The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1879-10-10
A SCOUTING ADVENTURE.
An Incident of the War.

A SCOUTING ADVENTURE.
An Incident Of the War.
Just before the battle of Cedar Greek
one of Clusters troopers, named Dave
Harrison, had an adventure full of peril.
In the absence of regular scouts he was
detailed to work his way up the valley
and discover all he could regarding the
enemy's position, and he entered upon
the enterprise with alacrity and conf
dence. Dave was known as a quiet,
cool, enduring man, doing his duty UNI
der all circumstances, and winning the
good will of officers and men in camp
or on the march.
1t was not the intention to send the
trooper forward as spy, but his in
structiOns were to scout over the neutral
but dangerous ground between outpOsts
and as near the enemy as he could. He
left our camp in his Federal uniform,
armed with a pair of revolvers and
knife, and there were plenty of croak-
ers to predict that he would never re-
turn.
After leaving the outpost Dave head
ed straight up the valley; determined
to accomplish his task as soon as posi-
BILE. He of course took to the woods
and brush, as the highways were more
or less travelled by the enemy and by
country people, and the sight of his uni
form would have created instant alarm.
He left our camp just at daylight, and
at noon he was munching his hard -tack
in the bushes three miles away. He had
discovered that the neutral ground was
overrun with Confederate scouts and
foragers, and his plan was to 60 slow.
The trooper had made another two
miles after dinner, when he found that
he must leave his cover of the friendly
forests if he would get nearer the enc
my's lines. He had seen cavalry, ar
tillery, infantry and army wagons NOV
ing and marching by this road or that,
and had drawn his own conclusions, but
yet this did not satisfy him. Surmises
and conclusions were not the infOrma-
ton desired at headquarters. To secure
facts he must cross the open fields and
highways, and by mid-afternOOn he was
prepared to do so. His last cover was
q thicket by the roadside. Nearly OPP
posite him and about twenty rods away
was log farmhouse, the front door
standing wide open. The scout was
hoping to get a word with some colored
men, when a cavalry patrol of about
twenty-five men came along the dusty
road and halted at watering trough to
refresh their horses. The noise attracted
the attention of the house-dOg, large
and savage animal, and he ran down to
the highway and barked flriously.
Finding that the soldiers gave him no at
tention, he trotted up and down the
road and finally got the scent of the
scout hiding in the thicket. The dog
was over the fence and into the thicket
in a second, and his angry barks and
growls attracted general attention.
"He's after a possum," shouted one
of the band.
"More likely SCOUT" added Sec
ond as he rode up to the fence.
"Come out of that, you devil!" or
dered the Lieutenant in command.
The scout realized that they only
guessed at the presence of human be-
ING there, and he hoped they might be
satisfied without an investigation. Per-
haps they would have been but for the
condnct of the dog, which seemed de-
termined to come to close quarters. To
shoot him would have betrayed the man
instanter. He tried to coax the brute
with meat and to intimidate him with a
club, but neither effort was successful.
When sure that the dog was about to
close in on him Dave drew his knife.
The dog sprang in and was received
with a blow intended to settle him then
and there, but it only gave him severe
wound. The cut took the fight out of
him and he retreated among the troop
ers. As soon as they noted his wound
they held whispered. consultation and
divided, part going up the road and a
part down. When 80 rods from the
thicket they began throwing down the
fence.
The scout saw that he was to be
flanked. The woods were too far away,
and he must bolt in some other direc-
ton or tamely surrender. He was not a
man to do the last while there was any
show for escape. As soon as the cayal-
nv entered the field the scout bounded
into the road and had crossed it before
he was discovered. When the cavalry
opened FIRE he ran straight for the house.
Two white women, several c0l0red ones
and three or f0ur cOlored children were
running about the yard, and Dave bolt
ed through the crowd and into the
house. He expected to run through it
and across the back fields, but seeing
the people gathering at the back door
he went no farther than the kitchen.
The doors all stood open. After a