The Shreveport weekly news., 1861-08-12
IN lncident Of the Panic-HOw z
COnGreSSneh was Fixed.

The herd of civilians that followed
the grand army and contributed tc
the confusion and rout, should never
have been permitted toc cross the river
We have no doubt the army was
greatly embarrassed by the congress,
men and other individuals, who
"wanted to see a battle"
We hope our fussy congressman, who
have been go i'll informed and impa-
tient, and SO anxious to smell gun
powder, have had enough Of it.
Cincinnati Commercial
There is an amusing story of Con
gressman Gurley. from the second
Ohio district, going the rounds of the
laughter-loving circles OF the city.
Guriey was one Of the .'fussy con-
gressmen" that was ''anxious to
smell gunpowder" and who, if the
story is true, and it is abundantly
vouched for, chad enough of it," A
prominent citizen of Toledo tells
that, being anxious to see a "rchel
rout." he hired Il buggy in Washing
ton, got a pass, and put for the bat
tle6eld. When he arrived there he
hitched his horse in a ravine, near an
eminence, where We're collected some
fifty or sixty congressman and other
civilians. He had not been in posi-
ton long before DIR. Mcmillan, a
surgeon Of the Ohio troops, came and
advised the spectators to leave,
though unable to give any satistacto-
ry reason for his advice. Very soon
however, the eyes Of the civilians saw
a sight that was not in the bills, and
which inspired them with sudden
desire for leave-taking. They saw,
in the distance, men tumbling with
great energy the contents of wagons
in the road, and whipping the hor-
ses forward with great fury, while
others were cutting the traces, noun
ting the horses and putting Washing
tonward with all the speed they could
command. But, worse than all, they
behold further back an immense bo-
dy Of cavalry, with drawn sabers,
approaching, and which they knew
were not federal troops.
Citizens of Toledo put for the ra-
vine after his buggy, but could not
find it, as it had been removed
When he came across it, he found it
occupied by a MI. Eggleston, or some
other Cincinnatian, and he was soon
in. He had to go up small activity
to get into the road. When he reach
ed It, who should be there but Con-
gressman Gurley, who made des-
perate grab at the reins near the bug
gy, and succeeded in clutchipg them.
He then commenced most piteous
appeal to be allowed to get in. and
chung with such tenacity to his hold
on the reins as to prevent the buggy's >
progress. Citizen Toledo, satisfied
there was no time to take aboard pas
sengers, hit Gurley lick with his
fist, and knocked him back some ten
feet. Then commenced an indescri-
bable scene of Indian dancing and
boohooing on the part of the Con-
gressman, who kept one eye ON the
approaching cavalry and the other on
the retiring buggy. How he got
away Toledo could not tell, but he
Aad the pleasure of meeting him the
next morning in Washington, and
apologizing for his apparent discour-
tesy. Guriey had resorted to shank S
mare,. and made successful escape.
Bravcr men than Gurley cut worse
figures that day than did he, and We
relate the incident not as being dis
creditable to him, but simply as IL
lustratiye of the profound and uni
versal panic that prevailed on the
f10mnda fy;ocSo,<yfi Eunu,rer