Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1862-04-02

! fire, and the voice of harpers, and music
ians, and trumpeters, shall be heard no
more in thee, and no craftsman, of what
soever craft ne be, shall be- found any
more in the
Blakely pronounced these words in n
low solemn tone, and he watched the
doomed fort as though he expected the
curse would fall Immediately. Slowly
however, he crept from his hiding place,
and by circuItous march, he eoon reach
ed the outskirts of Fort Donelson. The
darkness of night rendered objects some
what indistincf, but the pale light of the
friendly moon would occasionally send
/ forth aid to enable him to discern his path
| A number of soldiers without the fort
were at play 1T some kind of a game
Dave at once assumed his long-tried lame
ness, and with firm and steady reliance
in his power of deception, he marched
limpingly up to the nearest one, the very
picture of dispair With his great mat
ted locks drawn over his eyes he truly
looked like distressed traveller, and one
in search of speedy assistance.
say, Bill, shouted the person to
whom Dave had presented himself, here
is one of these id old Dover farmers;
lets shoot the old cuss, just to try the new
carbines that Floyd has gotten from Pitts
| burg. Come on, now and let's give him
the ID
"No boys, now don't, that's good fell
ers it's only me l went hurt any on We
Its only Alphonsus Hobensack of Clarks-
vile just b low here, returned the capri
cious Blakely
Clarksvillei believe you lie; amt
you a Lincoln spy, you unmeanig lark,
you ?
Here, boy; you call me a spy aein,
and | will knock ye as stiff as a crout -
! He, Alphonsus Hobensack, as has given
his witals to serve the new Confederacy,
me spy! Humph yes now we'll =
we ji>t call Alphonsus that agin
! Threat N, will We? Now we will have
our fun for certain" and, laying rough
hands on him, he cried, Come to the
guard house Well see whether you will
blow this way all day. Right along, 1
say I"
This was exactly what Dave wanted, and
! feigning torcible resistance, he was
dragged to the inner earthworks, where he
was incarcerated in what what Blakely af-
terwards spoke laughingly of as a " box
office. Strange to say, this was guarded
by only one soldier, and, what was better
for the scout, there was not a soul in the
guard house esides himself but never
theless Blakely felt himself in rather an
awkward position. He was to have been
on his way to Cairo carly on the followin e
morning, and desperate efforts must be
made to release himself from his prison
CCn;Lr NJ up his thoughts, his ready wit
soon hit upon a plan which he hoped
would be effeetual BE it for good or for
evil, he was resolved to try it; so he gent
ly knocked at the barricaded door, and
was answered by the guard " Who
knocks p
II, William Hobensack, of Clarksville
say, surgcant won't you bring me Il
mug of water? m dyin' with the
wheeZes.
The Saler was brought; the unsuspee-
! ting guard opened the door and reached
in the article. In Il moment Dave bro t
his bowie knife down on the hnad of the
soldier, who, without a sound dropped
I lfeless at his feet Hastily dragging the
body into the room, and before the blood
had opportunity to discolor his uniform,
he had stripped him of his outer clothing
and donned them himself. Stepping out
side, he locked the door, and with musket
in hand he stood guarding the supposed
criminal The sentry on the ramparts
above cried, in Il nasal twang, " Ais
well
Dave mutterod to himself, = Yes, so
far its very we'll " 1t was not long be
fore the corporal of the guard came to him
and asked him n question relative to
private OF Company {, Thirty sixth Nir-
.inia He answered him nothing, but
walked with measured tread, apparently
as though he had not heard HI question.
Give me an answer, replied the in
suited Nirginian.
Nodding his head as if in assent, Dave
unlocked the door, and stepping one side
he dealt the corporal severe blow be-
tween the two eyes, knocking him sense
less into the guard droom He us quick as
thought gagged him, and again changed
his dress to that of the corporal Bind
ing him to 4 ring in the floor, he bade him
good evening, locked the door and depar-
ted And now his work begun, all the
preceding was a mere preface to the work
! that was TO come.
Now, I'm an ossifer of the guard no
one disputes my passage through this
J fort This is tarnal big fort, Let's see
one, two, three stories high and, il l
amt very much mistaken, that top bat
terry is made of thirty two FOUNDERS
Some blood viii be split befo. forty eight
hours right about here. Calkerlatc as
how it might as well be given up without
sich fghtin, for the eagle never gives up
when she begins to pick on anything. Eel
lers, your DAYS are numbered you 4
better stayed at home, mindin your
plantations, and sich things, great sight
Our readers must not think that Blake
ly was simply talking, and not working
No his eagle eye was scanning every
point Of interest and we must follow him,
to see in what manner he took advantage
of his position. Dave was stopped short
in his soliloquy by the appearance of
Generals Buckner and Floyd. The latter
has his chapeau in his hand, and was with
the other hand adjusting his hair.
Hello there goes Buckner and Floyd;
look at that thief | guess as how III jest
clap my hand on my pocket, for III be
hanged if he just looks at my breeches my
dimes run right to him. Look at the
snake scratchin' his head, feelin for the
bump of morality, p'haps. Floyd's NOR
ality Ahem Hes the only thief in the
world as has no honor. But | guess will
follow them and see whether there be
good intentions in their knobs He, true
to his word, watched them closely, and, at