Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 23.djvu/275

 Fort llnnli on (he

About this time Mr. W. C. Green, of Alexander county, who had been a lieutenant in the Confederate army, received news from a friend in \Vilkrs county that Wade had planned to move into Alex- ander county and make a raid on his father, Rev. J. B. Green, and to kill him (W. C. Green) if found. Mr. Green began to fortify his house, barring all the doors with iron. They also took five negroes into their confidence, and these promised to assist in defending the house against Wade. It was found out that they had in the house firearms enough to shoot eighteen times without reloading. Weap- ons were also provided for the negroes.

Wade started across the Brushy mountains on Saturday, May i^th, and reached Mr. Green's that evening about dark. Mr. W. C. Green saw a number of men stop their horses in the road above the house, and he concluded that they were Wade's men. He noti- fied his father, and mustered the negroes in the dining-hall. All the lights were extinguished, though the moon was shining brightly. Mr. J. B. Green stationed himself at the front door, with a revolver in one hand and a dirk in the other. Mr. W. C. Green took his position at a window commanding a view of the front gate and porch. The negroes were stationed in the rear part of the house. Three men with guns approached the house in front, one of them being Wade, who had on a bright Confederate uniform, which he always wore on his raids, posing as a Confederate soldier when necessary to gain admission into the houses he wished to plunder. The other members of the company took another route and sur- rounded the house from the rear, though this was not known at the time. Wade pretended that they were Confederate soldiers; that they had belonged to the cavalry, and were now on their way home, having been detained on account of sickness. Mr. J. B. Green told him " he lied; that he knew who he was, what his business was, and that he could not enter his house except over his dead body."

Some of the men had by this time come up from the rear and were trying to force an entrance. When this fact was made known to Mr. W. C. Green by one of the negroes, he rushed to the rear, knocked out a pane of glass, and opened fire on them, wounding one of the men. This unexpected turn of affairs seemed to frighten them and they all began to retire. Mr. J. B. Green and Mr. W. C. Green rushed into the yard and opened fire on them as they re- treated, Wade and his men at the same time returning the fire. They retreated so rapidly that two of the men left their horses. It