Greensborough Patriot

February 12, 1863

Page 1

Such People Cannot Be Conquered

Col. Imboden, giving an account of his expedition in Western Virginia, relates the following:

“On the 9^th instant, I halted near sunset, by a log cabin, in one of the wildest gorges on the dry fork of Cheat River. An aged mother and several of her daughters were the only members of the family at home. The father had been in Camp Chase over a year on a charge of being a rebel, and an only son is a soldier in one of my companies. I asked for corn to feed over 300 horses. The old lady said they only had a little, raised by herself and daughters, but that I was welcome to take it if I needed it—I took half she had and paid her for it, when she seemed to doubt the propriety of receiving money from a Southern soldier, as she thought it a duty to give us what we wanted. Her son’s company was not along and she did not see him. The eldest daughter said, “Colonel, tell brother we are all well and doing well. We expect our pa will soon be released from Camp Chase and come home. Tell him to be contented in the army, and write to us if he can.”

“If we had known that you were coming we would have had his winter clothing ready to send to him, but we will have no other chance when you leave. Tell him we girls made enough corn to do us, and have got a plenty of meat. We have caught five large Bears in a pen and have salted them down for winter. The Yankee Sheriff came along with five soldiers to collect the taxes and wanted to take the mare, but we had sold the bear skins for money enough to pay him, and I hope it’s the last time we will ever have to pay Yankee taxes.” On my honor, as a gentleman, this incident is literally true and detailed exactly as it occurred.

I thought as I rode away into the wilderness that the stripling soldier, but 17 years of age whose home I had just left, would hereafter in the eyes of a just and impartial posterity have a prouder claim to honor than the son of any heartless speculator though he inherited millions of a father’s ill-gotten gains.”

[Transcribed by Sharon Strout]