The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1879-10-30
A HIGHWAY ADVENTURE.
The Startling Experience Of Gen.
Bouton-Geod Use Of a Pistol.
fFrOm the Cotton Cali semi-TrOpic.l

9VUbO0 6VVR ~ 30 VI q 4SbO4s
From the Cotton (csl.) semi-TrOpic.l
An interesting adventure was
that of Gen. Bouton with party of
bold highwaymen near San Jacinto
il this State. Gen. Bouton was
Chief of Artillery under Gen. Sher-
man, who speaks OF him as having
a record as an artillery officer un-
surpassed in the world. He was
engaged in forty-two battles and
never lost gun. He tells of his
thrilling experience on the noun
tain-top at San GorgonIa in the
following way:
The General and j. G. Collins,
his partner, started from San Cor
gonia for their ranch at San Jacinto
in a light wagon. About three
miles out, and when on the top of
thelgrade on the new road leading
to San Jacinto, three men suddenly
rose out of the Brush, which at that
place grows close 10 the roadside,
and two presenting revolvers and
one shotgun, cried "Haltw The
team was stopped, when they were
ordered to give up their arms.
They both promptly answered that
they had no arms, although each of
them had a revolver in his pocket
unknown to the other. Upon get
ting out of the wagon. pieces of
chain were produced, and their
hands were chained behind them,
,apd six-foot chains were placed
About each of their necks. This
jewelry was made from the chain
used about the straw-carrier of a
machine. The links
are made of heavy wire bent into
shape but not welded, and when
they were placed upon the prisoners
the links were pressed down with
pair of shoemaker's pincers. Col
Inns was chained to the wheel of
his wagon, with the chain about
his neck. The man carrying the
shotgun was handed pistol by the
other, who, taking hold of the chain
about the Generals neck, said,
come on" while the armed man
fell in the rear with his gun about q
foot from Bouton's back. The
third man had meanwhile been un
the horses, and, taking
them ahead a short distance, tied |
them to some bushes.
All this time-and the time was |
not hearso long as it takes to tell |
II fba Gaparal baI haon g., ,rE;uol,,
feeling along the slack OF the chain |
On his hands trying to find a link |
that was not entirely closed. His
touch, which must have been inten
sified by the tight place in which he
was placed, suddenly found a link
partly open. He dropped the other
ink down, and, with the slight le
7erage which this afforded, pried |
,pen the little opening upon which
lis life depended. Keeping his
lands in the same position he then
parted the skirts of his coat and
1ut his hand upon the pistol, which
vas self cocker of the "bull dog"
They had not yet gone
more than thirty psces, and had
ust turned out of the road into the
1rush when the General accom-
)lished this, and it was just at this
lime that the man in the rear no
iced his movements and cried,
Halt" At this Gen. Bouton
whipped out his pistol, and, half
urnlng, fired at the man in the rear,
Who fell. Quick as thought, he
yhirled and bored a hole through
he one in front. He then ran to re-
ease Collins, when the third man
;ame running toward the wagon
rom where he had tied the horses.
8outon, thinking his purpose was
% shoot Collins, waited until he
passed the rear OF the wagon, when
le blazed away and dropped him.
It took but moment to jerk the
,hain apart which was about Col
ms neck, and TO free his hands.
Then, hitching up their team, they
irove like wildfire to the office of
ustice Kennedy, some nine miles
distant, with the parted chains still
from their wrists Ind
lcChS, Wuclo LHSJ aI OuCS OOlu IuSlI |
story. With the aid of file they
we're relieved of their jewelry, and
IS soon as day broke posse started
back to the scene of the tragedy.
Near by they found where three
lorses had'b tied and two masks
IN the ground. Taking up the
rail of the horses they found,
lbout a half mile farther on, the
)ody of John Wakefield, who had
unsaddled his horse,
urned him loose, and then lain
lown and died. He was found to
lave been shot in the right side, the
,all lodging just beneath the skin
If the oack. On Wednesday a man
FAMED Covington went to his home,
lear Eli Casco, Immediately after
he shooting, with a flesh wound in
he thigh, where he stated to his
riends that he did not intend to
murder Gen. Bouton, but only
wanted to compel him to sign an
rider on his wife for $4,000 and in
ended to keep him as hostage un-
ii it was paid.