Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1869-11-02

: meantime was 10 reconhotre the coun
e try and see that no considerable force 0
b Union soldiers should be in Che neighbor
: hood to obstruct our advance. y S
| On the night ofthe 14th of May, 1868
: at eleven O'Clock, tweuty-six men inculd
4 ing the writer, Maj. Ladoux, and mar
! who gloried in the title of Captain Tas
5 well were assembled in thicket one-fourtf
( of mile from Sulphur Springs, each
armed promiscuously with double barre
, shot guns, old sporting rifles and hall
dozen Sharp's carbines, revolvers, bowie
knifes, &C., &c. The only equipment;
where uniformity seemed to have been
studied consisted in canteens of whiskey,
frequent drafts from which inspired them
with a courage by which they swore to
enter the stockade at Fort Holman before
the dawn of day or their dead bodies
II should block its portals.
Nearly every man was in his saddle
impatiently awaiting the command, for
ward-march, when our sentinel stationed
in the rear gave the alarm of approach
ing horse-men; the Major ordered us to
be quiet until the cause OF the alarm
could be ascertained, At the same mo-
ment looking in the direction Of the Fort
in our front about forty rods distant, was
revealed to us the distinct outline of a
troop of horse on walk" and as they
filed over the eminence and became lost
in the darkness of the descending interval
and still we behcld the moving files APP
pear and lose themselves in the shadow
of the hill, the Major concluded that a
halt had been ordered by the advance
for the purpose Of closing ranks, and
from the apparent leisure of the command,
he argued that the expedition whatever
it was, had no reference to our party, and
when it did move by quietly remaining
in our covert, it would pass us unobserv-
ed. Fatal reasoning! Instead Of halt
each alternate platoon were filling to the
right and left oblique. At this moment
the sentinel reported the road and timber
on our rear TANKS full of cavalry; the
gallant Major Immediately rode forward
across the road about seventy-fve yards,
hoping that egress might be effected in
that direction, when, as if the graves had
been suddenly rent asunder, fifty human
forms arose from the ground, and voice
less sepulchral than imperative, less polite
than profane, demanded the surrender Of
every mothers son of us--insulting the
canine species as responsible for our ma
ternity--=in the same breath averring that
we were surrounded by five hundred men,
and not man Of US could escape alive.
Certainly the Major had no choice in the
matter except he chose score of bullet
holes through his debauched carcass. But
Capt. Taswell and the balance of us had
at least forlorn hope-~but on hearing
Surrender, much to my "feigned indigna-
ton, he haloocd out in tremulous voice,
I'VE surrender" and at that very mo-
mcnt delivered his sword, without waiting
demand, to the first Yankee Corporal
who approached this band ofterror strick-
en- "chiyalry."
This scene ended my "Ten days after
the Guerilas.
never saw Major Ladoux but once
after that eventful night. 1t was in tie
afternoon on the following day. | called
his name through 4 crevice between the
logs of the stockade The hole was large
enough to pass a pint flask. Divining
that about this hour he would be "husk y"
| passed it through to him with my COM
pliments. He concluded an awful perora.
ton of invectures upon my devoted head
by raising the bottle to his lips and tender
ing me the following complimentary SEN
timent "By G-d-All--ty, as much
as l feel the need of this drink, if it was
your hearts blood it would be the sweet
est draught that ever passed my lips"
offered in mitigation of what seemed
to him premcditated intent to betray
him, desire | felt to disabuse his mind
in reference to yankee tricks, " and SUBJ
mitted to his candor as gentleman,
whether the capture of twenty-five such
miserable villainous assassins and cut
threats as comprised his gang, to draw it
mild, was not rather cute.
Reader, do you ask what finally be.
came Of them I? This same question /
asked COL, a judge advocate Of the
court which tried them. lie replied that
when Gabriel sounded his last trump, /
might learn. | hope his reply is satisfac-
tory.
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