The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1881-04-19

covery would cost life, and perhaps
endanger an army. The writer has
himself seen the hollow half eagle which
bore to Burnside's beleagured force the
welcome tidings that in thirty. six hours
Sherman would relieve Knoxville.
The professional scout generally was
native of the South, some illiterate and
simple minded, but brave and selfde-
voted "poor white man." who, if he
had worn shoulder-straps, and been able
to write Interesting" dispatches, might
now be known as hero half the world
over Some of these men had they been
born at the North, where free schools
are open to all, would have led armies,
and left name to live after them. But
they were born at the South, had their
minds cramped and their souls stunted
by a system which dwarfs every noble
thing; and so their humble mission
over, they have gone down unknown
and unhonored, amid the silence and
darkness of their native woods.
hope to rescue the memory of one of
of Baine-from utter oblivion by writ
ing this article. He is now beyond the
hearing of my words; but L would
record one act in his short career, that
his pure patriotism may lead some of us
to know better and love more the much
abused and misunderstood class to which
he belonged.
Humphrey Marshall with five thou
sand men had invaded Kentucky. En-
tering 1t at Pound Gap, he had fortified
strong natural position near Paintville,
and, with small bands, was overrunning
the whole Piedmont region. This re-
gion, containing an area larger than the
whole of Massachusetts, was occupied
by about 1000 blacks and 100, 900 whites
"a brave, hardy, rural population, with
few schools, scarcely any churches, and
only one newspaper, but with that sort
of patriotism which grows among noun
tains and clings to its barren hillsides as
if they were the greenest spots in the
universe. Among this simple people
Marshall was scattering firebrands.-
Stump p-orators were blazing away at
every cross-road, lighting fires which
threatened to sweep Kentucky from the
Union. That done-so early in the war
dissolution might have followed. To
the Ohio canal-boy was committed the
task of extinguishing this conflagration.
1t was difficult task, one which, with
the means at command, would have
appalled, any man not made equal to 1t
by early struggles with hardship and
poverty, and entire trust in the Provi-
dence that guards his country.
The means at command were $500
men divided into two bodies, and separ-
ated by hundred miles of mountain
country. This country was infested
with guerrillas and occupied by a dis
loyal people. The sending of dispatches
across it was next to impossible; but
communication being opened, and the
two columns set in motion, there was
danger that they would be fallen on and
beaten in detail before they could form
junction. This was the great danger.
What remained-the beating of 5000
Rebels, posted behind intrenchments,
by half their number of Yankees, oper-
ating in the open field-seemed to the
young colonel less difficult of accom-
.plishment.
Evidently the first thing to be done
was to find trustworthy messenger to
carry dispatches between the two halves
of the Union army. TO this end, the
Yankee commander applied to the
colonel of the Fourteenth Kentucky.
Have you man." he asked, "who
will die, rather than fail or betray us ?"
The Kentuckian reflected moment,
then answered; Z" think have-John
Jordan, from the head of Baine.'
Jordan was sent for. He was a tall,
gaunt, sallow man of about thirty, with
small gray eyes, a fine, falsetto voice,
pitched in the minor key, and his
speech the rude dialect of the mountains.
His face had as many expressions as
could be found in regiment, and he
seemed strange combination of cum
ming, simplicity, undaunted courage,
and undoubted faith; yet, though he
might pass for simpleton, he talked
quaint sort of wisdom which ought to
have given him to history.
The young colonel sounded him thor
oughly for the fact of the little army
might depend on his fidelity. The