Morris tribune., 1881-03-31


point where the roads branched called Ha-
eel Green, we found that Vandoren had ia
ken the wrong road; had started on the
Fayetteville road instead of the route to
Decherd, the objective point of the march.
Gen. McCook Immediately dispatched an
orderly in pursuit of Vanderveer to tell him
to retrace his steps, come back, and take
the right road. In the meantime McCook
said to me:
"sLets move out of the way with our
wagons (referrng to the baggage wagons OF
the headquarters) and give Vanderveer
chance to come back and take the right
road
THAT placed McCook in the front of the
right line of march. He expected, of course,
that Vanderveer would receive his message,
retrace his steps and be behind In line OF
march within half hour.
And, thinking SO, you went right on?'
Eyes; looking for place to camp, it be-
ing the understanding that we were to &c
into camp daily during the march at that
hour"
"What hour?'
about eleven or twelve o'clock"
wasn't that pretty early hour to go in
to Campo"
at was the middle of the hottest season
of that hot climate, and in making marches
| we always took advantage of the cool of the
morning, and resting in the middle of the
day That morning we broke camp at three
a. M, and it was our purpose to stop fol-
rest before or about noon. Colonel Nc
Cook went ahead and leisurely looked out
for place where the brigade could rest
comfortably that night. I remember dis
tinctly that he frequently halted and talked
with people, white and black, whom we met
about the best place in the neighborhood to
pitch the tents, paying particular attention
to that essential comfort in camp-plenty
of water"
Under what circumstances was the at
tack made?"
"We had halted and messengers had been
sent in different directions to hunt for wa.
ter. One of the messengers, sergeant OF
the First Ohio Cavalry, was fired upon, and
rushing back bareheaded and in great ex
element, said: The rebels have fired upo1
me- We had heard the firing, but did no
understand its significance until the mes
senger passed us. I was standing outside
at the time, utterly unconscious of danger
for at that time we knew of no organized
rebel force north of the Tennessee river
and the first intimation of danger was the
exclamation of Col. McCook: Get in quick
Brooke, we've got to get out of here The
wagon was turned as rapidly as the marrow
margin of the country lane would admit of
and may say pretty nearly overturned IL
the turning"
"And what them"
1--WE found that we were in a trap and
utterly defenseless, and our object was tC
rejoin our command. Colonel McCool
seemed to grasp the situation at once, anc
that safety only lay in rapid retreat, expect
ing every moment to see the head of ou
column. AS the team dashed rapidly dow
the lane to the accompaniment of the SHARP
reports of rebel rifles in the rear and thu
whizzing of bullets about eur ears, Bob,
looking first to the rear and then to thu
front, said: Where in the HI is Wander
veer.
"And them"
well, we ran at full speed full three,
quarters of mile, and, finding that We hac
no friends in front and an abundance o.
enemies in the rear, McCook said: They've
got us; we might as well surrender HI
at once ordered the driver to stop the hors
es, and, in order to comply with the com
mand, he ran the team into the bank, and
of course, came to stop"
"And them"
"Well, then, in token of surrender-a to
ken recognized by all belligerents, civilized
or savage-we held up our hands.
"And did they continue to tire?"
Yes; they fred at least three or fou,
shots after they had every assurance that We
had measured our helplessness and were
willing to surrender"
WHO fred the shot that killed Colone
McCook?"
"Mr. Frank Gurley, of Huntsville, Ala.
who was ever after regarded as herof'
committing the murder. This man Curly
who, it seems, was sort of neighborhoot
leader of partisan rangers, was afterwarc
captured by our forces, tried and convicted
of murder. This was had on the grounG
that he was not recognized soldier of the
confederacy, and, therefore, not en-
titled to any of the privileges &C
corded recognized beligerents by the laws OF
war He was sentenced to be hanged, and
would have been had not the rebel COM
manders, from Joe Johnston down, chosen
to regard him as Que of their own, and
threatened retaliation upon better men then
in their clutches. This saved his neck for
the time being, and President Lincoln, with
his usual kindheartedness afterward inter-
posed and ordered that Gurley he held in
prison at Nashville. When released at the
end of the war he was, like all other dis
tinguished assassins, honored with Office by
the very people who pirate of chivalry and
talk of reconciliation. vet look to see
him come to congress, and the proudest
trophy that in the eyes of his fellow citi-
zens at home he will wear when he enters
the halls of congress will be the plume thai
he plucked from the dead brow of the mar
he murdered"