Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1879-09-11

timbers wero too damp. In tho midst of
oil this sccnc of bustlo, shrill whistle was
heard from tho direction of tho Chickahu-
mny; railway train was evidently ap-
proaching, and it was soon seen coming
around wooded bend. A loud order to
halt was given, but tho train did not stop.
On tho contrary, steam was crowded on,
and It eEot by in the midst of fusilade
which, it is said wounded some of the
troops on the train, aud killed the engineer.
In moment it disappeared, and getting
his men into column again, Stuart puohed
on toward tho village Of Talleysville, di-
rcctly IN the Federal rear. Ho aftcrward
told mo that tho temptation TO att .ols and
destroy the great stores at the White House
was ALMOST irresistible, but the risk was too
grcat-and, looking at the situation after
ward, with full information of the state of
affairs, it was obvious that this movement
mus. have resulted in his capture or de-
struction. lie rightly determined to move
without delay in tho direction of the lower
fords of Chickahominy, and did 80 Just as
night was coming-having first burned n
huge wagon camp in n field near They
were loaded with grain, coffee and other
stores, oil of which were burned.
The column moved little past mid
night from Tallcysvillc, and at daylight
camc in sight of Chickahominy, near Fort
Bridge. There sudden halt took place.
The bridge was destroyed, and it was soon
found the fords were entirely impossible
The whole command was apparently caught
IN trap, from which there seemed no pos
sibility of escaping. The presence of
Stuart wss perfectly we'll known now to
Gen. Mcclellan; to discover his whcrea-
bouts it was only necessary in fact to follow
the steps of his fifteen hundred horscmen
over the sandy highway, and there could be
very little doubt that in few hours, at
most, tho Federal infantry, cavalry and
artillery would be upon him and make short
work Of him. As to passing tho river it
seemed wholly impossible. Col. Lee rode
into the stream, but his horse was swept
down and nearly drowned. He had juet
come back when [ joined him aud said:
"What do you think of the situation,
colonel?" ~
"Wei, captain," he replied, coolly, "I
think We arc caught"
And that they were c,ught was, I am
pretty certain, the impression of tho whole
command. The men were sitting or lying
on the ground beside their horses, and the
brsvcst looked "bluc." When l laughed
and toid the men not 10 lose hcart, as oil
'"ould DC r'Sht, thcy gascd at me with
stare, Wh'ch clearly showed mo that they
regaracd me as iunat!o' MY expectation
OF gctung on sately was based on the con-
Viction that mounted man can always
swim his horse across stream of the width
| of The Chickahominy ut that point, aud INV
confluence, 100, In stuart s resources. My
chief uncasincss was about the artillery, but
bellcVed that by hitch'ng eight torscs to
each gun ana forcing them across-evoG. if
they h'd 70 drown--the pieces Gould be
dragged through Ia some waJ, aud said
as much 90 Stuart.
"Ccrtainiy, certainly" he exclaimed,
twisting his long beard, as he always did at
crltlSal moments
! lie soon after hurried off to o point
lower down, and I found the men working
there like beavers to construct bridge.
One had formerly stood there, but had been
destroyed, the abutmcnts only remaining.
AS the gap to be sprnned was not great,
however, Stuart resolved to bridge it, and
the men fastened TO tear down barn near
by, aud bring the timber on their shoulders.
a little skitf was then floatcd to the middle
of the stream between the abutments, whore
it was held by rope in the how tied to a
tree trunk above, and tho men standing n
the boat raised the ends of tho timbers as
they were lowered, and pushed them on the
opposite abutmcnt. In this york Stuart
assisted with his own hands, standing in
tho boat and singing. AS soon az the tim
bers were laid across, planks were put upon
| them and the artillery and cavalrv detilod