The National tribune., 1883-12-20

DoneeIS threw themselves from the horses ana
gun-carriages and were busy in unhitching the
teams Some of the men stretched a great
rope in front of the space occupied by the guns
To this the horses were led and fastened.
While this was being done, the rest of the
soldiers filed away across the road and soon
long line of stacked muskets showed the sleep
ing place Of the army Blue-coated men were
everywhere. They swarmed like bees about
the place. They went down to the bayou to
fill canteens and buckets. They would GER
tainly have swaTmed ON TO the yeranda, too
but that there marched Corporal Cavan, warn
ing all corners to beware But, to Alice, the
most curious thing of ali was to see how the
fences disappeared. Every soldier seized on a
rail or picket, OF on so much Of such mate
rial rs he could carry, and lugged it to his in
diyidual abiding place. Then there was q
great cracking and splitting of wood, and then
hundred fires, each surrounded by knot of
men, sent their smoke up into the air.
Alice's interest in what was going on imme-
diately about her, held her almost motionless
in front of the house till she had seen the de-
struction of the fences and the array of lighted
fires. Then she assembled to the veranda and
asked the corporal: Is this the Yankee
army?"
'Indade IL is child barring what's elsewhere;
and fine boys they are, too; great judgment IN
the selection of all that's good Here, you
keep out of that, viii ye!" This last to some
of the men who were crowding into the stable.
There's horses IN here, and we want them"
called back one of the intrudeTs, but as be
spoke there rode on to the sward group of
mounted men, TO whose presence all respect
! fully gave way. The men at the stable door
scattered to their various commands, ard Cor
porAl Cavan moved down from his post and
told the general that he had been left there as
a guard with orders to rejoin his company
I before night
Very well, them said the general, go
on at once; the headquarters guard will
1 look after things here"
The corporal mounted and rode off, and be-
/ fore he had well disappeared three large, white
tents had risen on the green turf just in the
rear of the battery, and a squad OF foot soldiers
marched about the place, dropping man at
/ the front and rear OF the house, at the stable,
and at the bayoa's bagk. till the whole estab-
lishmcnt was under charge of sentrieS The
horses belonging to the general and his staff
were Gnsaddled, the officers threw themselves
down on the ground; their colored servants
began the preparation of dinner, and the gen.
eral himself, having lighted large wooden
4 pipe, walked up and down in front of the tents.
/ Then Alice, filled with wonder and surprise,
and with her little head daZed with all she
had seen, ran into the house to find her mother
and overwhein her with the story.
But her mother had seen all and heard all.
She had seen the first approach of the advance
4 guaT1 ana from her WINDOW l3Q witnessed TIT
/ interview between the captain and the corporal
and the corporal and her child. She had been
on the point of rushing out 10 screen Alice, but
she saw at glance the child was IN no danger,
and she, herself, if she appeared on the scene,
/ might have to answer some questions which
she would prefer should remain unasked; for
! If there was q fire-eating hot-blooded rebel in
the world it was her husband, the colonel.
week ago, when news came of the approach
of the Union army, he had called the neighbors
together and induced them to take up arms to
oppose its progress. Such was his influence
and his popularity that he found himself at
the head Of some two hundred horsemen, and
with this force he had actually given battle to
the advance cavalry % his enemy the day be-
fore at the crossing of a small stream some ten
miles distant. But his brave but undiscipiined
force could not stand an instant before the
trained soldiers he so recklessly encountered.
His little army was scattered and himself forced
to fly from the field, leaving his favorite horse
wounded. Mounted on charger out of whose
saddle one of his own men had been shot, he re-
gained his home TO bid his wife goodbye before
he continued his flight. He took with him, as
ne departed, all his negroes and his men drove
before them the horses, mules, and all the live
stock capable of being moved. The wife and
the child, thus left TO their own resources, had
! spent the day that INTERVIEWED between the de-
parture Of the colonel and the arrival Of the
CAC8sAtS Al RAEd- GrhllLtTL-bEk- ilS idl
was herself a Northerner by birth and educa-
tion, and though her whole heart was with the
| South she nevertheless smiled at the tales she
had heard On all sides of the horrid cruelty OF
the Yankees. She did not doubt Of proper pro-
lection from the superior officers, and dreaded
only the visit of such robbers as viii be
1 found lurking IN all armies The converse
ton she had heard between her child and the
first Corners showed her she had nothing To
dread from them, and when she saw from her
window the arrival of the general, she felt
quite at ease. The colonel was far enough
away by this time; she had nothing to conceal
the general might question as he liked; she
could only say, what he already knew, that the
colonel had fought while he could and had es-
capped probably TO Port Hudson. Beyond this
she knew nothing of his movements nor OF
military matters in any way.
But it seemed she was giving herself unnec-
esEary trouble about the interview with the
general, for that parsonage showed not the
slightest desire to communicate with the in.
mates Of the house. He walked UP and down
T smoking his pipe, till the servants had placed
the dinner on a small table under the shelter
Of " fly" and then, with two or three Of his
staff, he sat down 10 what seemed to be very
social meal.
Seeing all this, Mrs. Henshaw turned from
the window with something like disappoint-
nent. 1t was now nearly dark, and she did
not care to venture outside the house, even Sc
far as the headquarters tent. But she must
sec the general. Even if he did not wish to
question her, she wished to question him.
She took a scrap Of paper [alas stationery
was very scarce at that place at that time and
wrote on it: Mrs. Henshaw's compliments to
the commanding officer. Win he please call al
the house for moment"
'Alice, viii you take this to the generate
the tall gentleman setting at the table under
the screenf Just hand IL to him and get his
answer
Alice, not at all discomposed at thus being
made the bearer Of dispatches TO the hostile
force, took the note and had nearly crossed the
space between the house and the headquarters
when a terribly stern voice shouted: /" Halt
who goes therclp and she saw in front of her
a soldier with his musket who seemed 10 be
rigidly waiting for an answer. The general
looked up at the challenge Of the sentry, how
ever, and bade the soldier i" Let the child come
; in and then he and his officers seemed to be
very merry over the idea of the sentry's having
challenged little Alice. The guard resumed
his walk and sulkily said to himself, as he
heard the laughter Of the officers: :" ] done my
duty, anyhow. 1 guess know Iny business. ]
wouldn't let a fly pass without hating him
Didn't get three days extra guard duty from
Captain Stuart because l once let a dog pass me
without calling the corporal of the guard! The
captain said the dog might have been spy
and have plans Of the camp under his skin
, But that's the way! One moment its obey
orders whatever they are and the next In
slant: Why can't you have some discretion
,ty,lro