Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1867-04-04

doah, and as a good illustration oi
the almost incredible risks which
were constantly undertaken by the
scouts and spies of the armies.
Bernard was farmers boy before
the war, and since it's close he has
returned to his home in Niagara coun
ty, New York, aud resumed his use
ful labors as patiently and steadily
as hundreds of thousands of others,
heroes in blue whose names will nev.
er be known, have also done. Ber,
nard is no beauty there have been
thousands of sleek, shiny soldiers,
with straps and without, who could
play the part of military dandyism
much better than could he. He has
an ordinary common school educa-
ton (; trips occasionally in his gram
mar, and stumbles iu his speech, and
! he has thorough contempt for black
ing and paper collars. But he has a
! quiet, resolute way, which shows a
close observer that he has much ia
reserve, shrewd shy manner, and
an eye which takes note of every
thing within scope of its vision at a
single sweep. He told me his story
i'll his own direct way and | prefer
to let him speak in the first person,
preserving his language as nearly y as
possible.
don't know exactly what it was
that gave General Custar 80 much
confidence i'll me. have always
thought the Colonel had something
to do with it for he used to send
me out every time withSthe skirmish-
ers, for some reason or other. The
sergeant majoralways mentioned my
name to the captain, until the boys
repeated the words for a joke, " Pri-
vate Bartlett and nine men from Com
pany c." One day, shortly after
Sheridan took command in the Val
ley, an order came down, detailing
me for special ervice at Custar's
headquarters. | went and found |
was to be a scout for the commapd,
to go and come when pleased, out
side the picket or inside, visit the
people of the country, and pick up
information when ever | could. 1t
was exactly the life that suited me,
and went to work with will.
Therejwas kind!of, freedom in it that
pleased me, after living three years
in the ranks, and | don't think Gen
eral Custar had any reason to COM
plain that | was not active enough.
| was in the saddle pretty much all
the time, scouting between the lines,
and had some escapes and adven-
lures which | should like to tell to
you of some other time. l was well
mounted, armed with a carbine and
two revolvers, and sometimes carried
an old Confederate uniform rolled up
in my blue overcoat, and strapped to
my saddle. Sometimes l would ride
out in the night, change my dress,
palm myself off for a rebel at the
houses of the farmers and learn
whatever l could without exciting
their suspicious. One night | fell in
with two rebel cavalrymen at a
house between the lines. The man
of the house had plenty of apple
jack, and / stayed with them half the
night, worming out of them all they
knew about Early's army, and pre-
tending to drink every time they did,
until they both rolled under the ta-
BILE {; and then | rode back to our line
leading off both their horses, report
ed to the General, and both the John
MES were safe in the hands of our
Provost-Marshal before morning. But
| think that adventure had with the
rebels ON the morning of Cedar
Greek fight, and for week before it,
about as curious as any of them |
think it was about the 18th OF Octo-
Der that | went out ON a scout to-
wards Strasburg. Our army lay at
that time, you remember, about three
miles this side of the town, and the
enemy somewhere near Woodstock,
beyond Fishers Hill. l went out in
the night, and had two other men
along with me something which l
did not usually do, but which luckily
happened so this time 1t was hard
ly dusk vet when we rode into Stras-
burg, and as we rode down the street
at brisk gallop, | saw boy run
out in hurry from a house, unite
two horses, and lead them around to
shed back of the house. | under
stood the thing, at once although |
did not suppose that any of the rebel
scouts would be fool-hardy enough to
be caught 80 near our lines in that
shape. But | knew that dozens of
the girls in all the Valley towns had
lovers in Early's army, and my expe-
rience showed me that they often ran
great hazards to visit them SO con-
cluded at once that there were two
of the Johnnies in the house. | sent
one of my comrades round to look
after the horses, left another in charge
of ours at the door, and dismounted
myself and walked in without knock
ing. / suppose we made noise enough
to alarm our victims, for as l walked
across the hall | heard a shuffling
and bustling about, and when | open
ed the door of the first room, there
were only two girls, and handsome
ones, too, sitting quietly by the table,
knitting stockings. They looked
rather frightened, though.
took off my cap and made one of
my awkward bows.
Excuse me, ladies'" said, =" but
l came to see your visitors"
What visitors 2" says one of them
fighting shy, and trying to look inno-
cent.
"Ths Johnny Grays, of course,
| p,o,an uho ride +baSa hOroas opta;Ja