The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1867-09-01


Blount's Gully was wild pass, or run,
opening from the South Alleghanes into
Tazewell Swamp.
During the war in West Virginia this place
was used as picket station. and got bad
name from certain tragedies repeated there.
For three successive nights the sentinels
posted on the spot had failed to report them
selves in the morning. OF the two first no
traces could be found on the strictest search.
Their Disappearance was attributed to teser>
lion, though the soldiers of the army corps
stationed in that region were known to be
intensely l,yal, and such crime in any ef
them appeared utterly unaccountable.
On the third morning blood was found on
the grass. Other tokens about the place led
the comrades of the missing sentinels to
search the stream that ran through the gully
The water was black and sluggish and quite
deep, besides beng obstructed with snags
and fallen logs. The examination was cons
sequently slow and difficult, but at length
one body was found-the second one of the
poor fellows lost on the fatal picket.
He had fallen by foul hands. So had also
The other two, beyond doubt though further
than this the evidences which appeared tend
ed rather to deepen the mystery.
The discovered body showed wound in
the head, but it was plainly made by no bull
let. The fact that no report of firearms had
been heard there would of itself have mad,a
that certain. Neither could it have BIZ en-
made by knife, a club or an axe. The
most skilful surgeons failed to ident1fv Tho
weapon which had been used in silf nee and
darkness to smite down three brave men.
When the time came to post another sen.
tinel many hearts in the company whose 10,
it WAS to furnish the mon, felt for the frat
time aqualm of fear. They could face omen,
honorable death, but to be crept upoa in the
| night, and, without any chance Of defence.
assassnated, was more than they could con-
template with composure.
A soldier was selected who had been n
hunter. His long acquaintance with the
| stealthy proving of woodland life was sun
posed to qualify him well for watching foy
and successfully coping with astealthy, prowl
| ing enemy.
Scoring to turn his back on duty. the
brave fellow manned himself TO the service
| and at dusk. gun in hand, he was keepine
guard at the fatal spot.
Marking the point at which the other sen
| tlnels had stationed themselves, and where
they had evidently fallen, he carefully di
vested himself of cap and coat under cover
OF neighboring thicket. With these be
made the figure Of sentinel, which he placed
In sitting posture, exposed just enough to
give the discoverer an impression of intended
concealment. A stick to which he tied his
ramrod so that it glittered in the moonlieh,
completed the illusion.
| Satisfied with his trick the soldier crept IN
a considerable distance, lying fat in the grass
and securely grasping his gun. He chose a
| place In toleTable open ground, but darkeped
| by the long shadows of cliff, or perpeudic.
| uar rock, that rose like giants pillar over
the sluggish run.
Here he waited. Though believing hi-,,
self safe from the reach of any weapor .har,
of rife, still he was obliged to cc-,fs.s ~ ,
certain degree of nervousness n raa,;,ac
keenly the fearful possibilit' 40 of ds.dls cnn.
ming to which he was e xnased from his nm.
known foe. oe1 oA' A.' ~
ne, ne coa.a see from his eoncealment lont
:a,: 7. Ter. Every tree, and BUSH ane
a ;..r Of the streams banks within fata
oa, ce for any murderous missile, or thai
- aid cover an assassin in ambush, was il
view; and alternately watching these, he
crouched in the grass and counted the min
utes as they passed.
At intervals the plunge of muskrat, o.
the splash and croak of a frog, or the twit
tering of bird in its sleep among the
branches, Of the old moss. hung trees, start
led him but eeyaeN this the silence was I'M
broken about hia
As the night deepened and brought his po
sition nearer and nearer into the moonli1h
he began to fear for the result of all his pre-
cautions, and longed painfully for some.de
monstration that would end his suspense.
Suddenly he detected movement in the
water. lie watched it with strained eyes
| In Sigh; bend across the stream, where q
quantity of boughs, barks and leaves had
lodged, he saw something slowly stirring
Several bits of bark Slid noiselessly into the
current one by one. A mass of dark rub
bish that had till then seemed only the drifts
ing debris Of the forest accumulated over &
rotten log gradually took the shape Of man
and raised itself cautiously upright. Not Z
sound accompanied the figures movements,
Our soldier heard nothing but the Andible
thumpa Of his own heart. He vas getting
excited. In . minute what seemed 70 be !
bow and arrow came in sight. This the hu.
man figure carefully lifted and bent towards
the spot who're, with the moonlight glancina
o. hia famrod. tha countarfa;t eeafinal -