New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-05-14
u Orleans 9ail0 Greatclt.
MONDAY MORNING, MAY IA, 1896.



In October, 'Gl, North Missouri was so occupied
by the " Feds, that it was with great difficulty
'tle boys could cross the Missouri on their way
TO Price. Several squads started from that section,
put had to return.
lady acquaintance of mine, Mrs M, was de-
termined to join her husband, Colonel under
Price, and was determined to join the army. So
she got mule, and got a horse and IN enthusi-
, asle livery stable keeper gave us haGk--and on
! fine morning in October, we drove out of Mexico,
Missouri a tS took the Columbia road.
BetweenVE@enrselyes we agreed, in case Of an
emergency be going to see Mrs. Ms aunt,
who was st1efosed TO be respectable old lady
living in Pestia county. Our appearance would
bear us out IN that tale.
Mrs. NJ had two large trunks and a bandbox
with new bonnet in it, had a valise and my
Sunday gear on--and the mule was fat and sleek,
and lazy, He never did.anything but carry his old
mistress TO her deyotions Sundays and around
the country to see her relatives,
The horse, though he very willingly pulled for
ward, was drawback to our plans, for he was
- well known to have had "reb" shot of his baca,
and was promised by his owner to the first oil the
boys" who needed horse He must have been
sensible of this, for he assumed certain snorting
air. and stepped higher than he was ever known
to do before.
We got along smoothly until sunset when like
Felix O'Callighan's love with Mrs. Montague
g He thought everything running smooth on
n the track, when out came the llnchpln ana away
went the wheel again"
So it happened with our wheel-uot the wheel of
love, gentle readers, but the hind wheel OF the
hack. I Immediately jumped down on m. my seat
and very Internationally, with Mrs. NJ, the horse
and the mule and the hack, formed G picturesque
tableau | stood looking at the disabled hack
with my hat and whip in one hand, and the other
hand occupied in scratching some ingenious
thoughts out of my head, Mrs. M. looked all
Alright out Of the door, with hand grasping on
each side. The horse had his head and ears up
and half turned round, listening for something new
to happen; and the mule rested lastly on tile tip
of his hind hoOf with bis head and ears down, his
eyes closed, and seemed not to care whether or 40
he ever left there. After a few minutes scratch
I. ing, the Ingenious thought came and with them
z change Of tabeau. Running back quarter of
mile, found the lnchpin in the road and in a few
minutes more, had the wheel and linChpin in their
places, and getting into my own, again started
on the way to Mrs Nj . g aunts, in Pettis county.
The evening Of the third day found us in Glas
gov, little town perched on q high bluff on the
Missouri.
Staying all night with a friend, and learning next
morning that the " Feds were expected into
/, town that day, Mrs. NJ, the horse and the mule,
and myself, hurried down to the river bank where
~ we found two of the "hoys'i bargaining with the
# ferryman to carry themselves and their horses
across in his tatboat. On arrival the bargain
"A was closed, All hands went to work, and the fiat
was showed of. We started for a point directly
opposite and would have landed there, had not a
little storm arose and sent us three miles down
The ferryman paid, and a safe landing effected,
Mrs. M, the horse and mule and myself, accom-
panied by the boys, made another start for the
old lady's, in Pettls county
Travelling all day by untrequented roads, night
found Mrs. NJ. the horses, the mule and myself
snugly quartered in sight of Federal camp, with
member of the Smith family. The "bOys' were
taken care of by Mr.. Piper. The two Misses
Pipers whose manners seemed to be in harmony
with the euphonious family name, quite captiyated
the two boys" ...
Though the next day was Sunday, we had to full
fl the old scriptural tTuth-"No rest for the
wicked of counsel only mean myself and the
horse and mule. But, as we moved, Mrs. NJ. had
to move along with u.s. TWAS with some difficulty
made the mule to understand that be was ex-
pected to go. Not until after few ticks from a
- hickory held with both hands along the ribs did he
gather in his TAIL bend his back, slide up against
the horses and gave long, lazy pull.
