The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1880-05-06

70 ouHtSuAot anu Is tue Swarm. OF
big swamp flies buzzed around the gaping
mouth, | could but think of the fearful
agony the spectacle of this dead soldier
amid the bushes might bring to .soue Car
Southern home
Lieut. 5. had instructed his companions,
tarr and James, to follow on the right aud
left flank, at a stones throw distance, keep
Ing him IN sight, and giving warning Of any
discovery. Suddenly, Just after crossing q
narrow trail or wood-path, he saw or heard
both young men spring up and rush rapidly
backward while at the same instant a blaze
of musketry ran through the thicket like
sheet lightning around the horizon <on q
sultry summer evening! We had struck
the enemy lines. Lieut.. $. dropped as If
shot, and was reported by the Sergeants on
their return to camp as having been seen to
tall dead, or wounded. In the fact, how.
ever, he had fallen simply t. avoid being
beaded. As soon as the firing ceased, he
crawled further to the right mot daring to
return across the cleared trail) and took
refuge In a swamp, denselv grown up in
blackJacks and cypress. such as abound in
that region. lie had noticed that no shots
cam from that direction and now the ex-
PLANTATION was apparent. The morass was
deemed impossible for troops, and "a no of
fenslve movement on the part OF the Con.
tsderates neeo be feared, the Federal earth.
works did not traverse the swamp, an in
terval of about eight or one hundred
yards. A corduroy road, some distance
In rear, where the marsh was narrower,
afforded connection; but there we're no
pickets along it.
Seeing a long train Of wagons passing
across the fields, together with other signs
that the enemy we're In motion, Lieut.. S.
determined to penetrate thes swamp until he
could obtain a clear view of the movements
in progress. Ambitiously chafcing at the
thought Of being nearly l9 years old, and
only a petty Lieutenant, he resolved to win
at least a majors commission before night,
by finding the enemy weakest point, aud
then hurrylng to Gen. Lee with the infor-
nation. There is no doubt that could Lee
have known that a mere skirmlsh line of
two or three brigades was stretched along
IN his front at that point, while the bulk oil
Grant $ right wing was marching rearward,
he might have struck a damaging blow.
ALL Is LOST!
Grown fool hardy and ~over-conident by
his success thus far, Lieut.. S oa re-emerg-
ing from the mOraSs, about noon-day, con
cluded to creep along further to the right
in the hope of catching a prisoner to add to
his exploit. 1t proved a Tartaric catch
IS has been stated, the Federal line of rifle
pits ran only to the edge OF the swamp.
The one nearest thereto was 50 wet that the
squad of men assigned TO it, preferred to 60
a few PAGES in advance, and crouch be-
hind a fallen pine tree winch formed a
splendid breastwork. Seeing the rifle pit
vacant. Lieut.. ). jumped TO the conclusion
the pickets had been withdrawn; therefore
after listening for a moment he stepped ont
Of the marsh, asd was moving forward,
when, oh, heavens and earth there
came the sound Of -four triggers, ''citch''
''cLch.t' ',cItcf - tcItcb' r@-.imult lneous
with erutf voices uttering,-
"U4LTr'-
SO close that their mu>ket, pratruled al
most In my face, four blue clad figures
arose up from behind the fallen pine.
cutting of every possibility Of escape,
"IaH.r DrOp thai Gan . -"Sfrn1 az
your tnch> we're like the crack of doom
II my ears. An officer, who had been
taking a nap, IN a large hole torn up b.
the roots Of the tree, instantly sprang up,
and cried, -'Who are you? Where are
you going artistic the lines IN that way?"
These words showed that he hal been mis-
led by the blue cap ant pant4lo,n~ worn b.
Lieut.. :. who, therefore, tho greitiv
startled, and almost stupetied by disnay Al
the dreadful! misfortune which ha .fI3el
MIN, managed to mutter that IL was al.
right, and he would be back in a little
while Alas, the unlucky Mississippi
brass-bounl rife, unlike any used b. the
Federals, caught the eye of the OFF ,er.
why. dang'd if 'tisa't a JOHNNY he
yelled, Hold on there. Kill HIM, boys,
if he stirs. Come here, sir WHAT the
devil were You doing inside our EaeS,,'
The prisoner Was too cast Il va and
dumb founded to make any reply. farther
than that up to the present III nen. he
hadn't met with any lines, and he had come
out to see II Grant was trotting ar,lod the
flank. like he had been doing all the way
from the ~Rappahannock. We'll there are
enough OF Us left here to take care of yoai'
responded the officer in a menacing tone.
Aud he at once despatched the ~lackless cap
tive to Gen. Bates, a Pennsylvania Briga-
der, with a note stating that he had been
captured while in the act ofslipping through
the lines aud no doubt was a dangerous
,rrf Roto- ,>,t H., - L.. L.- ----1