Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1867-01-04
Story Of a Union Scout.
THE ADVENTURES OF FATE ARNOLD
CHAPTER OF THE WAR.

THE ADVENTURES OF FATE ARNOLD
CHAPTER OF THE WAR.
From the days of David Crockett
until the present time, the border
population of the Southwest have
l. been fertile in the production oI
j, strongly marked individuality, and OF
a degree Of personal prowess which
seems rather to belong to the feudal
age than to our own. Crockett, Ira
Wis, Bowie, Russell and McClurg,
with their pistols and knife-bearing
colleagues, passed away before the
war, but the war itself, with its count
l less indictments to enterprise and ad-
venture, brought to the surface a new
"set, not at all behind their prede-
cessor8 in any of their distinguishing
characteristics.
| think [ may fairly say that the
men | am now speaking OF, as a class,
took their sides in the great struggle
more by the accidents Of the time
than in obedience to the dictates Of
any great principle. The frontiers
and the territories, the "men of the
Plains, sent their recruits almost in
differently to both sides. Ben Me
CuIlough's famous Texan Rangers"
found themselves almost equally di-
vided, and at the battle of Pea Ridge
some fought under, and some against
their old comrade and commander
and in many cases they neither knew
nor cared why.
Of course, however, the "bitter
fighting blood" of their class. and
training manifested itself in their new
circumstances.
FATE ARNOLD"
AS sample man par erceleace. on
our side, | have selected the we'll
known scout Fate Arnold, of whose
career so many anecdotes have al
ready found their way into the news
papers.
\ native Of Arkansas. brought up
in than utter recklcssness Of law and
life which in those days DISTINGUISHED
the southwestern Alsaltia. a square
built, muscular, wiry man. Of little
over the medium height a dead shot
and a capital horseman. possessing
the most desperate courage, in fact
utterly Indifferent to personal peril.
he became one Of the most efficient
scouts OF the federal army.
There was some story Of wrong
and outrage. some burning and plun-
dering Of his humble home by the re-
mOrseless gucrillas, with a darker
shade to it, Of which he never chose
to say much, which added the hot
blood Of revenge to a nature needing
very little stimulation.
CHARACTERISTICS AND EXPLOITS.
He was familiar with every high
way and byway Of the regions in
which he served, and was as fond of
the war-path and It's incidents and ex-
citements as was ever any Indian
warrior. In fact, spite OF his hazel
eyes, and his dark brown hair, there
was much of the Indian in his appear
ance, especially as he steadily adher-
ed to the buckskin lcggings, blanket
coat, Mexican spurs, and other pecu-
liar habiLiments Of the "men Of the
plains
What | may say of him must be
taken in view Of the credbly attested
declaration that he has killed over a
hundred men in close combat. These
We're mostly guerillas, and so great
was the dread in which he was held
e by the predatory bands in that region
that his presence, or his wcll-knOwn
spotted horse was considered suifi-
cient of itself to cause the boldest Of
them to move their camp to a. less
dangerous nciohborhood.
That horse, a singular animal OF al
l most human intelligence. was a part
, of the spoils of one of his early raids,
and was presented to him by the
Union general commanding, in recog-
milton of his daring courage. | do
: not know what has since become Of it,
D but its career was almost as thrilling
: as that of its master
So many were killed from his back
$ that at last no man could be found
hardy enough to mount him except
Fate" himself. There was a strong
e feeling of superstition among the bor
e der men both as to horse and rider
Both were considered "uncanny," anC
e especially to be avoided.
Il GUERILLA HUNTS.
i Shortly after he joined the Unior
u forces a gang Of about 40 guerillas
: under a leader named Jack Harkle
roads, committed some outrages nea1
: Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and Fat,
i went after them with fre men. H
e followed them into the Ozark noun
L. L. try, and only four or five out Of th
y forty escaped to tell the tale of tba
u u terrible six weeks of trailing, ambus
. cading and bush fighting. Arnol
= himself is said to have picked off sing
= Iy, nearly one-half of the marauders
Shortly after this gang of tn
T. u worst desperadoes that ever disgrace
III the earth commenced operations i
% Johnson county, near Clarksvill'
~ where Arnold was stationed. The
% went to the house of a defenceles
le H old man, and put him to what wa
n then and there called "the rack :
u to wit, they trussed him up to for
posts set in the ground, built slo
y fire under him, and asked him whel