Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1862-07-07

An INTERESTING LrTrRR.-The fol-
10 siag letter from our fsllov citizen. P. n. Nc
CURE. con Of james NeGuirs. Esq, will be
read With interest. Nj. Mcclure, it will be
observed. passed through many perils in ma
king HE escape, but is nov once more safe and
sound in the regiment to which be 10 an orns
ment:
For7 HExRY. Tenn, June 10th. 1852.
DEAR FArHEa.-According 10 prsmise will
COW give you the full particulars Of my cap
.ure and escaps., March 9th there was at Fort
Hienan. Ky. Opposite Fort Henry. Tenn. }
the hrst battalion Of Curtis Horss Regiment
and Baelrs Battery. The battery vss ordered
up to Paris Landing. IL miles above. the only
accessible place 10 the nsighborhood to get oD
boat. for the purpose Of going to Pittsburg
Landing. A detail Of 100 men from our bat.
TALON vas sent with the battery a. an escort
We started at about o'clock P. NJ. and only
got out six miles when We were compelled to
! camp for the night. It commenced to rain
| about 9 o'clock p. NJ, and continued until
morning. No houses, no tents, no shelter OF
any kind. only our blankets. AT daylight We
| left, and arrived st Paris Landing at o'clock
P N. Spent half AZ hour with Capt. Gregg
company. and arrived at Fort Hieman at dusk
A detail Of about $50 men wae made to g
| 70 Paris. Tenn, and the next morning (tbe
lltb) We started at daylight, and nine milee
sut We met the battery We escorted the day
previous now going with us to Paris. A,
about We miles from Paris We com n enced I.
run the rebel pickets and scouts. One and Q
half miles from Paris We got s men, horsee,
muskets, and one mule and buggy, which
we're on picket, the corporal Of the guard be-
log in the buggy. We dashed on through tie
town of Paris and on the timber to the south OF
town, expecting to run on to the enemy il
eurpri.e. When within about or huldred d
ysris of their camp We saw three full comps.
ries Of cavalry drawn up to receive US in tat
tie array. The battery played 10 few sho,r
| to scatter them, then company A. was ordered
to forward march We charged-not over
80 or 40 OF us-on to torcs known to be fcu,
or FIVE times our number. hut VIC seen that
they could not control their horses. We went
| 10 full galiop, and when aoout huf way tn.
rebels Wheeled AID ruu.a .and they were q credit
| to the South in that respect for ! think that
there has teen nothing on your race course to
compare With it.
When cav them raining though,
ii best not to follow them any farther IN the
timber. aud just as we were mating our Sar-
geant Ma jor cried out, There they are, boy >
and fired his pistol at them. Immediately ".
we're fred on BY q large force in ambush on .
bank over our heads. and lot 80 feet distant
80 10 the first sci ot ours, the Sargent Ma
icr to the right. At the fret fire he fell, re
ceiving several balls through his body. killing
him instantly. | managed 10 get toree shots
out OF my revolver. tut had ony for q mark
the Gre Of their guns belchin. out Of the thick
brush. Before I could fire again my horse
sas shot from under me- He stumbled and
tell, falling on my lett leg. my head and sid.
striking q stump. l was Knocked ssnselsss
and when came too found that my horse IL
houndering had got bic knee on my aldo
men. He had got up and fell again Is or 20
feet from me, having Received five balls in bic
body. l .aw our boys back with the ar,i
iery. ehelllog the timber. l got up-reacheo
| tor my hat. eome two or thre. feet FROM me
when a piece of ehel from our guns tha,
| burst below me. etruck my hat and took i,
Sou to D xie. nearly taking my hand Wit
| it l started for the battery, but bad gone
only q few feet when l heard a mourofu
groan. looked and saw our 4.h duty sar
g-ant, d. b Geary-es good a soldi.r a.
| ever fought l went back to him and told
| him to keep stll aud l would get him off
He ea:d No. II they had left me alone afte r
~ounding me l could, but when came too /
| raised my head to aek for water. and two men
| in gray uniform shot me in the back and
| shoulder" l took him by the arms to lift
h,m, but he groared 90 that l had to ia,
him down. The rebels l could see, wheneve,
| they fired would rise ur out of the brush blaze
| al the artillery and then fall, SO they could
not be eeen.
left poor Geary. hiding him farewell. and
promising to return afe er him soon. He bio
me save myself. for il by CHARGE should be
| seen they would shoos me. started. bnt haC
gone but few steps when l saw 20 men cou-
ing up, being sheltered from our by the
| battery. l rad my revolver in my hand, with
| on Two loads in it. and az soon a. So her,
| | threw it into the brush, ror it was either
d~sto or capture for memo escape now, and
WAS determined to give them no more thai
l was compelle1 to of srme. They we're very
much frightened and did not speak. but al
| leveelt cir gus. stood sill, not knowing
wnat to say or do, expecting to be shot
| E f.lded my arms when Eve of them layed down
! their guns and advanced. the Others COMM
| TO an "aim" on me. 60 as to prevent me from
| ranking them They took my sabre and bel.
| and a-ked for my revolver. told them ha9
| lost it. They took me to their camp, ahou
| 500 yaros d slant. They were preparing to
| retrest. Their commander Major King ask ed
me how large our force was, and l toid him 500
| cavalry, two regiments Of infantry and one
battery, snd expecting to have tive more reei
| ments Of infantry before morning. that were
| on the Conn~rsvills road They left me- at 8
| widows house until morning, about fourm,lee
from their camp. for ] pretended to be unable
| to travel. My head was all bloody from the
| scratches got on the 81 ump, and 1v abdomen
redlvhere my horse had turs me. but was
only playing Of. for could have Travelled a.
well ss ever. ifthey had given me a chance,
| but there was Eve Of them in .he room With
me all night. Next morning King Gays 10 me
| You Cd d-n cowsrdiy Yankee b-h,
| what did You tell me that 700 had such q
large force last night forf 1--WE were nov 2
miles from the battle ground.) Ireplied that
| I was on advance guard all day, and knew
only what heard. Says he. Il have a notion
to blow your heart to h-ll.' / told him II
We nt to hell W ,uld have one consolation, for
it would not be long before could be in CON.
pany with the Southern chivasry.
They took me TO Humboldt, where vss
sent before the august psrsonsge Of (as Brown
low Gays. the RI. Rev. Mi Gen. bon. Leooi-
das Polk He asked ne What vas our forces
and defences at Fort Hieman. asked him
vas as prisoner Of var, compelled to an.
ever oil questions. Hs said not; al I an
swsrsd wss voluntarily. told hio then ths,
would net snswsr him. for II did would
not tell him the truth. He sent me to Mem.