to the Rail Road when they wanted to. 
 They needed it to haul off their venison, deer skins, 
 etc., and to bring back their whiskey and necessities. 
 I have seen as many as three men and four or five dogs 
 along with a small pair of oxen and a little cart on their 
 way to market. 
 
 The first Rail Road that was ever built in Alabama 
 was built from deep water, on the Tennessee River, 
 at or near Tuscumbia, around above the Muscle Shoals, 
 to Decatur. This was to accomodate the river traffic. 
 During the high water, boats could run from the Ohio 
 River, over the Colbert Shoals on the Tennessee River 
 to Tuscumbia; and a line of small boats could run from 
 Decatur up the Tennessee River to Knoxville, Tennes- 
 see. Thus the importance of this Rail Road line of 
 about forty miles to connect the river traffic, which 
 was all we had at that time. I think that Gen. J. B. 
 
 84 
 
Rather possibly built or helped to build this line, as he 
 told the writer about the operation of this line. They 
 used what was then called spring timber to lay the 
 rails on, instead of cross tires as the latter had not been 
 in use up to this time. Gen. Rather, who operated this 
 road and helped construct it, told the writer that 
 is was a common ;thing to run off of the track ten or 
 fifteen times, in making the trip to Decatur and back, 
 from Tuscumbia. This road was for the purpose of 
 transporting the river traffic around Muscle Shoals. 
 
 Sometime in the seventies Henry Habbler, a Ger- 
 man, came in from the North and bought a lot of land, 
 near where the boats landed on the Tennessee River, 
 which was at that time called Tuscumbia landing and 
 where the city of Sheffield now is. Here he erected 
 a cotton factory to make cotton yarn from seed cotton. 
 He started his mill and made a good quality of yarn. 
 He soon found that he could not operate successfully, 
 on account of getting seed cotton to supply his demands. 
 The facts were, he could not get storage room for 
 enough seed cotton to supply his demands for the sea- 
 son, and too, he was not in shape to finance the cost 
 of buying the seed cotton while on the market, to sup- 
 ply his wants in order to keep his mill going through 
 the season. So on account of these and other condi- 
 tions he was forced to abandon the enterprise, which 
 was a great loss to him. However, along in the 
 eighties, I do not remember the exact date, an English 
 syndicate, backed by a lot of capitalists (mostly from 
 the South) undertook the building of a Rail Road from 
 the Tennessee River to Birmingham. They bought 
 out Mr. Habbler's interest in the land where he had 
 built his mill, and they then started the city of Shef- 
 field. They proposed to build iron furnaces and start 
 up various plants. 
 
 They advertised long and extensively and when the 
 time came, men with money, mostly from parts of the 
 South, North and East were there with their money 
 
 85 
 
to make investments. On the night before the sale a 
 crew of men worked all night to finish laying the rails 
 from the M. & O. Rail Road to the old cotton field,, 
 which was to be Sheffield. On the morning of the 
 commencement of the sale, when the train pulled in 
 the prospectors were ready, waiting and anxious to 
 buy and wanted the sale to start. In the mean time 
 Mr. Habbler, the former owner, had erected a hotel 
 to help entertain the host of attendants. There was 
 also a bank opened up in the old cotton field in order 
 to close up the transactions each day. 
 
 The first day of the sale the lots brought huge 
 prices, much more than any one expected, and the sales 
 were large. Many anxious buyers held back until the 
 second day hoping to buy cheaper; but the lots sold 
 much higher than on the previous day. They con-^ 
 tinned to tdvance in price until the close of the sale. 
 Many of the buyers on the first day of the sale would 
 sell out their purchases at enormous profits on the 
 next day. The crowds would increase from day to 
 day and continued to do so during the sale. A great 
 many of the investors started in building on and im- 
 priving their holdings. Many residences, stores, hotels 
 and bank buildings were erected. Iron furnaces were 
 started and it seemed as if they would build a large 
 city at once. 
 
 (In writing up these thoughts I have been hindered 
 so much from one cause and another at so many differ- 
 ent times, frequently would sit down and write and 
 some one would call me away and I might be a week 
 getting back to my work again. I had likely gotten off 
 of the subject and on something else, or left off before 
 finishing, and something may have been repeated. I 
 do not know as my eyesight will not permit me to 
 undertake a review). 
 
 86 
 
I was about fifty years in the mercantile business 
 but kept my farming interests going all the time. I 
 was engaged in the cotton maunfacturing business for 
 some years. I was a railroad contractor for something 
 over three years and spent some four winters in South- 
 ern Texas, farming, building and speculating in land, 
 stock, etc. I traveled in the East while engaged in 
 the cotton business. A detail of all of this would be 
 tedious to get up and uninteresting to anyone. Suf- 
 fice it to say these matters combined have kept me too 
 busy and too much on hand to get drunk and 
 while away my time in idleness and unusefulness. I 
 have always had something to do, and never have been 
 able to catch up with my work. 
 
 87 
 

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