The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1870-07-14

We're encountered - often that ] be-
gan 10 fear that we had lost the trail
: Hating, lit match, and. shei5ering
it with nv rubber blanket. examined
the ground. There was no sign of {
road Thinking that we had wander
ell to the right of it We turned to the
left, but had not gone far when We
sank to our knees in a swamp, ant
further progress in that direction was
stopped by thick underbrush. So We
turned back, but with no better re
suit the mire and brush seemed t
be on every side \ dozen times VT
started, but, after a short tramp, would
be halted by the underbrush. Believ,
ing that we We're travelling in a circle
and completely bewildered, / ordered
"A halt and waited for the clouds tC
break away, the rain having ceased
falling. The clouds were breaking 4
little, when one Of the men exclaim-
ed, ''Dere one of lie regiments cool
fire." We saw 4 fiickering light, APP
parently hundred yards of. Know,
ing that the company cooks had bull
brush shelters over their fires, to pre-
vent showers from eKtingUishingth them
| thought il possible that we NIGH
be III the vicinity of our Division.
camp, and this light some shoulder
ing ember of a campfire. With the
light for our beacon, we started brisk.
~ toward it; but it appeared to recedC
as we approached. After going a short
distance, il seemed no nearer than be,
fore, and farther advance was stopped
by our old enemies, the brush and
mire. As We halted, the light rose
several feet from the ground, and
for a few second glOwed Il sickly
blue, and then vanished. We had
been following the igHjS tdtuLs, OI
''will-o'-the-wisp."
\ grOan of superstitious horror ran
through the ranks. "Oh, good Lordy
hab mussyI Dat am de Jack-O'-lan-
tern hissclfi No good nebber cum no.
body arter chasing one oh dem lightsr
enjaculated teTrOr-stricken Negro
1t was with difficulty that general
stampede was prevented, so great
was the fear among most of the men.
Only few hours ago they stood theil
ground bravely against Rebel cavalry
and bushwhackcrs, but now were
ready To fly before an imaginary
"spOok." All attempts to explain the
phenomenon having failed, | told
them that if they scattered, "Jack-O'-
| lantern" would catch them separate
ly; but if they kept together, he
would not dare to trouble them. An
immediate huddling was the result
! There was no alternative but to wait
for daylight.
Here was n bad situation for 4 young
and ambitious officer. Before day
! light the onion troops would be ten
miles away, and the roads leading to-
ward them might he filled with the
Confederate forces who defeated Gen
eral Wilson'S command. Our great
est danger lay in encOuntering some
of the rowing regiments Of Rebel cav
airy, who were always scouting in the
rear of our army, and to whom my
| little band of sixty would be but a
mouthful. Death or capture would
be the fate of most of us should we
encounter one of these expeditions. |
well knew that, i'm ease of capture,
my white skin would not save me
from being hung to one of the live
oak-trees that abounded. Even if we
should reach the Division all right
again, / dreaded the censure of our
severe Colonel almost as much rs an
encounter with the enemy.
Two trusty men were detailed to
watch, and the rest lay down and at
tempted to sleep. The woods were
full of dismal noises One of the great
hOrped owls of Virginia was perched
on branch above us and began his
mearthly cry, "WheO-ha-whOO-o-o ="
followed by 4 strangling, thTOttling
sound, and ending in a maniac laugh
that was fearful to hear. Dirt was
thrown to drive him away, but it only
made him snap his bill like q watch
mans rattle. Whip-pOO-wills, chuck
will's-widows, tree-tOadS, and locusts,
all seemed to combine to make
grand nOctural concert. A naturalist
would have been in ecstasy; but we
failed to appreciate it.
Slowly the hours passed till daylight.
A hearty breakfast was eaten, KNAPP
sacks and blankets snugly packed,
and the arms carefully inspected and
recapped. The road was found not
fifty rods distant, near where the Di-
vision-camp had been. \ Sergeant
and two men were sent Il short dis
tance ahead, as skirmishers, and a
like party followed in the rear. No
sound of artillery or musketry reach
cd our ears, and we hoped that the
roads might yet be clear.
Prince George Courthouse was
passed without an alarm, and our
spirits were rising, when the skirm-
ishers ahead stopped and gave the sig
nal to halt. The Sergeant came back,
and made report 'Cap'n, some deb
biltTy gwine OH ober yander. | done
heeTd de driber's lash and Black peo-
pies hOller." With the Sergeant
cautiously advanced, and, peering
through club of bushes, saw, two
hundred yards distant, a lOg-and-
splint house, situated i'll the middle of
Il cOrn-field.
Suspended from an oak-tree, by
their thumbs, were two Black Men,
and the blue clothing lying
near them showed that they were
soldiers. Two stalwart men iII-Rebel
gray were standing by them, each
with Il blacksnakc-whip i'll hand.-i
Three other Rebels were seated on the
ground, while another stood by their
horses, which Were hitched a short
distance off. Their carbines hung to /
the saddles, but all had revolvers and
sabres buckled on. In the doorway
of the house stood dirty-lOoking fe- |
male, with Il snull-stick in her mouth, |
and some tallow-faced children |
around her. Three large, ferOciOus,
yellow dogs lay near the horses.
Alternately the men with whips |
would measure the lash across the |
back of the Negro nearest them, tO |
mark the place where the blow should |
fall then giving the whip a full,
round swing over their heads, would
bring it down on their victim. We |
il struck, and see the blood follow the |
stroke. One Negro never flinched
nor mOaned. His cOmrade yelled, |
cried, and begged piteOusly. The |
Rebels, women, children, and dogs !
were closely watching the proceed !
ings, and seemed greatly edited by
the spectacle-the woman In partic-
ular.
My plans We're quickly made. A
breeze blowing toward us prevented /
the dogs scenting or hearing us. A |
squad was stationed near the road, |
and another squad started by n cir |
cuitOus route TO reach the road on the /
other side of the house, to prevent the /
Rebels escaping in that directiOn.-I
With the remainder / crept quietly /
toward the house, through the corn. /
The rustling sound of the corn pre- /
any noise that we made being (
heard, and we reached safely within 4
five rods of the house without alarm /
ing our foes. They were sitting down, 4
backs toward us, watching the whip 4
ping. The man at the horses was uH- /
Ioosing 4 saddle-girth. One Negro /
was crying; the other was defiant
We heard him say: xiii me, if We I
dare; the cullud soldiers viii come /.
back, and dey will find me, and will /.
settle wid you 'uns. Do your wust ; /!
my speerit shall haunt We ALL" Civ /
ing the signal, we started for them, !
and before the Rebels could draw their
revOlvers from the holsters, they We're /
struck with musket-barTels, half stun /
ned, and lay with glistening bayOnets /.
pricking their breasts. The orders ,
had been not to fire, except in the last
extremity, and they Were faithfully /
Obeyed. Our prisoners We're disarmed !
and securely piniOned, before they /
fairly knew what had happened to
them. The Negroes who had been
IL