Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1862-08-02
A Remarkable Sc0ut.
wcxans show their Training.

@'2Slp
The following letter has been sent
us by Mr.. Franks. 1t contains an
account or the most remarkable
scouting skirmish We have seen yet.
1t beats Morgan, Scott and all the
rest:
CAM NEAR RICHMOND, May 22d.
MIR y. e. FRANKS, Wharton, Texas.
- near Brothsr:--As Judge Regan
has opened q mail route through to
VeXaA | have concluded to write
again l will now proceed to give
you & history of my travels since l
wrote you last, at which time we
were encamped near Fredericks-
burg Immediately after | mailed
the letter, the long roll was sounded
and We were marched out, formed
in line, orders were read 70 the e,.
feet that each man should have
cooked three days ra;ions, which
should last him five days, and be
ready to move ut moments warn
ing. In . short time after said pre-
paratious, We took up the line Of
march for Yorktown, After six
days and nights hard marching
we reached Yorktown-generalIy
called the City Of the Peninsula
We wera campea there about two
weeks, expecting the enemy to at-
tack us. Our line Of battle extcn-
ted from town to Winn's Mills, dis
tanced about eight miles supported
by about ffty strong batteries and
one hundred and twenty thousand.
men-the flower OF the army; and,
/ tell you, they gave our brigade as
much as they needed. They have
an idea that we had much rather
hght than eat, and, judging the rest
by myself, will say that We do
love to fight, but don't love to march I,
twenty five miles per day, fight all /
and, eat none. Whiio we were at
tohitown. they kept seo0ts out from I
our brigade all the time, ana our
lines, being not more than hHIfa
mile, from tae federai8 We had
hard skirmIshing. with them every !
day. l. was ont in two scouts and
was engaged both times. The tirst
time Invent there was only twonty /!
OF us. We passed through our pick ,
cts and got ~ wirhin shooting dis
tante ot the onemy's pickets. We
kept up constant firing at one an
other al day. We had one mE!n
killed and, one wounded. We don't
know low many we killed Of them.
Az night We sent courier back to
headquarte 5, asking Gen. Hood Tor
more men He Immediately sent
eighty men, increasing Our number
to ninety eight. with orders to act
as We saw tit: BY this time. we
found out that the Yankees had.
holes dug al along thti lines to !
stand picket in, We Furthermore
found that they cane in those holes
about an hour before day. 30 we,
TO get before them, got up and star
ted ut midnight, went there and /
pIpoed a man in each pit-they be-
ing -Lout fifteen steps apart
We all took our positions waiting
very patiently for Mr. Yankee to :
SNOW himself, but being SO anxious
to kills q. Yankee we were beginning !
to be impatient, we remained though
in our. hoies. About half an hour
b3fore day We saw them kindling
fires and. cooking their breakfast.
They soon got through and made a
break for their holes; they marched
in four ranks until they came in
one hundred and fifty yards Of us.
by this time it was daylight, they
bong later tnau common we then
heard the captain give tho command
'>ilalt,' "Lett Dress, Front He
then gave the command AS skir-
mishcrs take Intervals" which they
did most beautifully, then Forward
Glide Right" March" Now every
fellow made for his hole, not know
ing that we were in mile OF them,
but they advanced very slowly and
seemed to be talking about how