Having serious apprehensions as to the reception I would meet with at
the hands of Gen. Burbridge (who had about that time an unpleasant
way of hanging and shooting such Rebels as he caught in Kentucky,
having only a short time before so disposed of Walter Ferguson, one of
Morgan’s men, whom I knew quite well), I succeeded in making my escape
in the nighttime at Winchester, eluding the vigilance of Lieut. Curtis
and his thirty mounted guards, who fired a few harmless shots at me as
I disappeared in the darkness.
That night I made my way to Alpheus Lewis’, an old gentleman who
lived near our camp as we went South at the beginning of the war. We
had camped there around a sulphur spring. It was an exceedingly cold
evening, the latter part of November. In crossing a water-gap over
Stoner Creek, I slipped and fell into the water and got pretty well
soaked. I had on a suit of butternut jeans clothing, and in ten minutes
after I had gotten out, the water had frozen and my clothing rattled
like sheet iron. I found my way to Lewis’ home, and stayed there part
of the night and then left, because I had made some inquiries on the
road, and was fearful I might be caught if I remained all night.
A few days later, finding no opportunity to get South, owing to the
presence of Federal troops in Eastern Kentucky, with the aid of friends
I got on the train at Paris, Ky., and went to Canada via Cincinnati,
Toledo, and Detroit. I went from the house of a friend, residing near
Mt. Sterling. A colored boy about eighteen years old named “Wash,” was
sent with me to Paris. We rode horse-back, and he was to take my horse
back. He knew I was a Confederate soldier, but he was faithful to his
trust. He afterward joined the Federal army.
Just before entering Paris, I saw two guards in Federal uniform,
and “Wash” told me there was difficulty in getting passes out of
Paris, and it was right difficult to get into Paris. As soon as I
saw these soldiers—I had to make up my mind quickly—I addressed them
first, before they had time to say or do anything. I said “See here,
gentlemen, I have got a boy here with me that is going to take my horse
back. I am going to Cincinnati with stock, and I want to know if he
will need a pass to get out?” One of the guards answered “No, that will
be all right. We will recognize him and let him through,” and so they
did.