20. XX.
“CAPCHERD.”
In a Linkin Basteel, Columbus, Ohio, }
June the 20th, 1863.
Agen I am in durence vile. Agen I am in the hands uv
Linkin's hirelin minyuns, and my church is without a paster.
The sheperd is smitten and the sheep may be scattered. Were
it not for two barls uv whisky that we hed in the church, I
doubt wether the organnizashen wood continue. My prayer
is that the cohesive flooid may hold out till I return. My capcher
wuz ez follows:
Wen the Dimekrats, the peece men of Homes County, declared
war, I threw off the sacerdotle robes and tuk up the sword.
Arrivin at Millersberg, I jined the peace forces to onst. Ability
is alluz recognizd, and I wuz immejitly made commander-in-cheef
uv the forces. A full uniform uv butiful butternut cloth
and a copperheded sword wuz presented me. I immejitly commenst
drillin the men, and in two days hed them perfishent in
compny and battalyun drill.
We fortyfide, buildin gabeyuns, faseens, and eliptiks, and
neglectid no precaushen to make victry sure. Fifteen hundred
strong, we pledgd ourselves to hist the black flag, and
never surrender.
Finally the enemy hove in site. Ez they cum up, our men
trembled with anxiety to meet em. Sum two hunderd askt
permishen to withdraw from the fortyfications, make a detoor
over the hill, and flank em, wich request, bein unwillin to restrane
their arder, I ackseded to. Sum 500 jined em, and I
spoze are detoorin yet, ez I hev never seen em since. This
movement wuz fatle, ez all went who were sober enuff to walk.
Jest afterwards cum the catastrophy. Ten uv the very men
who hed bin formost in advisin resistence, cum up with the
Fedrals, and advised a surrender! Hopin to gain time, I askt
two hours to consider. Unfortnit errer! Before the too
hours wuz up, half the men wuz sober, and, instid uv histin the
black flag, they capitoolatid, delivrin up the ringleeders. I
wuz taken ez a hed ringleeder, and wuz ironed and taken to
Columbus, wher I now am.
In hopes uv keepin my flock together, I writ em a epistle,
as follows:
To the Faithful at Wingert's Corners, greetin:
I write you in bonds. I beseech you, deerly beloved, to be
stedfast in yoor faith, holdin on to sich truth ez I left you. Be
viggelent in good works, patient in chasin enrollin offisers, and
quick in tarrin and feathrin on em. For, tho I am not with
you, the tar-barl and what's left uv the feathers is in my study,
jest behint the whisky barls. Be temprit. Ten or twenty
nips per day is enuff fer any man in health; if weakly, the
number may be indefinitly increest. I am alluz in bad helth.
Beware uv false teechers: let no Ablishnists pizen yer minds.
Keep up yure Sundy exercises; ef yoo hev wun among you
that kin rede, let him next Sundy eddify yoo with Wood's
speech. Neglect not the Sundy skool. That proper interest
may be kept up in the minds uv the childern, I wood sejest
that Sundy afternoons you ketch a preecher and hev the darlins
rotten-egg him. “Jest ez the twig is bent,” et settry. Be
ennergetik in tearin down meetin-houses, for they are injoorin
us. In conclooshen, deerly beloved, remember me. Send me
a eucher deck, a two-gallon jug uv corn joose; also, the weekly
collekshun. Ef I survive I will be with you agen. In the faith.
Ef they send wat I want, I shell be comfortable here.
In chains, but unsubdood,
Petroleum V. Nasby.
