of his slave cabins, as the long row was vacated by seventy of his
former slaves. He was said to be one of the wealthiest planters in
Kentucky. One year previous to the war, report said he lost seven
valuable slaves, and one from each of three adjoining plantations
escaped at the same time. After a consultation over their loss they
placed the blame of their escape on a carpenter from Illinois, who
had been a few weeks working at his trade in their midst. To be
avenged on the poor carpenter, a band of men came upon him in the
night, took him out of bed, gave him a coat of tar and feathers, and
treated him to a ride on a rail-horse. Then they furnished him with
soap and lard with which to disrobe himself, and charged him to leave
the State within twelve hours, never to be seen there again, or a
calamity far exceeding this would be his portion. All his assertions
that he knew nothing whatever of their slaves were of no avail. He
left the State as requested, but wrote back to the chief leader,
Moss, that if an opportunity ever presented he would be avenged on
those who had heaped upon him these abuses. Mr. Moss said he saw
that same carpenter a few days previous to the house-burning, with
three other men, in soldier's dress, but he did not believe he was a
soldier, but only in borrowed clothes, as he did not think a Union
soldier would do so mean a thing. An officer remarked, however, that
he was a hard master and a firm secessionist, but was now very tame.
On our way back Curlie informed us that he had taken us three miles
beyond our lines, and we were very near being caught just opposite
the line at the firing of the sundown gun. But with Curlie's earnest
pleading the guards consented to allow us to cross the line.

In one cabin there were two quite intelligent mulatto women, better
clad than any I had met in the camp, one of whom was the mother of
three fine-looking children. I remarked to one of them that they had