The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1877-05-31
INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES
Ia OF THE LATE WAR.
EsFROM THE DIARY OF HIGH PRIE4E1
||axsaasAs IN THE REAR RANK a B
NO. XXI. q d
DEEDS OF MISSIsSIPPIANslD
1000

lSOz.
In the North part of Mississippi there
lived two brothers 10y the name Of
Young. They were past so years of
age. One lived near KQssuth and was
the owner Of q large cotton plantation
Of oyer 500 acres and many slaves to til
the soil which was very rich prod ucing
immense crops. The other brother was
q poor man and lived about miles
d0wnthe Tiscoming River from Kos
Suth. He was mot the owner of any,
slaves, although he owned a, small farm
which he cultivated himself, =, These
brothers were like all other Southern.
people suspected of being; in sympathy
with the rebellion until they should
prove by unmistakable deeds that they
were true to the Union. Although like
most of the Southern people, they both
protested to be in full sympathy with
the Union cause; On several occasions,
our officers sent men iii disguise to the
plantation of the wealthy brother at
night to ascertain, if possible, whether
he was really in full sympathy. witlldas
or not. But all they could find out did
not amount to anything. 10 those
who came to him as c0nfederates he
claimed to be neutral, and to us he
claimed to he a Union man. But to
the poor brother the nation undOubted-
ly owes Il debt Of gratitude, for it was
him who saved Gen. R0sencrans from a
certain surprise and disaster to the
whole Army under his command which
numbered about Is, 900 men, and which
was scattered over about 20 miles
square of territory in out-posts all a.
round Corinth. Willie Price and Van
doren, with an Army of $1,000 men,
were cautiously preparing to slip back
to the north OF Corinth, and surprise it.
MI. Young had gone to mill about IS
miles from home with sack of corn on
Il mule and while there awaiting to
have it ground, Gen. Price came in
and made arrangements with the mill
er for every pound of meal and feed he
had for the Confederate Army for which
the miller was to be paid us soon as
they captured Corinth, which they
thought to do within five days. This
was Oh the 30th of Sept. 1862. AS soon
us Mr.. Young had al opportunity, af-
ter learning all he could OF their plans,
ne quietly rode away, taking a rounda-
bout way to avoid the Confederate Ar
speed and rode all night arriving at
his home and near Chewalla an out
post 10 miles west of Corinth about 2
O'Clock in the morning. He was en-
tirely exhausted from lis exciting ride,
but told us hastily what he had heard
at this mill. We took him under guard
to Corinth to Gen. Rosencrals, where
lie told the Gen. the plans he had learn
ed, the force of the Confederates and
all he knew about it. The General
hardly credited his story, but neverthe-
less, it put tile Gen. on his guard and
all our camp equipage was sent back
and we were sent out to meet them and
ascertain the truth Of the statement,
while the Gen. went earnestly to work
fortifying the weakest point north of
the town, and got together the sc:.tter-
ed army just in time to save it
from utter destruction. Mr.. Young
Was allowed to 60 at liberty and we
never saw him again, or found out
what became of him. But the Confed-
crates did attack us just according to
the plans he gave us, aud after the hard
fought battle of the Sd and 4th of Oct.,
in which they were defeated, and in
passing over the field among the heaps
of the Slain the next day, there lay ST.
lently among the dead, the wealthy
brother. MIR. Young, whom we all rec
ogniZed at once. He was grasping
tightly in his hands, in death, Ills doub-
le-barreled shot gun. His friends clam
ed he had been conscripted and placed
in the ranks of doubtful Confederates
and pushed on in front where they
would he the most certain to meet
death. n. V. Med.