The Mail Rider: From Kentucky to Texas, the Hard Way

By Robert J Gossett

Sam Clay ( formerly Samuel Samuelson Jr.) is banished from his fathers Paris, Kentucky tobacco farm because of holding opposite views on slavery. After he discloses his intention to enlist in the Union Army, his obstinate, opinionated father sends him away, telling him, he would be shot if he returned. With a horse and rifle borrowed from a sympathetic neighbor, he rides to Cincinnati, Ohio and enlists in an Infantry Regiment. With his Regiment he marches to Virginia and fights in several battles, before he is wounded and discharged. Following his discharge, he returns to Cincinnati, and finds a job as a guard on a wagon train bound for Natchez Mississippi. During this long, and adventure filled journey, he becomes friends with a Confederate Soldier, Cody Travis, who has escaped from a prisoner of war camp. When they arrive in Natchez, Sam accepts Codys invitation to accompany him to his home in Marfa, Texas. After all, he had no other place to go. In Marfa he finds work, first as a quicksilver guard, and later, as a mail rider.

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• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: May 29, 2014
• ISBN: 9781496915177

Robert J Gossett

Gossett lived in San Antonio for thirty years and traveled the State extensively selling steel products. Many ranchers were his customers, and became his friends. During his travels he made many friends who were more than willing to share their experiences, and stories they had heard, with him. One of these friends was a retired Texas Ranger, and some of his adventures,he shared, are included in this book. Though Gossett now lives in Kenosha Wisconsin, he maintains his memberships in the American Legion Alamo Post #2, and The Texas Library Association. He also stays in contact with many of his Texas friends.

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Chapter 1

The Early Days In Kentucky

S amuel Samuelson, Jr. was born in 1844 on his father’s tobacco farm near Paris, Kentucky. His daddy, Samuel Samuelson, Sr., was overly proud of his Scotch Irish heri tage.

His mother, Sarah, died giving birth to Samuel Jr., and his daddy always slightly resented his son for surviving while his beloved wife died. This happening also caused Samuel Sr. to blame the midwife who delivered his son. He blamed everyone but himself, even though the blame was directly on his shoulders for being too cheap to pay a Doctor to attend the birth.

The Samuelson farm was not large, but its 60 acres always produced a bumper crop of tobacco. The high price of this crop nicely supported the family, as well as the 12 slaves owned by Samuelson.

Samuel Jr. was raised by his black nanny he called Mammy. She was a very large house slave who had four children of her own who were older than Samuel Jr. and worked in the fields tending to the tobacco crops.

Although his daddy did not approve of excess education, Samuel Jr. was allowed to attend school to learn the basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic so he would not be cheated when buying or selling slaves or dealing with tobacco buyers.

When the weather permitted, Samuel Jr. would walk to the one-room schoolhouse in Paris with his only white friend, Billy Martin. Billy’s dad, Bill Martin, was their neighbor, and the only friend Samuel Sr. admitted to having. Their friendship would never develop into a close one because Samuel Sr. did not completely trust Bill because his heritage was English, and because they held opposite views on slavery. Bill had freed his slaves, then hired back many of them to work for wages tending to his tobacco crop. He later became a strict abolitionist, calling for freedom for all of Kentucky’s slaves. Although Billy was two years younger than Samuel Jr., the two of them often hung out together, after school and on weekends. They played mumbly peg with their pocket knives, pitched horseshoes, or shot marbles together. Samuel Jr.’s only other friend was Rastus, a slave boy, who was the same age as he was.

Even if Samuels Sr. and Bill Martin were not close friends, one Saturday Samuels Sr. accepted Bill’s invitation to take the two boys and go to Lexington to hear a lecture by Cassius Clay. Samuels Sr. knew Clay was an abolitionist, but he was impressed with him because he was a cousin to Henry Clay, whom Samuels greatly admired. Henry Clay served as a Representative and later as a Senator from Kentucky. His estate, Ashland (named that because the property had an abundance of ash trees), was not too far from the Samuels farm.

