Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1862-04-02
Written for the War Press
DAVE BLAKELY.
The Scout Of Fort Donelson.
DY WAITE RCsHER.

The Scout of Fort Donelson
WAITE RCsHER.
! The huge crate was throwing forth its
intense heat in the quarters occupied bv
General Halleck. The jets of sparkling
flame, shooting forth from cracking car
bon, made the room appear lively and
cheerful The room was full of Off
all the members of Major Gen. Halleck' S
staff were present, save two who were out
on various duties assigned them. After
the business of each one was settled they
quietly withdrew from his presence, and
left tie noble general alone to commune
with his own thoughts. He began pacing
the floor in great anxiety; anon he would
move to the window and take hastv
glance down the thronsed street.
do wonder why Blakeiy don't come?
He was to have been here ut ten clock,
and never have | known him to be behind
time. The general, uttering these words,
took from his vest pocket handsome gold
repeater. 20 see, now; it is only half
past nine. 1t is not time for him yet
Hardly hid he taken from a shelf Il
map cf Kentucky and Tennessee, than
/ the scout, in silent manner, entered the
room
Blakely, you are here in time, and
just the nan | want TO see. Now come
here moment let this he your next ex
pedItiOn a hazardous one, % be sure
\ GU have been to Columbus and Fort
Henry The former place. you say, shows
signs of being evacuated Well and
good. The latter will be attacked to-day,
and, IN the meantime, l want you imme
diately TO repair to Cairo, deliver this let
ter to Col Ii, and from there, without
losing moment, push off for Donelson.-
Dye understand p
= Yes, replied Dave
These we're the orders that Dave Blakelv,
the scout, received from his commander
Dave was one of the noblemen of the
earth. He had been reared, not amid the
luxuries of life, but he filed the humble
position of Il farmer, way down in the
southwestern part of the State of MissOu-
ri At the beginning of the war Price,
with his blood thirsty marauIing band,
stole into the very part of the State in
which he was living
Indeed Dave was impressed into the
rebel service, but escaped one night while
on picket duty BY his local experience,
therefore, he was enabled to become very
expert IN the manners and customs of the
don a secession coat and pants, march di-
rectly into the rebel camp and pass him
self off for genuine SeceSh farmer offer
ing 10 sell his produce at :. excruciating
low rates. as he would laughablv term
them while there lie would procure as
much knowledge as possible of the state
of affairs and would then make tracks
for Gen Halleck, before whom he would
lav ali his information. Ii was in this
manner that he became so attached to the
general and 10y the pr, ISIS the general
bestowed upon him 1t was evident that the
attachment was mutual Hastily placing
the letter and other documents of poiiti-
cal Importance in his belt, Blakely babe
the general good morning, and wendcd
his way through the city, down to the
banks of the Mississippi, where he Sc
cured n ferriage to Illinois town, and be
gan his march toward Fort Done!son.-
He was commanded not TO 70 by railroad,
but to procure fleet horses and make his
journey, for certain reasons, more circui
tous than it would have otherwise been.
Having not moment of time TO lose
ne delivered his official documents to Col
H, and procuring for himself pair
of six shooters, and a huge bowie knife
he again set out Dave was not a man of
fear his hardy backwood life made him
a person of iron nerve, and Il constitution
of wonderful strength Having by the
necessities of his position. been compelled
TO undergo ;nnumerable hardships. he did
not shrink from his present undertaking.
Yet he soliloquised with himself in rather
4 dubious manner Let US listen 10 him
he prrsues his lonely way, not a living
thing near him, save the trusty horse on
whose back he rode
I'll be tarnal now if it aint kinder
sorter dangerous round these here parts
how. What do rebels do ? Why, they
do tarnal 81 sht more nor devils uG dare
TO do. Devils wonst seeded, so our
preacher said, and he's a Iarned man.-
But then, as | has it, devils had right 10
see seed The author Is not responsible
for the theological opinions OF Blakely.
But heavans and airth, where did the law
nor gospel come from that commanded
jeff Davis to kick his dear old mother
The Union was a good mommy TO him. =
Reckon as how he knows 1t now but Lor
wont that mommy strike him well when
she laws upon his back her finger of mil
Tertiary glory? Shes : no good woman if
she don't, Dave Blakely, a onion man, sez
this; aud Blakely knows. Solomon saws
somewhere in my testament, spared rods
brings spoiled childs JEFF knows as how
Solomon is right 1t was evident that
Blakely felt in good hun.or. Drawing
his bowie from its sheath, he began ad-
dressing it
Now old Kaintuck YOU Just listen to