New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-08-19
LIrE AMONG GUEaHiLLAs
From our Special Correspondent.
Alexandr,o, Va, Avg. 10. 'r"i.

NLJrBis, hnY ftn, locf
In COMPANY with two couriers who were re-
tul niny TO the front after bearing dspatche-
from Gen. Smith back to the do;ninsons OF the
telegraph. your correspondent hurried out from
salisbury to meet the army which. 1t was Under
stood, was then moving up TO the line OF the
Memphis aud Charleslon Rad. AM gather the
particulars Of whatever night have transpired
aft~r the three days fchiing near Tupelo 1t
was reported TO us before we started, that our
scouts were all along the road, aud that there
would lie no difficulty in our reaching the nd
vance Of the army. Besides. had Travelled al.
most alone from the battle field TO the railroad
only lew days before, without seeing or hear
ing anything unusual except tremendous owl
whose hooting and gihbering lid make one think
Of resurrec'ed graveysris and all that But In
hi. region, the dread Of ghosts has given
way 10 the fesr Of gu'rrillas, aud one IL mort
happy to take hi. chances With ths former II he
can successfully avoid the latter. With the as
sprances We hal received. the trip vas not con
.dered dangerous and we started out OF San's-
barry 1T gallon just ~ the sun was setting, Snd'
as be moon WAS then full grown, with the pros
pect Of pleasant nights ride The advance OF
the federal army Wa, supposed 10 he nearing Rip
| lev, and We expected 10 join it somewhere south
OF that ace on the Ponto;oc road Two miles
from Ripley consultation was held. and 1t was
here conclude that we should blvcurc-tbe
three OF us-for the night This was on the
als.
We turned "a into the wood which wns very
dense and threading our way through The brush
lor about two hundred yards dslnouniei fa'-
tened our animals close together to keep them
from calling TO each other, and proceeded to 80
into camp The p eeau'ion mentioned. which -
a'ways taken by email scouting parties, ws'
ioubly necessary in this instance from The fact
that was riding a mule--a long cared. solemn
eyed specimen--who. whenever lie Glanced to
let half a biscuits throw from his ccmpf ny,
would If bis voice and bray long and persistent
y, and. u the great disgust OF my companions,
" hose undertoned eYecr ,iions upon the uDlucky
brute were more expressive than eha'le. These
attacks Of braying which sometimes came on
without any apparent proyocafion. did indeed
| 10y Ms liable to AMBUSH and capture; but. once
.tarted. 1t was impossible. 10y any smount Of
whipping AMI spurrug. To stop tia m. aaj they
seemed. like the snail pox. bound 20 run their
cour-e.-loadirg the mir with AL earreuding ds
cord that embraced every ugly sound from the
yell of steam white down 10 the grunt Of q
hungry hog who sees corn.
With orr saddles for pillows and the ground
for bed, We gave Ourselves up to the mercy OF
the mosquitoes and buT,lo gna'A witch We were
soon agrccably surprised 70 iind u very trouble
some There was feeling # ,loriou. ind,Pend-
,nce AMI Of entire irresponsbliiy in the novel
position in which your correspondent found him
self. That WAS proof against drow-ness, AMI fpr
more than an hour | laid listening TO ,hs heavy
Breathing OF two soldiers. u whom, from long
use, this life had become fiml.iar. aud vino slept
~ sundiy rs il they had I.en -'fe within the
Federal lines. a ie.lins 81 urre-lricted freedom
hat even the possible neighborhrod Of gurrr' Eas
could not modify, kept TIE broad awake. and the
20 seriousness Of being where there ~ g'it posi-
b'y be danger tended 10 sustain ones good oriu.
ion Of bi. own Courage ADD make him wonder
ahy every one did not ADOPT the military proes-
-ion for life Every nerve seemed to thrill with
nrw aud pleasant zen. ations and. with a ,hou.
.aud voices. to cry ont who, airtIif g an
replied the ssme Thousand voices instant after.
srrJ. a, the noise Of horses. passing rapidly
along the road, reached me with growing di.-
tinciness One Of the soldiers raised upon his
elbow aud u,ter,d half sssrrlve. half iuqulring
grius at his companion, who slso raised up. aud
he two listened intently to the sound until II
iheD gradually died away. Whsth-r lrl-nis or
-neGies, they evidently had not halted nc,r ~.
and my two comrade. stretched themselves with
provoking uuconceru aud without word, upon
the ground sgain
An hour Afterwards We were again Ia the sal.
lie Day was beginning To break swe mounted
II was determined TO avoid til main road 80 as 10
PASS to the east Of Ripley, after which We could
lake the Pontotoc road without danger. Tie
country here is thickly srttled and the delay DC.
casoned By circling around fields a. to keep
under cover Of the woods. made il nearly g
o'clock before We reached the bulge Of the are
we were endeavoring to de.cribe around Ripley
At this point We halted forrest and consultation
We had crossed branch Of the ROAD 70 Cotton
Plant, leaving it about fifty yards brhind