FRIENDS CANNOT FIGHT. 66 THE people who call themselves " Friends," but who are better known by the name Quakers," have always been remarkable for their steady opposition to the world's three greatest cursesDrunkenness, War, and Slavery. They have always refused to fight, even in self defence, believing it to be a christian duty, commanded by the Lord Jesus, and sanctioned by the conduct of the early christians, who chose rather to die themselves than kill others. Here are a few facts, written and published at the time, respecting five "Friends" in North Carolina, who were drafted as soldiers for the slavery army in the South. Their names and ages were-Thomas Hinshaw, aged 32, Jacob Hinshaw, his brother, aged 29, and Cyrus and Nathan Barker, also brothers, aged respectively 22 and 20 years, and William B. Hockett, aged 36. The first four were forcibly taken from their homes the latter part of the Tenth Month, 1862, and retained in the rebel army until the battle of Gettysburg, in the Seventh Month, 1863. William B. Hockett was taken in the Sixth Month, 1863, and remained with the army nearly one month, when he was taken prisoner by the Union troops, shortly before the battle of Gettysburg, and sent to Fort Delaware nearly two weeks earlier than the others. He was in a different division of the rebel army from them, and they did not know of his being taken from home until they met him, as a fellow-prisoner, in Fort Delaware. They are all farmers, and the eldest three are married, and have left wives and children, one of the latter born since its father was forced from home. While the four Friends were within those States held by the rebels, they had communication by letter with their families and friends, and once were permitted to visit them; but when the army moved further north, letters could not pass, and for about five months they have had no intelligence from them, which they feel to be a very sore trial. Thomas Hinshaw was taken at his home by an armed guard, early in the morning, and, notwithstanding the entreaty of his wife, who was preparing breakfast, was hurried away to the military camp, with scarcely any opportunity to prepare for his absence, or to take leave of his family. Jacob Hinshaw was taken from his bed in the night, and carried off in the same hasty FRIENDS CANNOT FIGHT. and unfeeling manner; as were also Cyrus and Nathan Barker, who lived with their aged parents. They were sent to the camp, but would not do anything as soldiers, and would not escape from the guard, who was responsible for their appearance. Their journey from Weldon, to the rebel camp, near Blackwater, in Virginia, was a trying one. The conscripts were packed into cars so closely that they had no room to sit down, or to rest their weary bodies, only as they leaned on each other's knees; and were kept in this position, without water to drink, and only the little food they carried about them, for nearly twenty-four hours. Being sent to the 52nd Regiment of North Carolina troops, commanded by Colonel James K. Marshall, they were directed to choose what company in it they would be mustered with. They replied that they were brought there by constraint, against their will, and that their religious principles would not allow them to engage in any service in the army, or to choose any company to be attached to. They were then required to pay the commutation money provided for in the law, 500 dollars, the officers telling them it should only be applied for civil purposes as the ordinary taxes were, and not to the use of the army. But they replied that they considered war to be wrong, and did not think it right to pay anything for exemption from taking part in it on conscientious grounds. The captain and some of the soldiers behaved kindly; but a lieutenant who was an infidel, treated them roughly, threatening them with violence, but he was restrained by the captain. They were then tried with offers of bounty-money, clothing, and other government stores, and also with serving as wagoners, cooks, or waiting on the sick in the hospitals; none of which they thought it right to accept or do, and the captain would not allow them to be forced; the lieutenant also appearing more kindly disposed. But the colonel now seemed more earnest to have them do something, and said they should go into service. They calmly reasoned with him, but he did not appear disposed to argue, and ordering his men to make three of them go and load fodder, designed for the use of the army, he mounted his horse and road away. The soldiers tried to compel them to aid in loading the fodder, threatening them with hanging, drowning, and being shot, and some were ordered to run their bayonets through them. Others seemed rough and angry, as if they would FRIENDS CANNOT FIGHT. do them harm, but. Friends keeping quiet and steady they were not much hurt. After a great deal of unavailing threatening, the soldiers tied them to the tail of a wagon, and drove them through mud and water about three miles to where the fodder was. Here they were again called on to help load it, but, on their refusal, no further attempt at force was made. They kept them tied to the wagon until their return to camp, when they were released. The wagon master, who at first appeared fierce, afterwards said he respected men who kept their religious principles; and being asked if he was not afraid the Friends would run away, replied, "No I wish they would"-doubtless wishing to be clear of men whose consistent course made them burdensome. After this, though often sharply threatened, no attempt at coercion was used, and they were merely required to keep along with the army, between the regiment and the rear guard, but not to march in the ranks. Their food was often small in quantity, and very bad in kind, so as to be scarcely fit to be eaten, and they were exposed to all kinds of weather during a long winter; but the most trying of all, was to be obliged to witness so much profanity and wickedness for so long a period, and with little prospect of relief. The army remained a few days near Fredericksburg, allowing our Friends an opportunity of witnessing the horrible scenes still exhibited