Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1861-12-27

As hate to write news, when am obi
ged to cut everything short for want of
room, make this no longer. ..
..r-r... ,.,. Toila tout. ... .r.rs..-
.t From the Waterloo Courier.
From the 9th Iowa Regiment.
a.1slrga CAMP HEhnos, PACIFIC Cry, NO.,
~ ,aeI.a a November IS, 1sGl.. : a |
Mr.. EDITOR: arrived at this place on last
sunday morning by railroad from ST. Louis,
ana found all the boys from Blackhawk
county well and in fine spirits. After the
usual saiutations Were over we all gathered
around the camp to have good old fash
ioncd talk. | learned directly that Lieut..
W. II: McClure, (you all know Mac of Ce-
dar Falls,) with f. NJ. Thompson, Thos. Bun
ton, George Sissor, and G. w. Dearth of La
Porte City, were out looking after a socesh,
VINO was reported to have taken some cattle
from a Union man, with the intention of con-
veying them to the rebel army. Late Iii the
evening the boys made their appearance with
about fifteen head of cattle and also the thief,
VINO, no doubt, will meet with his just deserts.
About the same time the boys got in with
TINS man and the cattle, a messenger from
the country reported himself at head quar-
ters with the intelligence that one, Alfred
Childs, living about forty miles from camp,
was at home. This Childs was recruit
ing officer in the rebel army under NJ John
son, and had become q terror to all the
Union men in the region he lived. On
several different occasions when he was at
home during the summer and fall, officers
with men, had been sent to capture him,
but were as often disappointed. While on
his own premises he never failed to have
good guard placed at all the approaches to
his plantation, thus making it difficult
matter to effect his capture. Lieut.. Mcclure
had not more than reached his tent, when
ne was summoned to appear at head-quar-
tcrs, to receive orders to take from the bat
terry boys twenty-men and proceed at once
to secure this notorious, internal scoundrel
and bring him into camp dead or alive.
Mac, with that alacrity characteristic of ev-
cry good soldier, proceeded at once to make
| preparations for the scout. AS soon as it
was known that the Lieut.. had such an
order, it would have done your soul good
to see the boys volunteer. The whole bat
terry volunteered excepting those that were
| on the sick list. Some Of course would have
to stay behind as he could not take any
more than would fill the order. This mat
ter was soon settled, and before noon the
next day the party mounted their horses
and rode out Of camp, having first been
armed each with muskot and ten rounds
Of cartridge, and also provided with three
days ration. u.. ...., .
| After travelling some twenty miles the
party were halted at Mr. M--,a good,
whole-souled Union man, where they par
took Of refreshments, and about nine o'clock
in the evening, after having secured the
services of Mr.. Al as guide, proceed
ed on their way. On arriving within about
half mile of the house, which was SUP.
posed to contain Mr.. Childs, the party was
halted for the purpose of giving the nee
essary orders to carry out the plan of at,
tack. Sometime before this the horse rode
by young man whose name think was
Barnes, became weary from fatigue, and fell
a few rods in the rear of the main party, A
short time before the halt was made his
horse had taken an old road that diyerred
a very little from the one that the boys were
in, continuing to travel in this di.ectfon for
a short time after he ceased to hear the
tramp of the horses he was brought nearly
in the direction of Mr. Childs' premises
Stopping to listen for the usual sound of
the horses put over the hard road, he be-
came alarmed, when finding it absent. He
had not yet been missed by the party
Just at this state of affairs, while the par
ties were not over fifty PAGES apart. sur
rounded by dense forest, and all as dark
as Egypt, Barnes concluded he would try
and attract their attention by giving a shrii
whistle. The very instant this sound was
heard the guide in q tone that could be
heard by all the party announced (thnk-
ing it was the signal of alarm by the guards
around Childs's premises that they were
discovered, and they should probably haye
to fight their way through. Instantaneous
as thought Mac changed his whole plan of
attack, and ordered carbines unslung, bay
onets fixed, and to charge upon the prem
iscs, which was all done in less than fif
teen seconds Of time, and the whole troop
under full speed, each doing his utmost to
reach the premises first. On arriving at
the picket fence in front Of the house the
boys scarcely checked the speed Of their
horses ere they were bounding out of their
saddles, over the fence and making bee
line for the door, Mac in the lead with a
pistol in each hand, in very unceremo-
Nous manner walked into Mr.. Childs' dom
icil, followed instantly by score of sold
iers. His pickets had just alarmed him,
but not in time to make good his escape.
At the instant he was making his exit
from his bed Mac called on him to halt
and surrender, or he would blow his brains
out. Finding bis house instantly filed with
armed men, and that resistance would be
instant death he quietly simmercd down.,
Poor Barnes came lstttefing up after the