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ago, going to a neighbors, he was talking with a black man. A white man saw him, & I reported it. Whereupon the State Militia came in his absence, to his house, just pistols to the head of his wife, sick in bed, thinking it to be him, & threatened death if he rose up; then searched his house, took away his guns. Decr. 17^th they took him, carried him to Sampson Court House, brought witnesses to show by hearsay that he was a union man, that he went to Yankees without fear of them, that at Sherman's coming, he was acknowledged as "that same old union man," & therefore left unmolested, not even his horse taken away, that he had always been a friend to negroes & protected them.
  
They hope in some way to get something by which he shall be given up to Jail.  Willis [[Willie?]] Murphy gave the order for taking away his gun. They turned up his beds & every thing in the house— searched the smoke house, corn-cribs &c.— threatened to take away his horse.

Last Monday, that bitter cold night, he was obliged to go out & sleep out doors to escape from these men. He tells