The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1883-08-22

Some soldiers just from picket du
ty had approached the fires, for in
the 4th officers and men fra
ternized. One of them STRENGTHENING
himself, said:
II know one, General"
"Ah!' SAID the General, "wha,
regiments
"Col. --'s regiment the sol.
der answered.
The C"lonel was present. "Who
the devil is hep" asked the Colonel.
"Baggs," answered. the soldier.
"Damn him, gentlemen" said the
Colonel, eff any one will do it, Bsggs
is the man." "Mac," continued he,
'go for him."
l. took some time through the
darkness for Mac to return with
Baggs.
Baggs stood still in the midst of
the group, bis long lank figure over
tapping the Colonel by few inches.
His eyes were still wandering and
his yellow hair still hung low in
straight fakes. but they were matted
with mud and sleet; while what was
left Of the homespun and gray was
dripping with rain. His face deep
furrowed with wrinkles and tanned
by exposure, made his blue eyes
shine with an unfathomabIe express
sion. Baggs must have been differ.
ent from the Baggs Of consc'ipt
times, for officers and men stood by
him as by man they had learned to
know and appreciate.
"Baggs," said the Colonel, "the
General has a job for you, and, old
fellow, know no one can do it as
we'll. The General wants to know
how near we are to the Yankee out
posts, and we would like you to find
it out"
Baggs peered in the darkness,
nothing could be seen but the far of
faint lights of the Yankees bivouacs.
II can try to 60 to that light yon-
der" said Basge, "but how to come
back is the job. We can have no
lights out"
"That is 3d." said the General,
"Baggs is right"
Here Mac interviewed. General, l
can fix it; l will take ten men and 70
with Baggs. Bv dropping one from
distance to distance, we can form a
line BY which to guide Basgs back"
The plan was accepted and the
conntersign given to the men; the
officer on duty went along the picket
line to warn them Of detail being
outside, and to caution them to be on
the lookout for their return. After
Baggs and his men had left the pick.
ct line, they found that the rise was
gradual, and they soon felt that they
we're on road leading to the top of
tho bill.
Cautiously advancing and dropping
of one by one, Mac and Baggs found
themselves alone; the Var kee lights
shone brighter and the utmost eau
tio9 became q necessity, for at the
least alarm, one hundred guns would
pour their thunders in the valley
below.
Mac stopped and Baggs cropping
his way ahead soon lost sight of his
partner. Nothing but darkness
around him, except the bright biv-
ouac lights above, now and then
darkened by passing shadows as of
men passing and repassing. Baggs
had been there before, besides the
woods had been his cradle, and many
a night had he spent slill hunting
the deer.
He suddenly came on a projecting
rock around which the beaten track
seemed to turn; he scraped the rock
as be felt his way ahead, and at the
turn when about to peer around
within almost arms length, be saw
the black shadow of the Yankee
sentinel.
1t must have been near the end of
his watch for the man 10 blue, his
musket at rest, was leaning, half do
zing, against the corner of the rock.
Baggs crouched back holding his
very breath and gliding as noiselsss-
~ as snake. The crunching of
pebble, the cracking Of twig, and
the report Of the musket which
would have killed Baggs, would have
opened from the heights above
sheet of fame which would have
swept away the men in gray who
we're laying directly below.
Baggs could not kill the unsus.
pecting sentinel, for the next relief
would give the alarm, and it would
have been followed by the came res