Vicksburg weekly herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1868-1883, 1870-07-02

BY J. PARISH L

which was fought the celebrated
of Pittsburg Landing. I
had never visited the site Of the
and knowing that l would
not be likely to find myself so near
it again, l thought it best not to
so favorable an opportunity
to pass unimproved. In other
words, / hired q mule and started
for a saddle-ride to Pittsburg, not,
however, until mine host had
warned me that the road was not
altogether a safe one for a
stranger; that / would do we'll to
keep constantly on my guard;
that several most revolving and
mysterious murders had been
committed Of late, and SO on.
A short distance from Savan-
nah, and the road became a truly
dismal one, leading through the
thickly wooded and thickly caned
bottoms of Tennessee river. It
struck me at once that in all my
travels I had never before fallen
upon a region so gloomy, or one
50 admirably adapted to the perpe,
tration Of dark deeds. l could
not help feeling uncomfortable,
though / do not think it grew out
Of anything the landlord had said
at the time ofstarting. Ihad been
long used to hearing all sorts Of
frightful stories-had been urged
to keep an eye peeled" many q
time-and nothing had yet come
Of any Of ii so far as it concerned
myself, until l was fully hardened
to the understanding that nothing
ever would. Besides. on this oc-
casion ! had as yet discovered no
grounds for uneasiness. There
seemed to be no one stirring save
myself, the road was entirely de-
serted, and the woods, too, for
aught l could learn to the contra.
~, for there was not a sound OF
any kind living upon the motion
less air of the morning; not even
the song of a bird or the chirp OF
an insect. The spirit of sadness
and sweet silence prevailed to per.
fiction.
! rode on through this dismal
country until within about four
miles of Pittsburg Landing, when
overlook a lady walking slowly
along the road. She was neatly
dressed in a grey travelling habit,
and in her hand she carried q
small valise. On coming up with
her | saw that she was young and
exceedingly beautiful, though her
face seemed TO wear q somewhat
troubled expression; in fact, it
was evident that she had just been
weeping.
Excuse me- she said, as / was
about to pass on, "are you going
to Pittsburgh
| told her that l was.
Then" she continued, lift is
not asking too much, won't you he
50 kind as to slaken the pace OF
your animal rs to bear me com
pany until / am through this thick
wood? / am really sorry to
trouble you, but just ahead of us
where those murders were com.
.itted, and it does seem that |
cannot pass the place alone!"
or course | slackened pace. l
am not one of your cold, ungallant
kind OF men, SO | did even more
| dismounted, and after apologizing
for offering a mans saddle, insisted
that the fair stranger should take
my place upon the mule. This
she very politely declined to do,
as 4 reason that she never
rode horseback in her life SO we
walked on together side By side,
| carrying my yalise and leading
my mule.
In q very short time we were
well acquainted. The troubled
expression quilted her truly beau.
.iiul face, an intellectual light lit
up her expressive eyes, and she
OFF all undue reserve, becom.
NC at once the most brilliant and
most interesting travelling compan.
On ! had ever before encountered.
'he lived at Paducah, in Ken.
she said, and was the
laughter Of a merchant there with
whom | mad slight acquaintance.
An uncle lived at Pittsburg Land.
nc, and she WIS on = visit to his
aml!y' steamers could not land
| Pitisburg in summer. when the
lyer was at q low stage, conse.
she had been put Off at
Her friends at Pitts.
urg had not been advised of her
oming, and there was no convey
nee to be had at Crump's, hence
err only chance Of getting through
y in her ability to walk a dis.
Ince Of about six miles.
1t was all reasonable enough.
l believed every word of it
lthout the slightest hesitation.
GU know that | expressed my
'mpathy, and you may guess thai
followed it up with a shower of
ut talk about the worst wind in.
blowing good to some
'dy, and about my thanks being
ie 10 the river for getting low,