The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1879-08-16
NATCHITOCHES, La, AUGUST is, 1872

other stores and all were now in tin,
spirits. IL the morning. when W.
went to Old Church, u friend ha'
said to me, Rloomily: "GeD. Stuart /.
going to get bis whole command Gu
to pieces" This same friend wal
now 10 the most hopeful and cheer
full of moods. After a brief rest the
column again moved, but meanwhile
q slight incident had occurred II
connection with q friend Of mine
living near, which he had ample
reason afterward to deplore. Hav
ing Il near relative, a lady living il
the direction OF the Chickahominy,
asked permission OF Stuart to MAKE
the attempt to see her. ut was on,
OF the question:" he replied, II woule
certainly DO captured. l could senC
her a note through DR.. H, living
near" aud IA l knew the Doctor,
proceeded to his house for the pur
pose. He was lurking under some
trees near his house, on the lookout
and he FIRST took me as he after
ward told me-for "a Yankee"
made myself known, telling him m,
errand, and WAS soon writing thu
note for my relative in tho Fedora
lines, while the Doctor, opposite me
was writing a letter to his wife, who
was in the Confederate lines. The
notes were soon finished; we ex
changed what We had written, and
then took my departure after drink
Ing q glass OF water, brought by 9
sulky. looking negro. My visit had
disastrous results, as / found on
meeting the Doctor q month or two
afterward 10 our lines. He was az
thin and pale as q ghost, and l ask
ed him il he had been sick.
mot exactly sick," he replied; 81
have been starving for three weeks
10 Fortress Monroe, where you sent
me-"
II sent you'll" I exclaimed.
do you remember that sulky ras.
cal that brought you the water on the
night you were at my house ?"
YES"
"Well, the very next day he sneak.
ed of to the Yankee picket at Tai.
leysville and told them / had enter
tanned rebels. and directed you all
how to get of safely. They arrested
me at once and put me in Fortress
Monroe. am just OUT"
TRAPPED AND OUT AGAIN.
The column moved q little past
midnight from Talleysville, and at
daylight came in sight ofthe Chicka.
hOmt1y, near Forge bridge. There
a sudden halt took place. The bridge
was destroyed, and 1t was soon found
that the iords were entirely impas-
sable. The whole command was ap.
parently caught in trap. from which
these seemed no possibility Of es.
Gaping. The presence OF Stuart was
perfectly we'll known now to- Gen.
Mcclellan; to discover bis Wherea.
bouts 1t was only necessary in fact to
follow the steps OF his 1900 horsemen
over the sandy highway, and there
could be very little doubt that in a
few hours. at most, the Federal in.
!antry, cavalry and artillery would
be upon him and make short work
OF him. As to passing the river it
sec med wholly impossible. Col. Lee
rode into the stream, but his horse
wac swept down and nearly drowned.
He had just come back when I Joined
him and said:
t,o 'W eSisd do you y think Of the ''toa'
"Well. captain" he replied, coolly,
Il thtnk We are caught"
And that they we're caught was, I
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
''blue." When I laughed, and told
the men not to lose heart, a. all
would be right" they gazed at me
with q stare which clearly showed
me that they regarded me as q luna.
tic: My expectation Of getting of
safely was based on the conviction
that Q mounted man can always
swim his horse across q stream Of
the width Of tho Chickshominy at
that point, and my confidence, too,
In Stuart's resources. My chief un.
east0ess was about the artillery, but
I believed that by hitching eight
horses to each gun and forcing them
across even II they had to drown
the pieces could be dragged through
In some way, and I said az much to
Stuart.
Certainly; certainly" he exclaim.
ed, twisting his long beard, as he
always did at critical moments. He
soon afterward hurried off to q point
lower down, and I found tho men
working there like beavers to con.
struct . bridge. One hsd formerly
stood there, but had been destroyed.
the abutments only remaining. Az
the gap to be spanned was not great,
however. Stuart resolved to bridge
It, and the men hastened to tear
down q barn near by and bring the
timber on their shoulders. A little
skin W8s then doated to the middle
OF the stream between the abutments,
where It was held by rope 10 the
bow tied to q tree trunk above, and
the men standing In the boat raised
the ends OF the ttmbers a. they were
lowered and pushed them on the up.
posite abutment. In this work Stu.
art assisted with bis own hands,
standing 10 the boat and singing.
Az soon az the timbers were laid
across, planks were placed upon
them and the artillery and cavalry
deflled over safely. Stuart followed
last, the bridge was torn up and the
column moved on-they were out oil
the trap. It was q close Craze. Az
they disappeared In the foliage OF the
morass shots from the opposite bank
we're heard, and Col. Rush came
down with bic ''Lsncers" 10 full az.
ray. The game had escaped, and
Col. Rush was forced to return with.
out his prize. When asked, on biz
way back, by q lady, II he had
caught Stuart" bis reply was, the
lady informed me: