The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1878-12-12
Scheme TO Capture General Grant.

| "A WrlUeT OI Vne SI. Louis Evening
Post giving sketch of the exploits Of
the James and Younger brothers, noto-
rious outlaws of Missouri, tells the fol-
lowing which has never before been in
print
After Vicksburg had been invested,
and the South threatened at other points,
Gov Allen, Of Louisiana, conceived the
desperate idea of capturing the person
of General Grant He believed that
Grant WIS the evil genius of the con-
federacy, end that if he could be killed
or taken prisoner, the siege of Vicks-
burg could be raised and the Federal
army driven back. He sent for 10 Lee,
to whom he impaired his thoughts, and
asked him if he could devise plan. 1t
was readily taken to by Lee, who i'm
mediately proposed to execute the dar-
ing enterprise. At that time-that is,
in the Spring of lS64-Grant and his
army were encamped at Milligan's Bend,
near Young's Point, on the Mississippi,
some Is miles above Vicksburg. Gen
eral Grants headquarters were in the
dwelling house that belonged to a mag
nifcent plantation, much of which can
be seen from the deck of passing
steamer. 10 Lee proposed to 60 to that
house and bring away the body of Gen
eral Grant, dead or alive.
He chose five of his most trusty men.
They were the two James brothers, two
of the Younger brothers and John Jar
rett. These with himself made six.
There never were six better men for
such an expedition. They were young,
strong, and as brave as the bravest.
They had already seen what there was
in war. They had been tried in the
most trying places; had suffered all
manner of hardships; did not care much
whether they lived or died; were the
quickest and best shots in the world,
and rode the feetest horses in the land.
1t was Just before the Federal army set
out on the surprising march down the
west side of the river. The country
was all full of marshes, bayous, mo-
rasses, so that the natural advantages for
the execution of the plot was good. The
plan was for 10 Lee and his five trusty
followers to dress up in full Federal
uniform, ride on horseback to Milligan's
Bend, 60 direct to the house where
Grant was stopping, rush in and secure
his person, put him on spare horse and
then escape to the swamps which were
near by. On one Saturday evening late
the party set out from Dicksons house
near Delhi, and rode toward the Missis-
sippi. There was not a soul ON earth
besides themselves and Governor Allen
that knew of their desperate mission.
1t was something over rs 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 OH the
plantation on which Grant was quar-
tered. There was no enemy to attack
from the west side and there was no par
ticular precaution against guards. The
pickets were passed before sunrise, and,
while the General was yet asleep, the
guerillas rode boldly up through the
open field towards the house. There
they were, six men, seven horses. The
empty saddle for the commander of the
hundred thousand men who were en-
camped about in every direction. They
approached in almost stones throw of
the house, when they met negro. They
were discovered. 1t was an old man
whom these very men had run away
from Delhi not ten days before. He
knew them all, and Immediately gave
the alarm. In a moment there was a
great tumult, and the guerillas had moth
ing to do but save their lives. They
broke through the tieldand in the twink
ling of an eye were back in the woods,
but not uutil hundred shots had been
fired after them. Before the sun went
down they were safe at their favorite
rendezvous. Thus was frustrated one
of the most daring plots of the war. 1t
is not probable that General Grant took
any particular notice of the affair, and
it is not at all probable that he has ever
realized the valuable services of the old
colored man. What Interpretation the
officers of the army put upon the pres
ence of the strange and hostile men at
such a time and place is not known, but
if there were any doubts as to their
mission, this bit of history may serve to
remove them.
Most of these guerillas remained in
Carroll Parish till the close of the war,