The Civil War

The Civil War From the Autobiography of Old Chih Jones as told to J. W. HALL The great Civil War had now begun and I was a Democrat in politics, but I cast my fortune with the Union cause and this compelled me to leave home or be killed. A man lived near me by the name of Cobum who had a son that had joined the Rebel army and coming home the old man Cobum reported me as Yankee. I took to the brush and began dodging for my life. The Coburns robbed my house, took everything I had and then burned the house and left my wife and children homeless. I sent my wife to one of her sisters while I stayed in hiding. One day I met up with one of the Coburns. He was carrying off some of my household goods he had stolen from my house. We had some hot words. He made at me with a large knife and I knocked him down with my gun and pulling my knife gave him a stroke or two, and left him lying in the road. I then went to Perry county and soon there was a man sent into Perry by the name of Tom Johnson from the United States army to raise a battalion of soldiers, and I enlisted with the Federal forces. We went to work and soon had enough men to organize a battalion. We met together in Harlan county to organize . Johnson and a Mr. Blankinship were candidates for Major. Blankinship was elected and we were mustered into the Union army October 13, 1862, and were mustered out of the Harlan Battalion January 13, 1863. I was first Lieutenant under Captain Morgan of Company A. I was patrolled to do all the scouting, hardly a raid was made without sending for me to get my advice. I went to Floyd county after my wife and mother, and was captured by Col. Caudill who took me to Letcher county . CaudiU's company was ordered to Richmond, Va. They camped on the Rock House and stayed there three days and nights. They guarded me closely. I learned when they were going to start for Richmond and I made up my mind to not go with them quite so far. The weather was very cold and they made a big log fire at the mouth of our camp. I lay down on the outside in order to be able to work the stakes loose, and I saw one of the guards lay his pistol on the end of a log of wood, and as soon as the guards had all fallen asleep I eased up and got the gun, and lay back on the ground and raising the tent cloth I rolled out-side. I was about the middle of the camp, but I made my way out without being observed. I went up the hill to the top of the ridge and it was so cold I had to run up and down the ridge to keep from freezing till day-light. About eleven o'clock in the day I came to the Old Life Breeding farm and saw a boy hauling wood and following the haul road to where Breeding was chopping wood. I told him I was hungry and he sent the boy back to the house after my dinner. The boy brought me a good dinner. Breeding was a Union man. I then went to a moonshine still Breeding had told me about and got a canteen of whiskey. After drinking enough to make me feel brave as it was fighting whiskey —a half pint would have made a Jackrabbit spit in the face of a bull dog—I then left the woods and took the road, and 18 hadn't gone a mile until I met Col. Ben Caudill himself. He at once drew his sword and ordered me to turn my course. I threw my gun on him and told him to hit the road and not to look back; if he did I would kill him. He took me at my K. A. House, Tallahasse, FIa., Dec. 10...