The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1869-03-18

command of the party. Has the rear
! passed"',- - q ...
'Aes, some time ago. If you think
we'd better try
| But ! don't think So the sergeant
interrupted. 4 think we've done about
enough for one night, and that we'd
better get back to Upperville. Are we
| all in?' ...'
'All here. was the response, after the
faces had been counted ~. ... ..sss.~
Then let us search the Yankees and
! divide
The proposition found instant favor,
and each prisoner was at once compelled
to turn out the contents Of his pockets,
which were placed in small heap to-
gether, and then a division was made Of
the vaiaa6les.T Our arsnys flId fnte1y
been paid, and as much as two hundred
dollars in greenbacks were appropriated
by the guerillas; and three pocket knives
found among us became SO hotly con.
tended for that their ownership had 10
be decided by lot. With this done the
sergeant gavethe order to mount, direct
| ing that the prisoners should march In
single file between two squads OF his
party. "Ea8s
had been with my captors not more
than two hours when heard this order
given, and lquickly nerved myself for a
desperate attempt to escape, for the time
had come; the only chance, rs had de-
cIded, between that spot and the Libby.
The hour WAS just upon the verge of
daylight, and, therefore, quite as dark
Us any hour of the night had been. The
gucrillas were engaged in replacing the
bits III the horses mouths and tighten
ing their sirths when the sergeant fam
cicd he heard some suspicious noise
| 'liark. he commanded, whats that,
| could not have wished for IA more
oppnrtune moment; tho guerilias all
stood listening anxiously, and with
some trcpdation, and jumping to my
feet. shouted at the top of my voice,
the Yankee cavalry are coming. We
are surrounded. Run for your lives.'
and seizing upon the nearest horse,
snatclIcd tho reins from the man who
held him and vaultcd upon his back In
n twinkling, while this was happcning,l
saw that my yell had frightened all the
horses and that they were tu"ging 10
break away from their restraint, aud
that the guerilas were extremely alarm
cd, not understanding where the cry
came from. All was uproar and confu-
sion, and without waiting an i!I,tant for
them to recover their wits, dashed off
in swift gallop toward the Lrcsburg
road. That horse was, I think, the
fastest ever rode; he took me easily
over the gaps and fences between me
and the road, and had only To chirrup
to him when he reached it, and he flew
toward Lecsburg in the track of the
army like the wind. As for pursuit.
really don think | was pursued at ali.
| was far beyond their sight before they
could fire at me, and suppose my bold
mannuvre had so discvncertcd them
that before they could themselves under
stand that they were not surrounded
with our cavalry, and quiet their horses
enough to mount them, | was far away
| beyond hope of rccaptlrc. They prpba-
bly, knew the virtues ofthe splendid an
lmal that took me back to my friends:
certainly | have no evidence that was
! pursued at all.
Broad daylight had come on before
overlook the column; it had halted for
an hours rest, and the orderly scrgcants
were calling the roll. reached my
own company in time to hear the name
John Hawthorn pronounced, and the
reply Of some one, missing since last
night-taken by gucrillas.' NO he
isn't, | called out. Here and I sprang
| from the horse and came forward, the
boys receiving me with a ycll of de-
light.
Jack Hawthorn, where the devil
have you been, sir:?' Captain Bissel
asked, looking very serious.
Iye been to find a good horse for the
Colonel, SIR | replied, managing to
keep straight face. Here he il, sir; l
hope hell suit the Colonel
Il should rather think he would the
captain responded, surveying the horse
from nose to tail; by Jove! what IN
animai'
And this was all ever heard from
my superiors about my disobedience OF
orders.
The Colonel rode the horse until he
fell dead under him at the Lattle of
Winchester; and there wasn't . better
mounted officer in the army than he
barring Phil. Sheridan, perhaps, with
that wildtire of PAGER that brought
him up to the front at Cedar Creek.
The story of my capture and escape
was quickly reported at the headquar-
ters Of the commanding general, aud |
was sent for: and, after some question:
ing, | was sent to guide company OF
cavalry to the spot where had left the
gucriias. OF course we did not find
them there, nor did We discover any
thing ofthem by securing the Upper
| vile road fol some miles. But there
was nothing strange in this-even if we
could have supposed that their horses
! could not carry double in the time that I