Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1867-02-22
WHOLE NUMBER 67O.

cavalry there was,and how many guns
the artillery had. 81 'bos.s
4 You see twas time for me to 90.
but it wasn't easy to get out, for the
river was close picketed on both sides.
| One day when | was on picket our
men and the rebels got talking and
lcussin each other, as you know they
used to do. After a while one of the
Union men offered to exchange some
1 coffee for tobacco. So we went out
onto little island which was neutral
ground like. The minute | saw the
other party, who belonged to the Mis-
souri, cavalry, we recognized each 9TH
er. | was awful afraid they'd let on.
So | blurted out: el
| q Now, Yanks, let's see your coffee
no burnt beans, mind yer-but the
genuine stuff. We know the real
article if we is Texans
| ''The boys kept mum, and we separ-
ated. Half an hour afterward Gen.
Curtis knew l was with the rebs.-
But how to get across the river was
what stumped me. After that when
was On picket, | didn't trouble N.Y.
self about being shot. l used to fire
at our boys, and they'd bang away at
me, each of us taking good care to
shoot wide. But how to get over the
river was the bother. At last, after
thinking a heap about it, l came to
the conclusion that always did, that
the boidest plan is the best and safest.
ave had big sargent in our COM
ipany who was allus a-braggin that he
could stump any man in the regiment.
He swore he had killed more Yanks
than any man in the army, and that
he could do more daring things than
any Others. So one day when be
was talking loud l took him up, and
offered to bet horse for horse that
would ride out into the open, and near.
er to the Yankees than he. He tried
to back out of this, but the men raised
a row, calling him funk, and brag-
ger, and all that; so he had to co.
Well, we mounted our horses, but be-
fore we came within shootin distance
of the Union soldiers I made my horse
kick and rear SO that they see who |
was. Then we rode slowly to the
river bank, side by side.
/ "There must have been ten thous.
and men watching us; for, besides the
rebs who wouldn have cried about it
| if we had both been killed, our BOYS
saw something was up, and without
being seen thousands of them came
down to the river. Their pickets
kept firing at the sargent; but wheth-
er or not they were afraid of putting
a ball through me | don't know. but
nary shot hit him. He was plucky
feller all the same, for the bullets
; Fitted about in every direction.
!. "Bime by we got right close ter the
. river, when one Of the Yankee soldiers
= yelled out, Bully for Wild BiIlr
Then sargent suspicioned me, for
, he turned on me and growled out,
, BY God, believe yer Yank 7 And
he at onst drew his revolver; but was
T too late, for the moment he drew his
o pistol | put a ball through him.
! mightn't have killed him if he hadn't
suspicioned me. | had to do it then.
q "As he rolled out Of the saddleI took
; his horse by the bit, and dashed into
the water as quick as could. The
b minute | shot the sargent our boys set
o up a tremendous shout, and opened a
\ smashing fire on the rebs who had
a commenced popping at me. But I
had got into deep water and had slip
! ped off my horse over his back, and
n steered him for the opposite bask by
II holding onto his tail with one hand,
>, while l held the bride rein of the
"a sargent's horse in the other hand. 1t
was the hottest bath | ever took
% Whewl For about two minutes how
"A the bullets Fitted and skipped on the
,s water. | thought was hit again and
again, but the reb sharp shooters were
N bothered by the splash we made, and
r. in little while our boys drove them
N to cover, and after some tumbling al
. the bank got into the bush with my
Ie two horses without scratch.
bel ats fact said the scout, Will,
he caressed his long hair, ri felt sor
of proud when the boys took me int
70 Ecamp, and General Curtis thanked N,
~ lbefore a heap of generals
ON "But never tried that thing owe
as again nor 1 didn't 90 scouting open
lily in Prices army after that. The
- all knew me too well, and you see i
90 wouldn't been healthy to have bee
- caught" a ..ll ea
iy The scouts story of swimming tn
Sc river ought, perhaps, to have satisfe
mt Imy curiosity but was especially d,
a sirous to hear him relate the histor
he of a sanguinary fight which he ha
oh | with party of rufians in the earl
lpart of the war, when single-hande
7as he fought and killed ten men. | ha
ON heard the story as it came from a
n.y. officer of the regular army who, a
a hour after the affair, saw Bill and Il
item dead men-some killed with bu
.et- lets, others hacked and slashed t
lri. death with knife
nto AS write out the details of th
ard terrible tale from notes which ! toe
egi las the words fell from the scouts Lip
ind ! am conscious of its improbabilit,
- but while / listened to him I remel
yer bered the story in the Bible, where '
leir were told that Samson "with the ia,
hey bone of an ass slew thousand men
me- and as l looked upon this magni6ce
HIexample of human strength and da
With ing, he appeared to me to realize t