Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-05-12
A TWO HUNDRED MILE RIDE
IN TWO DAYS.
How a Summer County Rebel
Scout Rode.


Scout Rode.
Gallatin Examiner.l
Many of our citizens remember Tom
Miller's old Selim. He is now twenty
seven years old past,and went through
the wars. He hates blue coat to this
day, and for over three years bore his
master through food and field. Mil
Ter was in Wheeler's cavalry, and was
a favorite and trusted scout, and the
general raj constantly sending him
out IN enterprises that required the
greatest daring and the coolest cour-
age, and greatest knowledge of wood
craft. Tom Miller had all these
points in a marked degree, and was a
most valuable aid to the service. He
was Wheeler's eyes, for an army is a
great big blundering machine without
the faithful scout. Many are the
tales told ofTom Miller and of Selim,
and we will tell n Of them that we
know to be authentic. In the spring of
1862, when Wheeler lay encamped
above McMinnville, he dispatched
Miller upon a trip over Short Noun
tain to take a peep at the yankees
about La Vergne, in Rutherford
county, which is about half way be-
tween Nashville and Murfreesboro.
He wanted to know about their
strength and purposes, with a thought
Of striking a blow at them. Miller
started at daylight, and crossed south
of Short Mountain, picking his route
through woods and fields, going passed
Gainesville and S~tatesville, crossing
the Lebanon pike near Baird's Mills
and Stones river at Buchanan's Mills.
He reached La Vergne at dark, hav-
ing ridden between ninety and one
hundred miles. Selim was not at all
wearied with his 200 pound rider who
hitched him out in the bushes after a
corr feed, and took to his own feet to
carry him around. He walked the
whole night with a short nap before
day on the ground near Selim after
visiting a number of confeder-
ate friends who gave him a
large amount of information.
ALI about was scattered the
federal camp, but he evaded them
safely. At daylight next morning he
started on his return and reached
Wheeler's headquarters at sundown
with his budget of news. The distance
travelled during daylight Of two days
was from $50 to 200 miles, Selim was
not hurt a bit, and was ready next day
for another raid. The route led
through mountain fortress, through
woods and fields, crossing many
streams. On another occasion, while
scouting in Wilson county, neal Gal
latin, he was captured by a federal
company, being torn from his horse
by an overhanging limb as he was
escaping from their tolls, Selim was
too smart to be caught by a blue coat,
but took to his heels and took
refuge with some Confederate ac-
quaintance he had met some miles
distant, who sent him shortly after
wards to Wheeler's headquarters.
Miller had wounded a blue coat when
captured, and was brought to Gala
tin, sent around soOn and EXCHANGED,
and soon was again astride of Selim,
who was in camp waiting for him.
There is no end of the stories the
boys tell of Selim's sagacity. He
could scent a Yankee far off. He
knew u Confed. equally as truly. At
night, when his master was on a scout,
after feeding from the corn bag, he
was turned loose to Craze, and when
through with that he would come and
lay down close to his rider, and if the
least suspicious noise came to his sharp
ears he would nudge the sleeping sol
der with his nose until he aroused
him.
After the war, in Gallatin, he did
not like the blue coats who were sta
toned here. In 1875, long after they
had left, he was stalled one day in
Wbiteside's livery stable, when a
party OF revenue officers came III with
their bated blue coats on. He
broke the halter and took refuge in
the back yard. He was then
hitched again, and again seeing
them about he broke loose, dashed
through the paled fence, and made
himself safe at his masters home
in the country. He did not like
them. He was born a rebel Of the
first water.
Tom Miller now livesin Rutherford
county, and raises cotton. He keeps
Selim still, and he is still a seryicea-
BILE horse. The other day he
took a ten-mile journey with him.
And now what this old horse don't
know, no horse knows. What if he
could talk like folks. Like Otthello,
he could tell
"0f many accidents by food and field;
Of many hair-breadth 'scapes i'th'imminont
deadly breach"
Who knows but horses can talk in
their way? They certainly remember,
and. no doubt, Selim, in his old age,
daily recurs to his eventful expert
ences during the four years of the
great rebellion.
A Scared Ex-COnfederate.
Washington Capital
81 think. Vest. "said Senator Rutler