Nelson Family Juvenilia
Box 1 Folder 31
The Mountain Fighter - n.d.

[cover page]
The Mountain Fighter
by A.W. Nelson

[inside text]
[Table of Contents]
23
Chap 1
Getting Ready for the Battle
Chap 2
The Battle Over
Chap 3
Reaching the House the Rebels Driven Away
Chap 4
The Battle of Bull Run
Chap 5
John Brown and His Party
Chap 6
John Brown Hung

Chap 1
Getting Ready for the Battle
In the year 1861 there was a great excitement a company was got up of about three hundred ahead of them stood the well known leader six feet four intches a stout man was he. Down. Down. The[n] they martched of from the white mountains camping over knight [sic] and martching by day till they came to the Merrimac. Then getting some large row boats they rowed on. "Hold, said a tall stout man from a canoe. He was six feet fourteen intches. "Where going," said the speaker.
"Oh down the river to fight," replied George the captain, "will you go with us[?]"
"Oh yes," replied William.
"Well come on."
So William rowed out and on their way they went. One day the captain sang out Concord so on they went. Days past [passed] and the the [sic] captain said Manchaster. One day pasted and a half of another and they saw ocean. A tugboat came and tugged them to the wharf. Then they took the steamer to Virgirnia where they were met by the rebels. They had quite a fight and afte[r] a hard strugle the union beat. "Hurah," shouted William, for he was one of the head men we have captured Philippi on June 3 Captain Eathen made an atack on Ritch Mountains fireing and chargeing bayents [bayonets]. The threbels [sic] run and tried to hold their own at fort. Carson on the Cheat River but was dove of d[r]ove of[f] and General Garnet was killed with a lot of others on the rebel side. Only a few of union was killed. William shot General Gannet. The rebels surrende[re]d for they had no food.

Chap 2
The Battle Over
They took the folks that they had captured and pun [put] them into prison. One day William was walking alone and looking at a house that was pretty to [tall?] hardy woods man when a scream arested his attention. Turning around he saw a wolf after a boy William grabbed his knife and rushed fo[r] the wolf and kill it the the [sic] boy said, "I thank you very mutch Mr. Wiggin. Wount you come up to to [sic] the house to knight [sic]."
"No I will come tomorrow though," and then he walked of[f].
"Let's stop here."
When William was scouting around he went by the name Willin. One day when he was going a long he heard shout and looking in he saw this boy Jimy and Ethan his father and his wife Mary in the warter. The boat was tip[p]ed over. He went and got them. They asked him what his name was. He said Willin. That they were good friends. The next day came and Wiliam went up to the house. He wrapped [rapped, as in knock] and Mr. Eathen came to the dore [door].
"How do you do?"
"Very well," replied William.
"Walk wright in Mr. Willin" said. Eathen "my boy says you saved him from a horriable death."
"Well I gues I did,"
"Thank you very mutch whare do you live now?"
"Oh moste any were," said William calisly [casually].
"Oh papa," spok[e] up Jimmy, "ain't Mr. Willin as tall as you?"
"Yes I guess so"
"We'll maseure [measure] wount you papa"
"Yes."
So they did.
"Just the same, my boy, we are both 6 feet 4 intches."
"Oh Mr. Willin wount you tell me a storry about war"
"Yess—I gues so. Well once I was wartching down in Virginia on the six of June we had quit a fight at Philippi and captured it then the enemy tried to hold us back at a fort on the Cheat River. You bring your geography hear Jimmy and I will show you. We kept fireing till we shot down the leader and a lot of others. [Then?] they gave up. Now ain't that quite a storry"
"Yes," said Jimmy.
"Oh," said Eathen, "where will you be within a week or two?"
"Oh I gues I will bee at [Dekkehhia??] and within two weeks I will bee in Virginia so I had better go so goodby."
William went off down to the river and jumped into his skiff and paddled across and about knight got home or rather back to the company.

