The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1878-12-21

self made siv. Their" never were six better men
for such IN expedition They wei" Young:
strong. and as brave as the hra"rSt. They hlh
already seen all there is in war. Tines ;'a' been
t,ir in th" most trying piHrrS did not care
much whether they lived or died: wr'" the
quickest and best Shots in Tie w"rid. an" rod"
the ilr,trst horS, in the land. Ii WIS r>t he
fore, TIE Federal army set out on that surprising
march down the west side of he liver. The
cuuIlrv was all full nt marshes. haN"uS and
ln"rASSrS. so that the natural advantages for lie
execution Of the plot were good. The plan WIS
for Joe Lee and his five trusy followers to dress
up in Federal uniform, ride Oh horseback to
Milligans Bend, 60 direct to the house where
Grant was stopping, rush in and secure his per.
son, put him on a spare horse and then escape
to the swamps. which We're near by. On one
Saturday evening late the party set out from
Dckson's house, near Delhi, and rode toward
the Mississippi. There was not a sOnl on earth
besides themselves and Governor Alien that new
of their desperate mission 1t was something
over twenty five miles they had to 60, and the
night was dark one but long before day they
were at the edge of the woods that bordered :
the plantation on which Grant was quartered
There was no enemy to attack from the west
side, and there was no particular precautiOn
sun up, and, while the General was yet asleep
the guerrillas rode boldly up! through the open
field toward the house There they were-Six
men-seven horses. The empty saddle tor tho
commander Of the hundred thousand men who
were camped about in every direction. They
approached in almost stones throw of the
house, when they met negro. They were dis
covered. 1t was an old man whom these very
men had run away from Delhi not ten days be.
fore. He knew them all and Immediately gave
the alarm. In moment there was a great tn.
multi, and the six gucrrillas had nothing to do
but save their lives. They broke through the
field and in the twinklilg of al eye We're back
in the woods, but not until IL hundred shots had
been fired after them Before the sun went
down they were safe at their tavorite rcn1rz-
rOus. Thus was frustrated one Of the most
daring plots of the war. 1t is not probable tina,
General Grant took any particular notice of the
affair, and it is not ct all probable that he has
rewarded the valuable service of the old colored
man. what Interpretation the officers Of the
army put upon the presence of the strange and
hostile men at such time and place is not
known, but II there We're any doubts as to their
mission this bit OF history may serve to remove
them
Most Of the guerrilas remained in Carroll
parish till the close of the war, many Of them
lived there for some years after the war, and
some OF them are there to-day.
noted Frank and jesse James, HOW live in the
little town of Delhi. One of them is hardware
merchant, the other small planter They were
i'll the war; at one time belonged to Quantrel's
command, but they are now as peaceable and
law-abiding as any citizen inthe parish John
jarrett, who was weu-knOwn in Western Mis-.
souri, as one of the most reckless men that ever
rode in a saddle, left Carroll parish few years
ago and went to Colorado. he was the surr,t
shot of them all all. His expertness with a re.
volver was simply marvellous On one occasion,
while going down bayou in boat with some
companions, he shot the heads Oft of six water
moccasin snakes in succession. He was simply
unerrng in his aim, and this too, without taking
sight in the usual fashion. He always shot from
the hip, and seemed to be good mu"ksnan from
native instinct. He had to leave the the parish
on account OF shooting and robbing a German
named Muh"d in 1867. join Lee, the best OF
all the bad lot, went to Colorado in ls66, and is
there raising cattle The Jameses and the
Youngers continued to make West Carroll par.
sh their rendezvous until the celebrated North.
field Bank robbery. Sometime after t lie close
OF the Wal they committed robbery in that
country, an account OF which was not published.
There is little river some miles west Of Delhi,
up Which small stOreboats 90 in the spring Of
tue year. jew named Wolf OwneU one of
those storebOats and went up tn river Oh
trading expedition. While his craft was lying
at its last landing place On its upward voyage,
and after Wolf had sold most of his goods, and
when he had some 81 QUO in his SAFE the Jameses
and Youngers called on him one day and asked
Lin for some whisky There We're four of them.
They all stood up by the counter, looking as
harmless as ministers. There was shotgun
standing on the inside of the counter at the up.
per end Wolf kept his liquor in barrel at the
lower end Of the counter. When he went to till
up the glasses he was compelled to stOop down.
INN
and saw them pointing at him his own weapon
Of defense, the shotgun in the hands of The bury
Cole Younger. They told him they would take
the drinks, but they would also be pleased to
have him. open his safe. IN 4 state OF great tire.
pidatOn the poor sun Of Jacob complied with
the polite request. He was then bid an aztec
tionate adieu and left to comfort himself the
best he could.
Cole Younger was at DcksOn's in Carol; par
ish, Immediately before the Gad's Hill train rob.
berry, and aiterward, when he Went back there,
he told Dickson that he was at Gads HILL ant
that he went from there directly ~ St. Louis,
and remained there three weeks, seeing the
Chief OF Police almost every day. 1t has been
reported before that one Of the Younger broth.
ers came to st. Louis after the Gad's Hill train
robbery, and this fresh reitcration of the same
thing must be taken as conclusive. The Jameses
and the lOungers also returned into Carroll
parish after the robbery Of the Hot Springs
and they were a. the house of their
old friend, Dickson, just before the fatal raid
Oh the bank at Mortified. Minnesota. But how
the birds have flown and the detectivesnt I'd not
60 to Louisiana. Two OF the Youngers--the
only ones left-are in the Penitentiary, and the
James brothers have never dared to show them.
selves again in their old haunts. Dickson says
he knows nothing Of them, but believes they
are in Texas or Colorado in the stock business I
after the manner Of their old associates, John |
} are and Joe Lee 1t was reported sometime |
ago that one of the James brothers was in Gallo. |
way county, broken down in health, living on |
the charity of some friends. This, however, |
proved to be untrue. Tcere is no reason to be-
ieve that either of them has ever been in Mis-
scur since their lucky escape from Minnesota.