That night we found ourselves sharing the hos.
pitality of Col. Fields, in Henry county. Here we
heard the rumor that Prices advance was CROSS
b ing the Usage river.
ii To ascertain some more reliable news from the
army, | rode into - next day, and found the
Y. place occupied by Federal troops, A relief Of
sentnes were at each corner of the public square
J., suppose was suspicious-loOking character
Was was closely watched by one Of the guard
IA Hwho followed me all round the square. Going
Awfnto drug store to buy something | didn't need
Biil learned from the druggist that Price was en-
hiCamped on the Usage, and that the " Feds were
s9arresting every person who came to town.
b In few minutes was 10 the saddle, galloping
N mover the eight miles of prairie
Ane On my arrival at Col Fields, and delivering the
w VI news had heard in -, it was thought safer fol
yme to be moving than resting and so we hade
v WI adeu to the cOloners family and started oul
<
.htecounty. Several times during the day we had Il
4 p drive into the hoows in the prairie, whilst the
gTelsquads of Federal cavalry passed along the
Gns heights. That night after dark we got into til,
IN put up at DOCTORS of that name.
me- was deeply Interested little after day the fol
B lowing mc[ning in watching Mrs. p. laying tn
"a cloth for u ,aakfast when beard two pistol shot
q and heavy camping of horses feet. | jumped tt
i the windOV Must as the two "boys,n who wer
out feeding their horses, ran apart A squad Q
some thirteen Federal cavalry galloped up to th
>, house. That was enough for me, and fogetting al
II about the dear old lady in Pettis county, sprsn
to Mrs, NJ IS ROOM whispered her through the key
Y hole to keep quiet and bolted out the back door
A few springs brought NE into two of the cavalry
u who had gaoped round the house lodging roun
;, their horses and blow one made at me, I mad
for the two rail fences, which cleared in HAND
y some manner just as too minnie balls passed coul
! teousy by my ears and lodged in the trunk of
tree few yards in my advance. Better there tina
in my body was my Lightning reflection.
When caught up with the two boys, we halted
looked at each other, sat down on log and on
7 did cry g We are in h--ll of a iX!" and III
st other, we are so y auda three chorused wha
eyt the devil are we to do?"
id After due deliheraton on the the "ix we wer
tn in, it was decided that should crawl back t
e, the house and4ind out what was going on th5
le, another should follow the growing Of rooster
III heard away in the distance, and get something t
eat, and the third should sit where he was till on
TT ofus should return, or his discretion advised hi
at to leave, Though neither Of spoke it, we a
FL felt "When shall we three meet again ~
O. 1t took me two hours to go back over the di
tv lance had run in two minutes. Getting within
Is few hundred yards Of the house, ] leaned again
lie tree and took long, steady look towards Ii
lsu house then shifting my position to the right
le took another then to the left and took anohe
y Then gradually moved round to get view Of I'll
front and the road, and especially round the Der
whence the Feds. came, seeing no enemy abo
boldly walked up the house stepped in al
s courageousy asked the family "What in the wor
Z are you all scared about ?n
But when l learned through Mrs MS teal
that the hack, the horse, the mule Mrs MS ty
l.. trunks and the bRndboy, with the duck of a lit
t. bonnet in it, together with the "boysn two horse
fl had all been carried of to Sedalia, Federal po
10 felt quite down in the mouth"
I'd council Of war was held when it was decid
that the " boys should foot it to the army. VIII
Cd Iremained with Mrs. NJ, and hunt up tra1sport
vii lion for her.
nd q After three days roaming about the neighbt
ss. hood found little cart and little mule own
3 is by an old negro man. Everything in the way
ere stock and transportation had been carried off
se the Feds" and with this accommodation, a
eco the negro man for guide Mrs. NJ and myst
G rae started discarding the dear old lady in Pet
If county, for Mr.. R., some ten miles off, where
tb could get wagon.
{ We travelled all day up the creeks and down t
& creeks, and by hog-paths and trails, avoiding
roads, so as to avoid the scouting parties
'Feds, I" and towards dark reached Mr.. IS.