The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1863-12-09
LIEUT.. HICKS STORY.

Illinois cavalry regiment, one of the 6rsi
that vas raised for the three years ser.
vice. He waN splendid fellow, and an
hoJest uan, too; aud [ had thought it
strange that he who had always beer an
ultra Southern man politically. should
have tecone so earnest an advocate ut
tie. war and all its consequences. imme
diate aud ulieror. D9 told me this story
one night, while We .tre sitting around
ii campfire uear New Madrid, a place
celebrated for velcauic eruptlons for the
lrruptlon of the Immense and unfortunate
PHI W aud for one good thing that Gen
Pope did
While we sat by the fire, smoking very
poor tobacco in very good pipes, aud
Lieutenant Hicks was Waiting to relieve
pIckets, he told me this story:
Il must confess, nv boy. that | went
into this war business. at first, more fer
the pay aud FROM a love of adventure
than from any better motive. liked it
we'll. though. aud took both a pleasure
aud pride IN i"ing my duty. After
had recovered from that little wound
received at Fredericton, | rejuined NV
regiment. and found it doing pretty Sc
we're work in reconnoitrriug. scouting
and pickering, while you fellows were
tryiIg TO keep out of the wetsabove Isl.
aud Number Ten. aud the gunboats aud
mortai-flats were hammering away hand.
souIely at the mud walls of that place.
'One day the colonel ordered me, as |
know something about steambuaiing. to
go and prospect duwu toward the foot of
the bayou. and find out all | could. a.
Colonel Bissell was beginning to work up
his canal idea, aud wanted some infnrma.
ton picked four men out of INV con-
pany, and We went We were all we'll
mounted, aud were arued with sabres.
pistols, and bowie knives We had no
trouble around the bayou, and soon got
all the information | wanted took
some measurements, made some sound
lngs, and had the thing we'll sketched out
IN my MUD As il was early iu the
afternoon when we got through. | thought
| would do little private scouting on
my own account, and the boys were
ready and glad TO go with me.
There was plantation about eight
miles south of New Madrid-or. rather,
southwest. for the road leads 10 tina,
dIrectiou-on which lived gentleman
named Martin, with whom | had very
intimate business and personal relations.
may as well say that | had been. and
was then, terribly in love with his daugh-
ter. Alice Martin. concluded TO extend
my scout TO that house, Though |, was
rather dangerous work, as the Coufeder.
ates had the country well yicketed for
i've miles around Ner Madrid, and kent
scouting parties ut in every direction
We'll, we arrived there safely, rscah
ing both pickets and scouting parties.
though We had to make l3ug derour to
get out OF the way nf one of the latter |
When We left the wood aud struck into
the road in front of the honse. | wa.
about, my boy, to ride up there boldly
aud openly but there were two things
that deferred me-frstly, lot of horses
tied to the fence, which | knew. frou
their trappings. TO belong to Confederate
cavalry; and, secondly. a man hanging
from a rope which vent around his neck,
to limb Of a sycamore tree in front of
the house Nv men saw it all too. ana
without sny orders FROM me-. but as BY
one accerd, We all turned back AID silently
plcketed our horses in the thickest part
Of the wood I then told them. in as
few words asI could, to leave their sabres
With their horses, and take nothing but