As a Senator he was called the great negotiator because of his ability to settle grievances between people. It was said of him if he had still been In the Senate at the time, the Civil War would never have happened. His stand on slavery was somewhat ambiguous. While he continued to keep slaves on his estate, he opposed legalizing slavery in the newly acquired territories of the rapidly expanding United States.

His cousin Cassius was an attorney, but never went into politics. He was known as the Lion of Whitehall (the name of his estate). He was an outspoken advocate of abolition, and was one of the first notable slave owners in Kentucky to free his slaves.

While Cousin Henry used negotiation to solve problems, Cassius preferred the use of violence to settle his. He always carried two ivory-handled Colt pistols and a Bowie knife. In fact, years later, when he served as Ambassador to Russia, he carried an ivory-handled Bowie knife that he referred to as his dress-up Bowie knife. This evening as he prepared to speak in Lexington, he took out a Bible and showed the audience, then placed it on the podium saying, This is for all of you who believe in God.

He then produced a copy of the Constitution, showed it to the audience, and then also placed it on the podium as he said, This is for all who believe on the Constitution of this great country we are blessed to live in.

Thirdly, he announced, And for those of you who believe in neither, I have this, and he took out a Colt revolver and laid it on the podium.

Then he began to speak: Welcome to all of you who came here tonight. I realize you think more of my cousin Henry than you do of me, but Cousin Henry still keeps slaves at Ashland, and I freed my slaves at Whitehall years ago.

Then he delivered a fiery speech against slavery and urged everyone to free their slaves.

Then in closing he said, And if anyone wants to complain to me about my views, I keep a loaded cannon in my office pointed at the door, and another cannon in my home, also pointed at the door. Now all of you have a pleasant evening, and a safe trip home, and thank you for coming to listen to me.

The trip home was a quiet one, with neither Martin nor Samuelson anxious to continue the slavery debate in front of their two young boys.

Samuel Jr. had already made up his mind, but kept his thoughts to himself.

He promised himself if war broke out he would enlist in the Union Army, but he dared not tell his daddy of his decision.

The winds of war continued to blow and would greatly increase in velocity if Abraham Lincoln were elected president and declared slavery illegal after he took office.

One day as Billy and Samuel Jr. were walking home from school, Samuel Jr. confided in Billy his thoughts about enlisting in the Union Army. Billy responded by saying, Gee, I wish I was a little older, so I could join up with you.

Lincoln won the 1860 election and was to take office March 4, 1861. Before this happened, however, six southern cotton producing states seceded from the Union and united as the Confederate States of America. From there things went downhill fast for the United States.

On April 12, Union Major Robert B. Anderson, in charge of the Union garrison at Fort Sumter, near Charleston, South Carolina, decided to move the garrison from the mainland to a newly constructed fort on an island, where he felt they would be safer.

He made the decision to move on his own. Every dispatch he sent to Washington, asking for advice went unanswered or was answered with ambiguous orders. The Washington superiors were afraid of making a decision. At any rate, his decision to move inflamed the southerners. South Carolina immediately seceded from the Union, declared war on the United States, and began firing on Fort Sumter. The Civil War had begun.

The news spread fast. When Samuel Jr. heard the news he decided to enlist in the Union Army by going to Indiana. That evening he waited until his daddy had his usual three scotches, then told him of his plans.

Samuels Sr. went berserk. He cursed, stormed around the room wildly flailing his arms in the air. Several times his son was afraid his dad was going to attack him. One time he might have if Mammy had not stepped in between them. He told his son, You damned traitor. If you go through with this, you will take nothing of mine with you. No gun, no horse, no clothes, and no food of mine in your stomach. Damn you, damn you for wanting to serve in Lincoln’s Army.

Samuel Jr. thought it wiser to withdraw to his room, hoping his daddy would be calmed down by morning. He left without eating any dinner at all.