Chap 3
Ataching the house the rebels dr[i]ven away
The next day William started for Philadelphia. One day he got a letter saying that Eathen had moved to Pitsburg. The next day a mesenger came and said the rebels were comeing. William Little and his friend John Green then started for Pitsburg. All at once they saw a party atacking a house as they cam[e] along the street they went to one corner. The[n] John run around and looked he came back and said, "Whad do you think William Eathen is fighting a hundred men he hit one man and knocked him he[a]dlong into the house or rather against the house. He grabbed another and hit him against the house and killed him. Others he kicked eight or nine feet and others he grabbed and slings far into the are [air]. I will tell you John I will say martch and then we will stamp and I will say on and then fire Mr. Eathens folk were in the house when a noise was heard and the door was smashed open and a man stepped in Eathen jumped and knocked him out then went for the other all at once he heard martch and then a noise of feet then on was heard and then a mas[s] was seen and fire [t]hey yelled bang bang bang was heard then now the rebels run then up came William and John..y "I thought you was an army how did you do that?"
"Oh we contrived to," said William
"Come in," Eathen, "I forgot to ask you all right."
"Oh," Mr. Willin said, "Jimmy haven't we had quite a fight?"
"Yes I guess so."
"Ain't Willin a funny name?" said Eathen
"My name ain't Willin my name is William Little not Willin no I went by that name while scouting.
"Clear," said Eathen, "and I don't mean that because you have saved us but is John's name John Green?"
"Yes. Sir." replied John.
"Glad to hear it. How did you come here?" asked Jimmy.
"Oh we heard that the rebels were coming and so we come."

Chap 4
The Battle of Bull Run
"But where are your guns?"
"Well we didn't bring any but here are our revolvers that how we fired so fast and made them believe we were an army coming. The stamring that was heard was us. I said march just to scare them after a few day William and John and Eathen warched with a number of thousand to bull Run bang bang bang bang was heard a lot of men fell on both sides. The union drove the rebel. They drove the rebel a number of miles then another army came and drove the union. Everybody run fal[l] into the woods there was hundreds killed and captured but our the adventures escaped and [got] back in the woods about ten miles and then rested then they bilt a sort of house and as it came night they went to sleep. In the morning they saw ten rebels coming. They had seen them and now be canifireing so our herdes fire two fell dead and one was wounded our three men rushed at [t]he rest before they could fire and knocked them down and had them prisiners for remember William was 6 feet and 4 intches and so was Eathen and John was 6 feet 4 intches and half then they in a few days got to Pitsburg where they were greeted by Jimmy and Mary.

Chapt 5
John Brown and His Party
A few days after Mr. Eathen went as captain to capture John Brown and his party for they had heard that he was exciteing the slaves and tr[y]ing to make them run away and kill their masters so off they [put] the next day. In a few days they come on to John Brow[n] and his followers. Then a was began bang bang bang rang out and ec[h]oed around them then John Brown's men and William Little and John Green pressed on and after a while Captain Eathen and his men cough John Brown and all his men but two those two were never seen again after capturing and securing all of the men they took leave and marched homewards feeling a good [d]eal of happier and the thought that they had captured John Brown when they got home the men put John Brown and his men in prison. "Oh papa," said Jimmy as Eathen walked in.
"Yes my boy we got them all but two they got away."
In a day or two the meeting took place when John Brown was tried. Now lets go back to Mary and Jimmy when Eathen was gone Mary had gone over to see Georgies wife Jimmy had played Indian and war with little Georgie and they had had a good time while Captain Eathen was gone.

Chap 6
John Brown Hung
Captain Eathen went to the tr[y]ing of John Brown. He tried to make out that he wasn't guilty but he was and after a while he was proved guilty. What was going to be the punishment to John B— and six of his men.
"Hang him." shouted all, so he was first strap[p]ed up and then one after another till the six was all hung. What a terrible scene to hear the men and see them swinging there. Now I have got to stop this book abut our true harted white mountain boys. There is lots of other ones I would like to tell you. The next battle of Bull Run and a lot of others. But in the last the union lit the rebels to live up but out white mountain boys are and adventerurs kind I should like to tell more of Williams and John and Eathans life and also Jimmys life but now the heroes are good firiends [sic].
by AW Nelson