on the battle-field, and the fearful effects of war. From this scene of desolation and destruction they had a painful and wearisome walk of some hundreds of miles, often through mud and water, to Gettysburg, in Pennsylvania, where they arrived about the Ist of the Seventh Month. A fight between the Union and rebel armies occurred soon after, but the Friends were not required to go to the field. On the last day of the fight, however, orders came to the camp where they where, for every one who was able to walk, to repair at once to the battle-ground, to fill up the ranks, which were greatly thinned by the numbers who had fallen. The colonel, lieutenantcolonel, major, sergeant-major, and all the captains of the regiment, had been either killed or wounded. The lieutenant who had formerly been so harsh toward them, having come into command of the regiment, now met with them, and said he knew they could not fight, but he thought they would have to go to the regiment, which was then in line of battle, adding that he could not blame them much for not fighting; FRIENDS CANNOT FIGHT. that they might go just where they pleased, so far as he was concerned; and if they went to the field they could lie down there, and it might be would not get hurt. Pausing a little, he said a part of the men were wounded, and that the Friends might go to the hospital and stay with them until the fight was over; and he would go with them; the distance being about a mile and a half. On reaching the hospital, they found the wounded men had been removed, and he told the Friends they might follow them. In attempting to do so, they were stopped and taken before the provost marshal, who said they must get a written pass from the officers. They returned to the camp they had left in the morning, weary and soaked with rain, and it being near dark, determined to remain there. In a little while word came that the regiment was gone, and already a mile or two ahead of the camp. Those who remained in it were afraid they should be left behind, and hurried away very quickly; and before the Friends could prepare to follow, were out of sight, the night being very dark and rainy. After rolling up their blankets, they set out, but the mud was deep, and walking very laborious, and not being able to undertake or to hear anything of the retreating force, they sat down under a fence and rested. In the morning there were no signs of the regiment, nor could they ascertain which way it had gone. They went to a house where the people were very kind, and employed them in harvest work. While there they were taken prisoners by the Union cavalry, sent to Harrisburg, and thence to Philadelphia and Fort Delaware, where they arrived on the 15th of Seventh Month. William B. Hockett was taken from his home by an armed guard on the 8th of Sixth Month, 1863, and conveyed to the army, where he fell into the hands of some very severe and rough officers, who seemed determined to make him drill or carry arms, which he steadily and firmly refused to do. On one occasion being brought before the colonel of the regiment, he was asked why he did not do his duty as a soldier? to which William replied, that it was no wish to give them trouble, nor from obstinacy, but that he was conscientiously opposed to all war, and religiously restrained from taking any part in military affairs, and that, let the consequences be what they might, he could not voluntarily bear arms or march in the ranks, nor do anything in aid of warlike measures. Much conversation ensued, and the officer finally told him that he must obey orders or be shot, and that, if he FRIENDS CANNOT FIGHT. refused to obey, the only favour he would grant him was the choice of being executed that night or the next morning. William paused awhile, and then said that if it was the will of his heavenly Father he should lay down his life for his peaceable principles, he would rather do it than violate them, but if it was not his heavenly Father's will to permit it, he (the officer) could not take his life from him, though he might order him to be shot. He then reminded him of the three children thrown into the fiery furnace, and of Daniel in the lion's den, and how they were preserved, ending by saying that he had no choice to make as to the time when the officer's orders should be executed. The officer seemed at a loss how to proceed, and after a little while ordered him to be sent to the wagon yard, where he remained through the night. The next morning he was ordered to go out with a foraging party, which he declined doing, telling the officer that beside his scruple against aiding in carrying on war, he could not help them to take that which did not belong to them. Report of this was immediately made to the colonel, who soon came to the place where he was, much excited. He now seemed deter mined to make him submit, and a gun was tied upon his back, but he would not rise from the ground while it remained there. The officer ordered some of his men to run their bayonets into him, which they seemed loth to do, one of them managing to pass his bayonet through his clothes, but so as not to hurt him. Being much excited, the officer commanded the men to shoot him, to which William replied, that if they were permitted to take his life, the language of his heart was, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." The men did not obey the order, saying they could not shoot such a man; and the enraged officer, after striking him over the head, spurred his horse, and rode over him-but the injury done to hin was only a bruise or a scratch. The officer repeated his efforts to get the horse upon him, but did not gain his end, and as he left him, said, he had not done with him-he would yet make him fight or kill him. It was not long ere the officer himself was killed, and William taken prisoner by the Union troops. Information being received in Philadelphia that these Friends were prisoners at Fort Delaware, the Meeting for Sufferings convened and appointed a committee to take immediate measures for their release. Application to the government being necessary, some of the committee went to Washington and presented the |