All night he worried if he had made the right decision; and between the worrying and growling of his empty stomach, he slept very little.

At dawn he ventured back downstairs, hoping Mammy had breakfast ready, and his daddy had calmed down. Before he left his room he put $11 he had saved into his pocket.

There was breakfast on the table but he was unable to eat any of it. His daddy was just as belligerent as he had been the night before, greeting him with, Oh, are you still here? If you haven’t changed your mind, get the hell out of my house, and if you leave, don’t ever come back. If you do I will shoot you on sight.

Without answering, Samuel Jr. started for the door and his daddy yelled at him, If you go through that door, you change your name. I don’t want my good Scotch Irish name blasphemed by having it appear on the roster of Lincoln’s Army.

There wasn’t much else he could do, so Samuels Jr. made the final decision: he walked through the door, knowing he could never return.

Knowing he could not walk to Indiana, he walked to the Martin home and told them what happened.

Mrs. Martin began cooking him bacon, eggs and biscuits as he spoke with Mr. Martin. He told Bill he had $11 and would like to buy a rifle and a horse, if that was enough.

As he was eating Bill Martin told him, Son, you keep your money you will need it. Billy will give you his squirrel rifle, and I will give you my personal horse, Old Faithful. They will both serve you well, and that will be our contribution to the war effort. If your daddy doesn’t want you as a son, I’d be happy to have you as mine, so you be sure and write me after you enlist, and let us know what is happening to you.

After he finished his breakfast, he thanked Bill and Billy, hugged Mrs. Martin, and rode away on Old Faithful, his rifle in his hand.

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Chapter 2

You’re in the Army Now

D uring the long ride toward Indiana, Samuels Jr. did a lot of soul searching. Did he make the right decision? Was it a sin that he disobeyed his daddy? Would he really be brave enough to fight in the Army?

Would a lad of 17 be accepted in the Army? He also ate as he rode, finishing up the leftover biscuits and bacon Mrs. Martin had packed for him.

The first night he passed a boarding house but decided to camp out over night to conserve the $11 he had. He found that Bill had thoughtfully tied on a bedroll and poncho when he saddled the horse for him. He built a small fire to keep away nocturnal predators, and then fell asleep hungry and scared. The squirrel rifle lay across his chest.

At dawn he was awake, saddled Old Faithful, rolled up his bedroll in his poncho, and rode off looking for a diner where he could eat a cheap breakfast. He found one where he filled his stomach with flapjacks and coffee for 15 cents. Then he bought some oats, fed his horse, and continued northward.

Another night of camping out and he was at the ferry landing. The ferry would take him to Cincinnati, where he would ask directions to Indiana.

The ten cent ferry ride still left him with ten dollars, and he was hungry. When he got to Cincinnati, so he located a saloon, ordered a beer for five cents and fixed himself two ham and cheese sandwiches.

He confided to the friendly bartender, Bill, that he was on his way to Indiana to enlist in the Army. He was pleased to learn the Sixth Regiment of the Indiana volunteer infantry was camped out on the north side of town. The bartender said he was sure they would be happy to have him enlist. After he finished his sandwiches and beer, he found the camp of the regiment and enlisted for a period of three months.

Old Faithful became a burden because this was an infantry regiment, but the Commanding Officer agreed to use Old Faithful on a wagon team and return him to Samuel at the end of his enlistment. Actually he did honor one of his daddy’s wishes and enlisted under the name of Sam Clay. He admired the stories he had heard from Cassius Clay, so from now on he would use his name.

His Sergeant, Tom Jones, admired his Kentucky squirrel rifle.

What caliber is it boy? Jones asked.

Thirty-six caliber, Sam answered.

Who converted it from flintlock to cap and ball? Jones wondered.

A local gunsmith in Paris, Sam responded.

Paris, France?

Oh, no—Paris, Kentucky. They both laughed.

