Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-02-19

ed on his retreat down the road he made
for the church on the hill Before he
reached il there were Il score of enemie.
about him, and the reports of the carbine.
sounded more like brisk skirmish than
Il conflict with single soldier and a raw
recruit at that think he meant to gel
into the church, though he could not have
told whether it was church or otheI
building in the darkness. Failing 10 get
in, he found retreat under the front
steps, and in the darkness the cOnfederates
believed that he had escaped altogether
They however threw a line of videttes
roads and fields, and it would not have
been possible for Jim Shanks to regain the
road by which he had come.
Had the rest of the command moved NJ
on hearing the row, there might have
been show to release both of us, but
they did not come. BY the time the sol
diers had given up the search for Jim,
our comrades were on the back track fol
the Potomac.
| was retained at the picket post be.
cause Moshy'S lieutenant was there, and
because he hoped to bribe or friShted me
into furnishing him information of value
| was. therefore, in position to see the re-
suit of Jim ShankS work, single handed
and alone. When he broke away he dis
abled one man by blow from his car
bine. In his flight he killed one ant
wounded two others. Wounded and dead
were brought to the picket-post and
saw them. Mosby's men were terribly
incensed, and but for the fear of an at
tack by our force, whose strength they
did not know, | believe they would have
hung me up in their first rage.
1t was the guerrilla chieftain's last dash
into his beautiful valley. lie was gather.
ing forage and hurrying it back to Lees
lines, and many farmers were robbed o
their last horse and their last ear of corn
In three days more they would have beer
out of the valley entirely.
At the first signs of daylight, and wher
the old church on the hill was hardly Wis
ible through the gray of morning, came {;
bullet which bored a soldier through anC
through, and dropped him dead in hi,
tracks. 1t was from the carbine of jim
Shanks. Hiding under the steps, he haC
only waited for daylight to open the figh
anew-not waiting to be hunted out anC
captured. All was excitement in an in
slant, and as soon us Jim's location wa!
betrayed the guerrillas scattered anC
formed skirmish line. The fire of thi,
line was concentrated on the steps, ant
was as rapid as if opposed to II line oI
battle. Tho firing had just begun, wher
one Of the skirmishers fell away from 4
stump with Il bullet in his head. In three
minutes another was shot thro' the chest
Jim Shanks had forty rounds of ammuni
ton, and he fired slowly and with precis
ion. could see spinters fly from tht
steps every time II ball struck, and knew
that many of the bullets were driver
through the boards. For "a long twent,
minutes Jim held that skirmish line 0
thirty-iivo men ut the bay killing thre
and woundinE two, | counting his shots
and he fired Just twenty-one times.
A reinforcement of about twenty mount
ed men finally came up, and hitching thei
horses under cover of the hill the mel
tool, the skirmsh line. Just as the iirini
began anew, Jim Shanks suddenly left hi
cover and ran for the horses down tn
road. Every skirmisher rose up, and ther
/ must have been at least one hundred bul
lets fired Mt the running man in the mex
minute. saw them blow up the earth al
I around him, and one Of them sent his ca
sailing into The air. AS lie got in lin
with the horses the fire slackencd, Will
/ the men saw his plan and rushed forward
;, Jim was in no hurry. Resting his carbn
, over saddle he wounded another of hi
pursuers, and it seemed a full minute be
; fore he mounted and rode off toward Lees
! burg. There was a rush for the horses
and away they galloped after the recruit
, firing as they rode.
& The strange luck that had stood by Jir
f Shanks in his fight might have aided hin
q to escape had he selected better horse
After Il gallop of half IN hour, he foun
his pursuers gaining and in trying TO &C
q into the field his horse fell, rolled over tn
poor fellow. and the pursuers found hir
f dead when they rode up. His clothin
was fairly riddled with bullets, and yet h
o flesh had not been scratched. The churc
+ steps were as full of holes us n colandel
# and about the same distant apart, and "
4 Jim was not wounded Mean-spiritet
= obstinate and dogged as Il tent mate, h
q had the courage of lion and the gallantr
9 of knight and the first and last gray
y ever dug for Union soldier by Mosby
p men was followed out for Il recruit WI
q had never been at the front.-Deh0 oil FRI
Q Press.