The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1879-08-14


haga wagon camp in q field near. Eli.
were loaded with grain, coffee and oth4l
stores, were all burned. In the hori
trough Of one Of the wagons I found I.
volume OF poems with the namo of IL
owner-a young lady Of Williamsburg
on the lily leaf, which gave me an eleyat-
cd idea Of the tastes of the wagon driyel.
| We reached TallysYillc about midnight
and the men proceeded to rife a suffers
store Of ediblas of every description
! beef tongues, canned meats pickles,
candy, tomato aatsup, preserves, lemons
cakes sausages, molasses, crackers and
other stores, and I'll were now in high
| spirits. In the morning when we Ser
ut Old Church, n friend had said to ne,
gloomily: "Gonoral Stuart is going 10
| get this whole command cut to pieces.
This same friend was now in the most
| hopeful and cheerful Of moods. After !"
| brief rest the column again moved, but
meanwhile slight incident had occurred
III connection with friend of mine liv
ing near, which he had ample reason
afterward to deplore. Having q near
relative, lady, living in the direction of
the Chickahoniny, I asked permission
Of Stuart 10 make the attempt to see her.
''It was out Of the question" he replied,
81 would certainly be captured. l could
send her note through DR.. H, liv-
ing near" and rs I knew the doctor, |
proceeded to his house for the purpose.
He was lurking under some trees near
the house, on the lookout, and he at first
| took meas he afterwards told me-for
n Yankee. made myself known, telling
him my errand. and was soon writing
the note for my relative in the federal
lines, while the doctor, opposite me, was
writing letter to his wife, who was in
the confederate lines. The notes were
soon finished; we exchanged what we
had written, and then took my depart
ure, after drinking a glass of water
brought by sulky looking negro. My
visit had disastrous results, as [ found
on meeting the doctor q month OF two
afterward in our lines. He was as thin
and pale as a ghost, and l asked him if
he had been sick.
''Not exactly SICK" he said L have
been starving for three weeks in Fortress
Monroe, where you sent me. -
Il sent you! ~ [ exclaimed.
''Do you remember that sulky rascal
that brought you the water or the night
you were at my house2"
''Yes."
"WelI, the very next day he sneaked
off to the Yankee picket at Talleys7ille
and told them had entertained rebels
and directed you all how to get off safely.
They arrested me at once and put me in
Fortress Monroe. I am just out"
The column moved little past mid
night from Talleysviile and at daylight
came in sight of the Chickahominy near
Forge bridge. There a sudden halt
took place. The bridge was destroyed,
and it was soon found that the fords
were entirely impossible. The whole
command was apparently caught in a
trap, from which escape seemed utterly
impossible. The presence Of Stuart was
perfectly well known to Gen. Mcclellan;
to discover his whereabouts it was ONLY
necessary in fact to follow the steps of
his 1900 horsomen over the sandy high
way, and there could be very little doubt
that III few hours, at most, the federal
infantry, cavalry and artillery would be
upon him and make short work of him.
As to passing the river it seemed wholly
impossible. Col. Lee rode into the
stream, but his horse was swept down
and nearly drowned. He had just come
back when joined him and said:
"What do you think of the situation,
colonel2"
'Wcll, captain" he replied coolly, Il
think we are caught"
And that they were caught was, | am
pretty certain, the impression of the
whole command. The men were sitting
or lying On the ground beside their
horses, and the bravest looked "bIue."
When I laughed and told the men not
to lose heart, as call would be right"
they gazed at me with q stare, which
clearly showed me that they regarded
me as lunatic. Ny expectation of get
ting off safely was based on the convie-
ton that mounted man can always
swim his horse a stream of the width of
the Chickahominy at that point, aud my
confience too i'll Stuart's resources. My
chief uneasiness was about the artillery,
but | believed that by hitching eight
horses to each gun and forcing them
across-even if they had to drown-the
pieces could be dragged through in
some way and [ said as much to Stuart.
Certainly; certainly ~ he exclaimed,
twisting his long beard. as he always did
at critical moments. He soon afterward
hurried off to a point lower down, and |
found tho men working like beavers to
construct bridge. One had formerly
stood there, but had been destroyed, the
abrltments only remaining. As the gap
TO be spanned was not great, however,
Stuart resolved to bridge it, and the men
fastened to tear down q barn near by
and bring the timber on their shoulders.
j little skif was then foated to the
middle Of the stream between the abut-
ments, where it was held by rope in
the bow tied to a tree trunk above, and
the men standing in the boat raised the
ends of the timbers as they We're lowered
and pushed them on the opposite abut-