The south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1879-1883, 1881-10-11

OF US walking on The side Of tho hiQl,
way. ] knew he would soon strike
the picket but it was either follow
Jim or turn back. Suddenly, aid
without word, five or six men rose
up in our path. had barely dis
cerned them when one seized my car
bine and another tiipped me down
while third growled out.
II you make any fuss you'llget
bullet mighty quick.
l didn't propose to make any fuss
butJim Shanks did. Tho two mel
who grabbed at him were brushes
of like flies, and, whirling his carbin,
around his head, he cleared path fol
himself nnd was lost in the darkness
More than dozen shots were fired
after him, and being intercepted oil
his retreat down the road he made
lor the church OH tho hill. Before he
reached II there were score of enc
mics about him, and the reports OF
the carbincs sounded more like d
brisk skirmish than a connict with u
single soldier, and a raw recruit al
that. think he meant TO get into
the church, though he could not have
told whether il was a church or other
building In the pitchy darkness.
Failing to get III, he found retreat
under tho front steps, and in the dark
ness the Confedcraios believed thai
he had escaped altogether. They how
ever, throw a line of yidetles across
roads and flolds, and 1t would not
have been possible for Jim Sharks to
regain tho road by which we had
come.
Had the rest of tho command
moved up on hearing Tho row, there
might have been show to release
both OF us, but they did not come
By the time the soldiers had given up
tho search for jim our comrades
wore on the back track for the Polo
mac.
l was retained at The picket-post
because Mosby's lieutenant was there,
and because he hoped to bride on
brighten me into giving information
of value. Twas, therefore in position
to see "the result Of Jim Shank's
work, single handed and alone.
When he broke away he disabled one
man BY blow from his carbine. In
his flight lo killed one and wounded
two others. Wounded and dead
wero brought TO the picket-post, and
| saw them. Mosby's men were ter
rible incenscd, and but for the fear OF
an attack by our force, whose
strength they did not know, | believe
they would have hung me up in their
first rage.
1t was The guerilla chieftail,'s last
dash into the beautiful valley. He
was gathering forage and hurrying II
back 10 Lees lines, and many farmers
were robbed OF their last horse and
their last ear of corn. In three days
more they would have been out OF
the valley entirely.
AT the first signs of daylight. and
when the old church on the hill was
visible through the gray of morning
cape bullet which bored soldier
through and through aud dropped
him dead in his tracks. II was from
the carbine of jim Shanks, Hiding
under the steps, he had only waitol
for daylight to open the fight anew
not waiting to be hunted out
aud captured. All was excitement
in an instant, and as soon us Jim's To-
cation was betrayed, the guerrillas
scattered ana formed skirmish line.
The fire Of this line was concentrated
OH the steps, and was as rapid as Il
opposed to line of battle, The fir
ing had Just began when ono OF the
skirmishers fell away from stump
with bullctin his head. III three
minutes another was shot through
the chest. Jim Shanks hadss forty
rounds of ammunition, and he fred
slowly aud with precision. could
see splinters ily from the steps every
time ball struck, and knew TIA,
many OF the bullets were drifting
right through the boards. Foralons
twcnty minutes, Jim held Iiat Skin
mish line Of twenty-five men at bay
killing three and wounding two. j
counted his shots, aud hi, fired jus,
twenty-one times.
A reinforcement Of aben! twenty
mounted men finally caIhe UP, and
hitching their horse under cover O
the hill the men took tic skirmisl
line. just as the firing began aiiew
Jim Shanks suddenly len his cove
and ran for the horse down theroad
Every skirmisher rose up, and tllcr,
must have been at least one hundred
bullets fred at the running .man mex
minute. saw them plow up The
earth all around him, aid one OF then
sent his cap sailing into the air. Al
no got in limo with the horses their,
slackened while the men saw his plaI
and rushcd forward. Jim WINS in II,
hurry, Resting his carbino over
saddle he wounded another OF III
pursuers, and III seemed full nlinut,
before no mounted and rode Of
toward Lcesburg. There was q rusl
| for tho horses, and away they gal