The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1880-02-25
MISCELLANY.
d SCOUTING ADVENTURE.
AN rNcrDESr OF THE WAR.

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of Clusters troops, named Dave Harrison, had
an adventure full Of peril. Iu the absence of
regular scouts be was detailed to work his
way up the valley and discover all he could
regarding the enemy's position, and he en-
tered upon the enterprise with alacrity and
confidence. Dave was known as quiet
cool, enduring man, doing his duty under all
circumstances, and winning the good will of
officers and men in camp or on the march.
1t was not the Intention to send the troop
er forward as spy, but his instructions were
to scout over the neutral but dangerous
ground between ontposts and as near the en-
envy as he could He left our camp lii his
Federal uniform, armed with pair of revolt
vers and a knife, and there were plenty of
croakers to predict that he would never re-
turn.
After leaving the outpost Dave headed
straight up the valley !; determined to ac-
complish the task as soon as possible He of
course took to the woods and brush, as the
highways were more or less travelled by the
enemy and by country people, and the sight
of his uniform would have created instant
alarm. He left our camp just at daylight,
and at noon he was munching his hard-tack
in the bushes three miles away. He had dis
covered that the neutral ground was overrun
with Confederate scouts and foragers, and his
plan was to go slow.
The trooper had taade another two miles
after dinner when he found that he must
leave his cover of the friendly forests If he
/ ~ - IT
seen cavalry, artillery, infantry and army
wagons moving, marching, by this road or
that, and had drawn his own conclusions, but
yet this did not satisfy him. Surmises aud
conclusions were not the information desired
at headquarters. To secure facts he must
cross the open fields and highways and by
mid afternoon he was prepared to do SO. His
last cover was thicket by the roadside
Nearly opposite him, and about twenty rods
away, was log farm-house, the front door
standing wide open. The scout was hoping
to get a word with some colored men, when a
cavalry patrol of about twenty-five men
came along the dusty road and halted at "a
watering trough to refresh their horses The
nose attracted the attention of the house,
deg, large and savage animal, and he ran TO
the highway and tarked furionsy. Finding
that the soldiers gave him no attention, he
trotted aud down the road and finally got
the scent of the scout hiding in tho thicket.
The dog was over the fence into the thicket
in second and his angry barks and growls
attracted general attention.
I" He's after possum," shouted one of
the band.
g More likely a scout !! y added second as
he rode up to the fence.
"Come out of that % ordered the Lieut.
in command.
The scout realized that they only guessed
at the presence of human being there, aud
he hoped they might be satisfied without an
investigation. Perhaps they would have been
but fol the conduct of the dog, which seemed
determined to come to close quarters. To
shoot him would have betrayed the man in
stantly. He tried to coax the brute with
meat and intmidate him with a club, but
neither effort was successful. When sure that
the dog was about to close in on him Dave
drew his knife. The dog sprang in and was
received with blow Intended to settle him
then aud there, but it only gave him a severe
} wound. The cut took the fight out of him
and he retreated among the troopers. AS soon
as they noted his wound they held q whisper
cd consultation and divided, part going up
the road and part down. When 30 rods
from the thicket they began throwing down
tho fence.
The scout saw that he was to be fianked.-
The woods we're too far away, and he must
bolt in some other direction or tamely surren-
der. He was not the man to do the last while
there was any show for escape. AS soon as
the cavalry entered the field the scout bound
ed into the road and had crossed it before be
was discovered. When the cavalry opened
fire he ran straight for the house. Two white
women, several colored ones apd three or four
tolored children were running about the yard
and Dave bolted through the crowd and into
the house. He expected to run through 1t
and across the back fields but seeing the peo-
pie gathering at the back door he went no
farther than the kitchen. The doors all stood
open. After glance around for a hding=
place the scout stepped behind the one lead
ing up stairs. This door swung close to the
floor and hit the wall, so as to leave quite a
corner where the walls joined
The scout was scarcely hidden when the
house was full of men. All had seen him en-
ter, aud they felt sure of captnring him.
While some stood guard at the doors, others
began search. They examined every room
in detail, constantly expecting to unearth the
Yankee, and two of the kitchen doors were
pulled back for peep in the corners. The
cellar was the last place sesrched. A window
in the wall was open, and after a brief search
the soldiers concluded that the scout had crept
out of this and made off while they were
searching above. At this moment one of the
colored women raised an outcry and declared
that she had seen blue-coat enter the corr
field about thirty rods from the house. Ava,
went the crowd, whooping and yelling, anG
thesccttt was left alone with the women anC
. children. ssssatf4a Sea
Dave now planned to step forth, cross the
highway and make for the cover of the forest
but just as hewas ready to execute the move