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- Courtesy of Janet Kochevar
"John didn't join the north or south. He tried to continue farming, but there were men they called Jay Hawkers that gave them a lot of trouble. John got a race horse so he could get away from them. He would stay out in the woods a lot of the time. If it was safe Helen would hang out a flag and he would come in and eat. One day they came and told him they were going to hang him. He told the boys to saddle his horse. He figured on leaving them behind, but Helen said, "Saddle me one too, I am going ". So they got on the horses and rode down to the gate. Two of the men went off and talked a while. When they came back they tried to get Helen to go back to the house, but she said "No" So they let them go back, but they took the horse from John which he hated to lose. About a month later, some of his neighbors came and said they were going to have a dance on Logan Creek. Your horse is going to be there and if you want me to cut the reigns I will. John knew the horse wouldn't lose any time getting home, so h
About nine months before the war ended they took John to prison at Alton, Illinois. The prison was dug underground and walled up with rock. It was dark and cold. He had just a blanket to roll up in on the hard cold floor. He was miserable with the itch and lice. All they had to eat was hard cornbread and water. At night the men would dig on a tunnel to escape. But if they got caught they were shot. When the war ended they let the prisoners out. It was cold and the snow was deep. The Mississippi River was frozen over. As they crossed over with wagons they cut big holes in the ice to test it. John had T. B. And was very weak. It was late at night and he had to watch for the holes in the ice as he walked across the river. When he got across he rolled up in his blanket and waited until morning. It was 100 miles home and he walked 25 miles a day for 4 days. It was late at night when he arrived at his brother Eliab Dunn's home in Chloride. When he knocked on the door they opened it, he just fell on the floo
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