Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1880-10-14
A Scouting Adventure.
AN INCIDENT or TIE REBELLION.

had an adventure full of peril. In the alb
sence of regular scouts he was detailed to
work his way up the valley and discover all
he could regarding the enemys position. and
he entered upon the enterprise with alacrity
and confidence Dave was known as a quiet
cool. and enduring man, doing his duty
under all circumstances. and winning the
| good will of the officers and men in camp or
on the march.
| II was not the intention to send the troop
er forward as spy, but his instructions
were to scout over the neutral but danger
Gus ground between outpos;s and as near
the enemy as he could. He left our camp
| in his Federal uniform. armed with pair Of
reyolyers and knife, and there we're plenty
Of croakers TO predict that he would never
/ return.
| After leaving the outpost Dave headed
straight up the valley, determined to accom-
! plish his 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 the country people. and the
| sight Of his uniform would have created in
slant alarm. He left our camp just a, day
! light, and at noon he wa munching his
| hard-tack in the bushes three miles away.
| He had discovered that the neutral ground
was oyerrun with Confederate scouts and
/ forasers. and his plan was TO 60 slow.
| The trooper had made another two miles
after dinner. when he found he must leave
his cover Of the friendly forests If he would
/ get near the enemy's lines. He had seen
| cavalry. artillery, infantry and army wagons
moving and marching. BY this road or that.
and had drawn his own conclusions but vet
/ this did not satisfy him. Surmi,es and con
| illusions were not information desired At
! headquarters To secure facts he must cross
| the open fields and highways. and by mid
afternoon he prepared TO do so. His
last cover was the thicket by the roadside.
/ Nearly opposite him. and about twenty rods
away, was log farmhouse, the front door
standing wide open. The scout was hoping
/ 10 get word With some colorcd men, when a
| cavalry patrol Of about twent, five men
/ came along the dusty road and halted at a
/ watering trough TO refresh their horses The
noise attracted the attention Of the house
4 dog. large and savage animal and be ran
q the highway and barkcd f4riously Find
/ ing that the soldiers gave him no attention,
he tro,,ed up and down the road and finally
/ got the scent Of the scout hiding III the
/ thicket- The dog was over the fence into
I the thicket in a second. and his angry bark,
and srowl~ attracted general attention.
/ He's after a possum." shouted one Of the
| band.
/ More likely a scout" added second. As
/ he rode up to the fence.
Come out Of that YOU devil :" ordered
the Lieutenant in command.
/ The scout realized that they only guessed
at the presence Of a human being there. and
he hoped they might be- satisfied without an
/ investigation. Perhaps they would have
been but for the conduct Of the dog " inch
seemed determined % come to close quart
crS. 10 shoot him would have BETRAYED the
man instantcr Tie tried To coax the brute
With meat and TO intimidatc him with a club,
/ but neither effort successful. When
sure that the dog was abuu, 70 close III On
him Dave drew hi, knife The dog sprang
( in and was received With blow intended to
settle him then and there, but il only gave
I him severe wound. The cut took the fight
out of him and he rctrea,cd among the
/ troopers. A. soon as they noted his wound
they held whispered consultation and di-
I sided, part gong up the road and part
/ down. When thirty rods from the thcket
/ they began throwing down the fence.
The scout saw that he vas tianked. The
woods were too far away and he must bolt
I lie was not a man TO do the last while there
was any show for escape. A. soon a. the
\ cavalry entered the field the scout bounded
out into the road and had crossed il before
/ be ~a> discovered When the cavalry opened
1 fire be ran straight for the house. Two
white women. and several colored ones and
! three or four colored children we're running
about the yard. and Dave bol,ed through the
/ crowd and into the house. lie expected to
/ run through it and across the back fields,
but, seeing the people gathering at the
back door he went no further than the kitch-
en- The doors all stood open. and after a
/ glance around for hiding place, the scout
/ stepped behind the one leading up stairs.
/ This door swung close 10 the floor and hit
| the vail, a. 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
enter, aud they felt sure Of capturing 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 we're
pulled back for peep in the corners. The
cellar was the last place searched. \ win
dow in the wall was opened. and after a
I
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 she had seen blue
coat enter the corn-feld about thirty rods
from the house. Away went the crowd.
whooping and yelling, and the scout was
| left alone with the women and children.
Dave now planned to step forth, cross the
/ iub apl, al.f fnr ~. g he
est, but Just as he was ready to execute the
movement he heard the rumble of wheels on
the road A force was passing. and his ap-
pearance would have been the signal for
pursuit The only way was to remain |
where he was and trust to luck.
| After a hunt of half an hour the patrol !
struggled back To the house with the infor- |
nation that the Yankee had made his escape
for the time being, but that patrols had been
sent out to cut off his return. The Lieuten-
ant was ordered food, and he had just drawn
up to the table to eat a cold bite when he |
was joined by Captain of some indepen-
dent command, whose men had just come
down the road. The two talked briskly of
army matters and movements as they piled
their knives and forks, and what tie scout
overheard. as he crouched behind the kitchen
door, was regarded of value when carried to
| Federal headquarters.
| When the two officers had finished their
meal it was near sundown, and as they rose
| to go Dave had a narrow escape from dis
cover,. In the room with them was white
and a colored woman, and as the Captain
| rose up the white woman remarked
| "Why, Captain YOU are loaded with dust.
Wait minute, and Ill brush it off,
| She started for the door She was doubt |