Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-02-12
aonaBee and Realty Of she war.


I The Holly Spriags correspondent Of the St
1 Louis Democrat narTata3 tho experince of cot
ton buyer amoug tie Mississippi guerillcs, a.
follows
The experience Of q M Cones, who wa.
/ "gobbeds" IS it is now yclept, near LaGrange
i've CT SIX weeks ago. was re Ieved by som,
flashes of humor which may be en apology fol
the very emphatic language which was used By
the actors.
Cones, in eompsny with two or three other
buyers, had bought some cotton out at Moscow,
twelve miles from LaGfsuge, just before our
army marched from the latter plsce aud as Con.
QuinbY's division had just removed from there.
thsY thought the sooner they got the cotton iatl
EaGranga the better consequently four Of
then, bsiiies the drives Of the teams. started
out after it. Cones was the only one Of the four
who was not arm an was rot on horseback,
he riding in one Of Tie wagons. They sue
eesde1i ia gs,ting the cotton, and hurried back
until they came in sight of the Union pickeJs
at LaGrange, aud thea Cones three friends
thinking the teams were out Of danger, left him
ard rode on into town
Only two or three minutes after they had left,
and as the wagons went down into hollow
out Of sight Of the picket guards, Eve guer las
Dashed cut Of the woods, and we-e alongside in
an Instant. Halt Every one of the tesms
halted IS though they had ruu against stone
wall The next instant the muzzle Of a revolver
was st the ear of every Que of them, Cones in
cludad, who wss riding on the cotton.
" Are you armed ?" asked the guerilla who
held bis pistol at Cones head
" No, sir"
"Thsn get down aud unhiteh them mules
and turn 'em round id quick g"
It was done in the time specified.
Guerilla" Have Foa a match I want to
touch eff this cotton -
Cones" No. sir. I am glad to say I havn't"
Guerilla" Then git onto that mule quick %
Ia az instant, Cones was mounted. on what
he says was a wonderful sharp backed mule
Guerilla, giving the mule terrific slash with
tho wagon whip, Now, d-n you lick them
mules up Make EN- 60 Give 'en thunder %
And away they went az a psce, which 20 Cones
on his rGzoT-5ack mule, be thought must SPLIT
him in two before many miles, three guerillss
behind lashing the mule &C every Jump. Five
miles or more they went at this pace, and not
another wor1 had been spoken by any one,
when they turned cut Of the main road into an
old an unfrequsnied road, that wound its zig
zags through one Of the dense.y wooded creek
bottoms. Halt" said the guerilla, and he who
gave the command commenced hurriedly to re-
lievs himself Of some Of his aecoutremeuts, as
though e was sbout 20 60 20 work in earnest a.
some devilish deed. The place was lonely and
fitting to such murderous intents and Cones
says he felt cold sort OF chill run down the fuil
length Of even his long legs
Guorilla-(drawi1g the cork of his esn'een)-
'Y0u look ike TTe " id good feller Let's
take a drink; snd for fear you might think It's
pizsn. I'll drink first"
And suitiog the action to his words, haplseed
the cantean to his lips, end turned his face mp
in the position Of one making astronomical ob
servstions. After a long pull, he passed The
cantsen over to Cones, who thOughs it 'mightn't
be pizen" and inbibed.
Gaerilla--"New. in you, lick up them
mules give 'em thunder Hurry up
And each Injunction be emphasized on the
rear Of the flying mules with bis whip.
They bivouacked 10 thicket that night, bus
early next morning began their journey at the
same pace, and toward evening of that day
they gallopsd into a ruds looking camp. which
turned out to be the nest Of Richardson and his
guerilla band, within a few miles Of Fort Pillow.
In few minutes Cones was marched u2 before
Col Richardson After a number Of questions,
as to what was his business, whether he had ns t
Richardson said:
Z" Well sir, I'll parole you"
At the mention of parole, the guerilla who had
been the most prominent iu the capture. and
had invited Cones to drink, began TO remon-
strats.
Guerilla" Why, colonel, you amt goin' to
parole that id c0stou-b buyer are you Q"
Rchardson-"Well I've got to parole him or
shoos him; and Cunning to Cones inquiringlyl )
you'd rather be paroled than shot, hadn't youl
Cones-"Yes, I'D if I hsda'E bat don
want to take another such a ride on that mule -
The parole was soon written, sni, much 70
the sst0Bis hment, without being robbed of his
money and watch he was told thst ne was at
liberty TO walk back to LsGfrauge, forty miles
In an hour afserward no started. and soon afer
leaving the camp he was startled by the com
msud halt" He halted, and out stepped the
guerilla who had been most prominent in his
capture, and who had gone away sulky because
the colonel would not shoot "thss did cotton
buyer instead Of paroliDg him.
Cones was unarmed, and began TO have seri-
ous apprebeDsions of what was to follow, when
the guerilla said "Od fsler, let's take drukl :"
Cones heart fslt lighter Immediately. So did
the esuteen.