A Georgian in Source of Salt-he visited the Lincolnites in East Tennessee.
The Columbus (Ga.) Times publishes the following letter from a gentleman in Georgia to his son in the service on the coast, giving some amuting incidents in his recent experience:Dear Son--Here I am at home with a whole skin — reached here yesterday morning. I shall not attempt to give you a detailed history of my trip after writing to you at Knoxville, but will reserve some incidents until I see you. When I wrote you I expected to go to Goose Creek or Blue Lick, in Kentucky. I first went to Saltville, in Virginia, and found plenty of salt, and also found Gov. Letcher, with a sledge-hammer in one hand and a bottle of whiskey in the other, swearing no Georgian or any one else out of the Old Dominion should have or move a teaspoonful of salt out of the limits of said State. After walking round and cursing Virginia and Governor Letcher in particular. I left, as I thought, for Kentucky. Well, I reached Tazewell, within ten miles of Cumberland Gap, and bought ten mules and two road wagons, and one two-horse wagon.--I thought then I was ready to cross the mountains Just about that time there were two men brought in--one dead and the other nearly so — both shot by bushwhackers right on the route I was to travel.--Well, I did not say much, but I tell you I did not fancy that road; no, sir, I did not. But as there were several other wagons just in the act of starting I concluded to risk it, and started with twelve other wagons about sunrise. We went about three rules and met three men, who informed us the gentlemen whackers had just shot and killed Dr. Hillard and wounded three others. I told the boys, as we were at a good place for water, we had better stop and feed. We did so, and kept feeding all day and night, and fad late the next morning — that is, until about twelve o'clock. We then got two bottles of old peach, and after handing the aforesaid bottles around until the juice disappeared, we felt courageous, and thought we could face any number of bushwhackers or any other whackers. So we put off and went about three miles; met an old man that lived near the Gap; he advised us not to go another step in that direction; said we would never live to get through. I then proposed another feed, which proposition was unanimously accepted. After resting two hours I found I could get no more peach, and as that I had in me was all dying out, I began to feel that it took two kinds of spirits to enable a man to pass through the mountains, and as I had neither one at hand, I slowly came to the conclusion that I was not in any great want of salt any way — in fact, did not want it at all — and as I had some urgent business down about Knoxville, I turned my teams and moved slowly Southward.--Late in the evening I made up my mind that I had no use for wagons and mules, and sold out, and did well, as I made a few hundred by that operation.
Then went over to Sevier county, hog hunting, right into the hottest bed of the Lincolnites in East Tennessee. There are at least fifteen hundred in the county. Several persons advised me not to venture among them, but I felt sure I could manage to get along finely with them, as some of them knew me. Well, I will attempt to tell you all that passed. I will only say if Jeff, Davis could know what I said and all I said while there, he would have me hung in forty- eight hours. There was no difference of opinion between the men of Sevier county and myself — no, not the slightest shade — except in one instance. I gently hinted that I had sometimes thought it might have been better for the glorious Union cause if the President--our President (Lincoln)--had not sent out his last proclamation. They swore it was a d — d rebel lie, and concocted by the cursed rebels, solely to injure the Union cause in Tennessee, Kentucky, Maryland, and Missouri, and asked me if it was possible that I (a good Union man) could for a moment be imposed upon by such a base rebel fabrication. I told them that I had never thought of it before, but I was willing then to bet one thousand dollars that it was a forgery.
To make short of a long story, they treated me like a prince — gave me peach, apple jack, broiled ham, scrambled eggs, in fact everything heart, or rather stomach, could call for, without price or without money. They said a man who was right in Georgia was entitled to all the good things that East Tennessee could furnish, and told me if secesh got too hot for me in Georgia to go to them, and invited me to carry my family with me, and I have a ding strong notion of moving all hands up and staying with them through back bone, spare rib, and chicken season. What do you suppose would have been my fate could they have read my heart, or could they have known that I was a candidate on a secesh ticket, and had spent half of the last eighteen months in cursing Tennessee tories, never forgetting Andy Johnson or Parson Brownlow? What do you say would have been my fate? I am myself unable to say how or in what manner they would have put me to death; but I can say with perfect safety that if they had been posted you would to-day have no daddy.
I employed two of them to buy hogs for me and drive them to Dalton, Ga., and then put out for Knoxville, and found Gen. Gragg's army, or a large portion of them, moving in the direction of Chattanooga, or somewhere else. I have no idea as to the number of troops he had, nor have I any conception of the wagons and mules; but, from what I saw, think there were wagons and mules enough to pull all the houses in Charleston, Savannah, and Augusta, brick, shingles, and all, and then have a few hundred to spare.
Next in order, I will tell you how I make my escape from Knoxville. After reaching there I learned that Gen. Bragg had seised the railroad, and given orders for no one but wounded and sick soldiers to be allowed to go aboard until they all got off, and after that the road was to be used exclusively by his troops for fifteen or twenty days. Now, was not that a fix for a man to be caught in five hundred miles from home and nary mule to ride? After thinking the matter over, I came to the conclusion that I was in want of a new suit of clothes. So I went to a tailor, bought me a gray jacket and cap, such as I frequently see gentlemen volunteers have about their persons. I then went to a wood shop and purchased a pair of crutches; then an old blanket from an old negro woman, tied it around my satchel — could get no canteen or knapsack — but managed to get near the shed before the cars arrived. At last they came, and it would have killed you outright to have seen me mount my crutches, one foot and leg twisted up, my blanket, satchel and all tied on my back. The guard gave way, and even assisted several kind-hearted persons to get me on the train — they all expressed great sympathy and pity for the poor old fat wounded soldier. One chap said he thought the old man was about to faint, and that chap did not miss it much, for it was the hardest work I ever did in my life; but at last I was seated among the halt and the maimed. The crowd would not average a leg round, but I had two, and after riding about ten miles I made out to hobble to the water without my crutches. A one-legged gentleman sitting near me said I certainly improved laster than any man he ever saw. By the time I got to Cleveland I was able to dispense with my blankets and crutches.--The conductor walked up to me and said he was ‘"sold, "’ and promised to carry me back free of charge, and pass me back to Cleveland or Dalton whenever it suited my convenience. I thanked him, and told him I had no particular business in Knoxville. I then put out for home.