Jones took a liking to this young man, and personally instructed him in military manners, customs, and drill.

The third day the regiment left on a forced march to Grafton, Virginia (now West Virginia). From there they marched to Webster where they stopped to eat, then that night marched to Phillippi 14 miles away. They reached Philippi on the morning of June 3 where they were promptly engaged in battle with the Confederate forces guarding the town. This was a brief but vicious fire fight. Sam (as he called himself now) became very proficient at loading and shooting his muzzle loading rifle, and he was able to get a lot of shots at the enemy during the battle. In the confusion he was not sure he hit anyone, but felt sure he must have. In the first significant battle of the Civil War, the Union Army had prevailed. They were able to inflict 26 casualties on the enemy, and suffered only four losses of their own.

The town of Phillippi had been captured, and the enemy was routed, fleeing in disarray. Sam Clay felt proud of himself. He was now a seasoned veteran of the Union Army.

From time to time Sam checked on Old Faithful and found him well cared for and nicely adapted to pulling a wagon.

Later in August of 1861, Major General George B. McClelland assumed command of Union forces in western Virginia. He moved his divisions, including Sam’s regiment, south against Rebel General Garnett’s command at Rich Mountain. The Union Army attacked and engaged the Rebels in a sharp two-hour battle. Sam again fired repeatedly and saw several Rebel soldiers fall as a result of his gunfire. The Kentucky long rifle was far more accurate than the smooth bore muskets used by the Rebels.

Sam remembered loading his rifle, then nothing. He was knocked unconscious by an exploding cannon ball. He was not wounded by shrapnel but suffered a severe concussion and was unconscious for several hours. The next thing he saw was Sergeant Jones standing over him, putting cold water on his forehead, and slapping his cheeks to try to wake him up.

What happened to me? he asked.

Jones explained, You were knocked unconscious by the explosion of a cannon ball, but luckily the shrapnel didn’t get you.

Oh, hell. What happens now? Sam asked.

Well, some Lieutenant was here, and he said your enlistment is up, so if you want to, you can just collect your pay and leave, Jones told him.

Thanks, I think I will, Sam told him.

Sam said goodbye to Jones, rounded up Old Faithful, drew $30 pay from the paymaster, and headed away, his head still throbbing. The paymaster had also given him a certificate of service showing he had served honorably in the Union Army. Sam folded it and put it in his shirt pocket.

He had no idea of where he was going. He had no home any more. He did think he would go back to Cincinnati and figure out his future from there. Crossing the river at the first ferry he could find, he followed the Ohio River south and west until he reached Cincinnati. As he rode along the river he was surprised to see how much more river boat traffic was on the river than there had been just three months ago, when he first crossed into Cincinnati. After two nights of camping out and three days of riding and shooting squirrels to eat, he arrived in Cincinnati.

Chapter 3

The Good Life in Cincinnati

H e was surprised to see the change in Cincinnati in just three months. All of the riverboat traffic he had noticed all ended up in Cincinnati. This had to be the stopping-off place for travelers moving west because the falls and rapids on the river upstream of Louisville prevented riverboat travel further down the r iver.

Knowing no other place to go in town, he made his way to the Germanic saloon to see Bill the bartender. Bill was glad to see him, and said, Kid, I thought you were in the Army.

I was. I fought in the battles of Phillippi and Rich Mountain, Virginia, Sam explained.

How did you get out? Bill asked.

Well, I got a concussion from a cannon ball exploding at Rich Mountain, and my enlistment was up, so I was discharged and rode here, Sam told him.

Are you OK now?

Yeah, except I get headaches a lot.

Well, sit down and I’ll be proud to buy a wounded veteran a drink, Bill offered.

Thanks, just a beer, Sam answered.

As Sam drank his beer he was the only customer in the bar, so he and Bill had time to talk.

What are your plans now? Going home to Kentucky? Bill asked.

"Afraid I can’t do that.