The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1879-02-14

hsA ~ Soui0 anu conttuttu myscI
with knowing that every member o
Company "E" hated him As much ~
did.
One night band Of twenty-five mer
moved out Of our camp for a scout across
the Loudon Valley, then held by Mosby
and luck placed Jim Shanks alongside
Of me. He was selected by accident, i
being the intention 10 take better man
but he was there just the same silent
sullen and ready TO elbow or bayonel
any one who accidentally brushed him
That night as we filed along the muddy
highway, speaking only in whispers,
saw Jim in front Of me and whispered
To myself:
Jim Shanks, il you don't get killed
down here you'll be hung for murder
before you are out of the army a year,"
Just in the gray of the morning, and
when within mile Of Union Town, Jim
Shanks and myself were sent forward
to reconnoitre. | would have sooner
gone alone and ten times sooner had the
company Of any one else, but luck de-
cided 1t. We said not word. watch
ed jim and saw that he was as cool as
an old soldier. He knew as well as l
did that we were advancing on Mosby's
headquarters, but he stepped out boldly
and with no change in his demeanor.
When we had nearly reached the
church standing on the hill above the
town and facing the road leading away
to Leesburg, halted, knowing that a
picket post must be near. l had not ex-
changed word with Jim for days, but
now | whispered to him that We must
proceed with caution.
eff you are tired sit down in the mud
he growled, striding along, and after
minute followed him, both Of us walk
ing on the side OF the highway. knew
we would soon strike the picket but it
was either follow Jim or turn back.
Suddenly and without a word five or six
men rose up in our path. had barely
discerned them when one seized my
carbine and another tripped me down
while third growled out
. II you make any fuss you'll get
bullet mighty quick"
didn't propose TO make any fuss
but Jim Shanks did. The two men who
grabbed at aim were brushed off like
flies, and whirling his carbine around
his head he cleared path for himself
and was lost in the darkness. More
than dozen shots were fired af,er him
and being Intercepted on b;s refraa,
down the road he made for the church
on the hill. Before he reached Il there
were a score of enemies abont him and
the reports Of the carbines sounded
more Ike a brisk skirmish than = com
Eiict with a SINGLE soldier and ! raw 10
cruit al that. think he meant n oet
INTO the church, though he could not
have told whether il was a church or
other building in the darkness. Failing
q get in he found retreat under the
ront steps and in the darkness the Con-
ederates believed that he had escaped
altogether. They. however. threw : f;ne
II videttes across roads and fields. and
1 would not have been possible far Jim
Shanks to regain the road by which be
lad come.
Had the rest of the command moved
ID on hearing the row there micht have
been a show To release both ~ rs. Int
hey did not come. nv the time he al.
Tiers he'd given up the search for Jim
,ur comrades were on the back track far
he Potomac.
was retained at the picket post be-
,ause Mosby's lieutenant was there and
because he hoped 10 bribe or friohten
ne into furnishing him information ~
Talue. / was. therefore. in A position n
zee the result Of Jim Shanks's work
ingle-handed and alone. When he
,roke away he disabled one man bv 4
low from his carbine. In his FIGHT he
tiled one and wounded two others
Wounded and dead were brought ~ the
ticket post and saw them. Mosby's
cen were terribly incensed, and but for
he fear Of an attack by our forces
whose strength they did not know.
'elieve they would have hung me no in ,