Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-12-25
AN ADVENTURE OF TIE WAR
A CAMP FIRE STORY.


Chattanooga, The - reoimenL.
with which was serving, after good
deal of battering on the front in sever
al campaigns had been sent up into
Tennessee to guard part of the long
thread of railway by which the sup
Plies were sent from Nashville to the
oeleagured army. Gcn. Joe. Wheeler,
IN command Of the confederate caval-
ry was constantly at work cutting the
line of railway, burning bridges on
it, and making himself as Disagree
able as it was possible to be. Besides
his forces, which seemed to be ubiqui-
tOus, the country was infested with
guerrilla bands, scouts, and bush
whackers aIl eager to pick off a stray
ferage wagon or q small scouting
party, and it required much caution
10 keep our pickets from being knock
ed Off by these lurking marauders
For several days we he'd been pen
ned inside our picked line when Capt
Nj was ordered out on a scout,
and I was sent along with him
specially charged to take notes of the
topography of the country and to
make maps Of the general course of
the roads, hills, streams etc. The
scout was without adventure; but we
learned the direction of the enemy's
march, and were enabled to notify the
the posts further up the line that
Wheeler was nearing them.
On our hOmeWard march we stopped
on a plantation where we found two
as beautiful young ladies as ever
played havoc with the heart OF a
young soldier. Capt. NJ was
speedily smitten with one of them
and | was ready to swear that I had
never seen so much loveliness, nor
such a bewitching way of being love
ly, as was bound up in the 1.-THE and
elegant figure of the other. Poor fell
lows, that we were, having been two
years IN service, during which time
we had hardly seen a woman's smile,
out plenty of the roughness of very
active service in fighting regiment,
we were in just the heart. hungry state
to fall in love st the first fash of a
pair of beautiful eyes. We made our
selves wonderfully agreeable; and
the girls were fierce rebels, bat they
were of the feminine sex and could
not be insensible to the smiles and ad-
miration of two well-f0rmed, we'll
bred and dashing soldiers.
The result was that when our little
scouting party moved on we-the
Captain and had promised to come
out some evening and bring to our
ladies fair supply of. salt and cof-
fee-the two things the southern peo-
pie were then in sore need Of. With
a view to this visit [ was unusually
careful IN noting the topography of
the region. The house was perhaps
some four miles from our OutpOsts,
and I had taken a very accurate men
tai map Of the region about it
For two or three days my comrade
and myself were as uneasy and rest
less as fishes out Of water. We could
get 40 leave to go outside Of the lines,
n8r could we expect to be ordered out
on a scout again In the same direction
and we were both as eager as Leander
was when ne swan the Hellespont, to
see again those bewitching rebel girls,
who had stolen away or hearts.
This lnfatUatiOn grew upon us till
itovercame our sense of sOldierly duty
and or prudence. We resolved to
run the picket by stealth, and to
visit them the next evening at all
hazards. My knowledge of the picket
line enabled nae to lead the way
through blind path in little piece
of woods; and we passed out of the
lines without detection; and a quiet,
cautious ride of an hour brought us
near the charmed spot. As VIC ap-
preached it, we deemed it the safer
course not to take our horses to the
house, but we rode carefully UP
a hill on one side of the road and
fastened our horses in some open
woods. We then stealthily walked
to the, house, where our fair ones
were found. They chided us on our
rashness and archly threatened to
deliver us into captivity.
We were having the gayest of
visits, the matrOn of the household,
mother of one of the girls, was super
vising the preparation Of a meal-for
some real coffee" was a treat she
was not disposed to postpone.
While at the height of our pleasure,
and just as we were about to sit down
to a savory repast, an old white
ncaoeG negro servant WadQled IN eX-
claiming:
"Fo' God, de bushwhackers is com
IN; dey's right yer"
What colors [ turned I don't know
but looked at Capt. III. and the ladies
only TO see that their faces We're an
ashy paleness. Thoughts of assassina-
ton, OF capture, of the disgrace of
being gobbled outside of our lines. in
violation of orders, fitted through
my mind, just as we heard the clatter
of j orses' feet, the clanking of sabers
in the yard in front of the house. In
all my experience in some two score
of battles. and skirmishes without
number, I never fel tmeaner IN the
presence of seeming danger than did
then and there. just then low com
mand - Surround the house." was
heard. An impulse rather of fear,
perhaps, than of caution impelled me
to make an effort to escape, and in