The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1879-02-20

Ike brisk skirmish than conflict with
single soldier, and a raw recruit at
that. think he meant TO get into the
church, though he could not have told
whether it was church or other build
ing in the pitchy darkness. Fail
ing to get in, he found 3 retreat under
the front steps, and in the darkness the
coniederstes believed that he had es
capped altogether. They, however. threw
line of videttes across roads and fields,
snd it would not have been possible for
jim Shsnks to regain the read by which
we had come.
Had the rest of the command moved
up on hearing the row, there might
have been q show to release both of. us,
but they did not come. By the time
the soldiers had given up the search for
jim our comrades were on the back track
for the Potomac.
was retained at the picket-post be-
cause Mosby's lieutenant was there, and
because he hoped TO bride orsfrighten me
into giving information of value. l was,
therefore in position to see the result Of
Jim Sbank's work, single handed and
alone. When be broke sway he disabled
one man by blow from his carbine. In
bis fight he killed one and wounded
two Others, Wounded and dead were
brought to the picket-post, and | saw
them. Mosby's men were terribly in
censed, and but for the fear of an attack
by our force, whose strength they did
not know, l believe they woulu have
hung me up in their first rage.
1t was the guerrilla chieftain's last
dash into the beautiful valley. He was
gathering forage and hurrying it back to
Lees lines, snd many farmers were
robbed of their last horse and their last
ear of corn. In three days more they
would have been out of the valley en-
tirely.
At the first signs of daylight, and when
the old church on the hill was visible
through the gray OF morning, came
bullet which bored soldier through and
through and dropped him dead in his
tracks. 1t was from the carbine of Jim
Shanks. Hiding under the steps, he had
only waited tor daylight to open the fight
anew-not waiting to be hunted out
and captured. All was excitement in
an instant, and as soon as Jim's location
was betrayed the guerilias scattered and
formed . skirmish line. The fire OF this
line was concentrated on the steps, and
was as rapid as if opposed to line OF
battle. The firing had just begun when
one Of the skirmishers fell away from a
stump with a bullet in his head. In
three minutes another was shot through
the chest. Jim Slsnks had forty rounds
OF ammunition, and be fred slowly and
with precision. ! could see spIinters dy
from the steps every time a bail stuck,
sni J knew thar many of the bullets
We're driving right through the boards.
For long twenty minutes jim held that
skirmish line Of twenty FIVE men at bay,
killing three and Bounding two. I
counted his shots, and be Cred Just
twenty-one times.
4 reinforcement Of about twenty
mounted men finally csme up, and
biiching their horses under cover OF the
hill the men took the skirmish line
Just SIS the firing began anew Jim Shanks
suddenly It his cover and ran for the
horses down the road. Every skirmisher
rose up, and there must have been at
least one hundred bullets fired at the
running man next minute. ] saw them
plow up the earth all around him, snd
one OF them sent his cap sailing into tire
air As he got in line with the horses
the fire slsckened while the men saw his
plan and rushed forward Jim was In
no hurry. Resting his csrbine over a
ssdde he wounded another of his pur-
sUe,s, and it seemed full minute before
ne mounted and rode of toward Lees
burg. There was a rush for the horses.
and away they galloped after the recruit,
4ing as they rode.
The strange luck that had stood by
Jim Shanks in this fight might have
sided him to escape had be selected
better horse After gsllop OF halt al
hour he found his pursuers gaining, ana
in trying to get into the fields his horse
fell, rolled over the poor fellow, and the
pursuers found him dead when they rode
up. His clothing was fairly riddled
with bullets, and yet his flesh had not
been scratched. The church steps were
SIS full of holes as colander, and about
the same distance apart, and yet Jim was
not wouu ded. Mean spirited, obstinate
and dogged as a terminate, be had the
courage of a lion and the gallsntry of
knight, and the first and last grave ever
dug for union soldier by Mosby's NJ q
was followed out for a recruit who had
never been at the front.
Good Advice and Good Manners.