The Iron Furnace, or Slavery and Secession Part 3

"Are you a Union man?"

"I voted the Union ticket, sir."

"That is not a fair answer. I voted the Union ticket myself, and am now warring against the Union."

"I have seen no good reason for changing my sentiments."

"You confess, then, that you are a Union man?"

"I do; I regard the union of these States as of paramount importance to the welfare of the people inhabiting them."

"You must go to head-quarters, where you will be dealt with as we are accustomed to deal with all the abettors of an Abolition government."

A heavy guard was then detached to take charge of me, and the company set off for Fulton, the county seat of Ittawamba county, Mississippi, distant thirty miles. After going about ten miles, we halted, and two men were detached to go forward with the prisoners, a Mr. Benjamin Clarke and myself. Our guards were Dr. Crossland, of Burnsville, Tishomingo county, Mississippi, and Ferdinand Woodruff. They were under the influence of liquor, and talked incessantly, cursing and insulting us, on every occasion, by abusive language. They detailed to each other a history of their licentious amours. We halted for dinner at one o'clock, and being out of money, they asked me to pay their bill, which I did, they promising to refund the amount when they reached Fulton. This they forgot to do.

On our arrival at Fulton, we were taken into the office of the commander of the post, Colonel Bradfute. My fellow-prisoner was examined first.

Woodruff stated that they had played off on Mr. Clarke--calling on him, as he was plowing in the field, stating that they were Federal soldiers.

They asked Clarke what were his political views. He replied that he always had been a Union man--had voted the Union ticket, and would do it again, if another election were held; that he hated the secession principles, and would enlist in the Federal army as soon as he got his crop in such a condition that his family could attend to it. On hearing this statement, Bradfute became very angry, swearing that Clarke ought to be taken out and shot then, but that a few days' respite would make but little difference.

Said he, addressing the guards, had you hung Clarke, you would have saved us some trouble, and have done your country good service. The Colonel, turning round, glared upon me with eyes inflamed with pa.s.sion and liquor, and thus addressed me:

"Are you a Union man too?"

"I am, sir. I have never denied it."

"Where do you reside?"

"I consider Rienzi my home, but have been staying for some time at my father-in-law's, in the south-eastern part of Tishomingo county."

"What is your father-in-law's name?"

"Mr. Alexander Paden."

"I know the old gentleman and his three sons. They are all in the Confederate service. They are brave men, and have done some hard fighting in our cause. How happens it that you look at matters in a different light from your relatives?"

"I am not guided in my opinions by the views of my friends."

"What is your profession?"

"I am a minister of the gospel."

"I suppose, then, that you go to the Bible for your politics, and that you are a sort of higher-law man."

"My Bible teaches, 'Let every soul be subject to the higher powers, for there is no power but of G.o.d; the powers that be, are ordained of G.o.d.

Whosoever, therefore, resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of G.o.d; and they that resist shall receive to themselves d.a.m.nation.' I have seen no reason for resistance to the government under which we have, as a nation, so long prospered."

"I command you to hush, sir; you shan't preach treason to me, and if you get your deserts you will be hung immediately. Have you ever been within the Federal lines?"

"I have, sir."

"At what points?"

"At Rienzi and Iuka."

"When were you at Iuka?"

"On last Sat.u.r.day."

"Had the Federals a large force at that place, and who was in command?"

"They have a large force, and Generals Thomas and Steadman are in command."

"That is contrary to the reports of our scouts, who say that there are but two regiments in the town. I fear you are purposely trying to mislead us."

"General Steadman has but two regiments in the town, but General Thomas is within striking distance with a large force."

"What was your business in Iuka?"

"I went there to pay a debt of fifty dollars which a widow owed, as she wished it to be paid in Confederate money before it became worthless."

"Have you a Federal pa.s.s?"

"I have none with me, but I have one at home."

"How does it read?"

"It was given by General Nelson, and reads thus: 'The bearer, Rev. John H.

Aughey, has permission to pa.s.s backward and forward through the lines of this division at will.'"

"Where were you born?"

"I was born in New Hartford, Oneida county, New York."

"Yankee born," said the Colonel, with a sneer; "you deserve death at the rope's-end, and if I had the power I would hang all Yankees who are among us, for they are all tories, whatever may be their pretensions."

"My being born north of the n.i.g.g.e.r-line, Colonel, if a crime worthy of death, was certainly not my fault, but the fault of my parents. They did not so much as consult me in regard to any preference I might have concerning the place of my nativity."

Woodruff, one of my guards, now informed the Colonel that I was a spy, and, while the Confederates were at Corinth, had, to his certain knowledge, been three times at Nashville, carrying information. I told Woodruff that his statement was false, and that he knew it; that I had never been at Nashville in my life. General Chalmers, who was present, and Colonel Bradfute, at the conclusion of the examination, spent fifteen or twenty minutes in bitterly cursing all Yankees, tories, and traitors, as they termed us. All the conversation of the rebel officers was interlarded with the most horrid profanity. General Chalmers, in speaking, invariably called me the clerical spy. We were placed under guard, and sent to Brooksville, ten miles distant, the head-quarters of General Pfeifer.

Immediately after our arrival, we were soundly berated by General Pfeifer, and then sent out to the camp, half a mile from the town, where we were placed under guard for the night, in a small plot of ground surrounded by a chain. We had no supper, and no blankets to sleep on. Our bed was the cold ground, our covering the blue canopy of heaven. The next morning we were started, without breakfast, under a heavy guard, numbering fourteen cavalry, to Priceville, six miles west of Brooksville. Priceville was named in honour of General Sterling Price, or rather the little village where he encamped had its name changed in his honour. When we reached Priceville we were taken to the head-quarters of General Jordan, and immediately brought into his presence. After reading the letter handed to him by one of the guard, he said, looking sternly at me,

"You are charged with sedition."

I asked him what sedition meant, to which he replied:

"It means enough to hang you, you villanous tory!"

He also asked me where I was born. My reply was, in the State of New York, near Utica, in Oneida county.

"Then you doubly deserve death," said he.