Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-11-23
BEAUREGARD's BIvoUAC.
4 Ride Through a Dangerous Country
Incidents of the Civil war.

lHC1utnLs OF the OlNll var.
1t was neither because l had a good
memory for localities nor for familiarity
with the country that for the nike months
before the breakup of the Confederacy,
saws a writer in the New York TIRES, the
duties Of scout and courier were assigned
to me. happened 70 be the owner of a
thoroughbred horse Of remarkable speed
and endurance, ard as he would carry me
is hours in the q, and keep it up at that
rate for several days, I covered many
thousands Of miles. Horse and man
when under orders were never spared.
and more especially the latter. Occasion
ally l could save my horse from being
completely broken down, because my
superior officer had once been manager Of
a Kentucky racing stable, and if without
any other requirements, he knew at least
how much a horse cOnld stand. He had
q certain amount Of respect for a horse.
but none for a man. When, at the wind
up Of the contest, double and triple duty
was expected CT all the men, physical
endurance was taxed to its utmost.
l remember once, after a hard three
days ride through dangerous country,
slowly worked my way 70 Confederate
ACaut ia lEA5 O%d4 ny uAsldLClCs. Inc
Information L brought of 2 probable
advance CT the Federal forces on Augusta
set everything at once at a fever heat. l
had ridden 40 miles in the three DAYS,
and tor the last q hours a not broken
bread. l was dismissed, and at once set
about feeding and grooming ny horse. /
ate a hearty meal Of hOminy-there was
nothing else-and was sOOn asleep. | had
not slept 20 minutes before l was aWak-
n.rl n.l a-Ir~~I - =
a certain place Anew miles from Augusta.
OF course 1 obeyed. and my poor beast
was once more under the saddle. When
on my post-lt was a pleasant spring
evening" could standit no longer. Sleep
l must. You might have held a revolver
at my head and threatened to blow my
brains out for sleeping on post, and l
should have said, "Blow away l dis
mounted, cut with my sabre a big heap Of
tender grass, placed it before my mount,
took on the saddle, and gave the horse the
whole length of the lariat. Then l put
my head on the soft mound of grass and
slept sWeetly. When l awOke at dawn,
there was my horse sound asleep too,
stretched within three feet of me. The
slight movement on my part awOke him.
Then l was on the alert, and Just in time
for the arrival OF a Sergeant with a man
to replace me.
LAC0AAAA4z NEAa DEaAA EZALN > dAUllIdU.t
account Of Bull Run in the CeutuTy, |
wonder If this gallan: gentleman remem-
beTs how, a day or two after the burning
Of Columbia, he . a couple of officers
were bIYOUacked somewhere not over 30
miles from the capital Of South Carolina?
l had been riding very hard for the last
few days, and was quite broken down.
The limp movements of nv horse, and his
tail shaking, convinced me that it was a
modest Fnn1nEr on his mart for mo fO die
lncumber him OF my 1G5 pounds. So l
dlsmOunted at once, my horse following,
the bride thrown over my arm. There
was a U in the road, when the horse
from aSluggish manner became suddenly
on the alert, pricking his ears. That
was enough for me. There was a man
near, and my horse had Winded him. Up
IN my saddle | vas in an instant and |
peered ahead of me-. l knew Columbia
had been burned, that u forces had left
It, and l had some slight reason to sup
pose that the advance Of the Federals
might be in this direction. There was no
use in going back, and l had to face the
thing, whatever it might be. a thick
fringe Of brush on Il side of tie road
would hide me. [ took to it at once,
skirting the road. Hitching up the horse
to a limb Of a pine tree, | went On atOOt.
l knew that my horse was so well edu-
Gated that, even had there been a STAN
pede, he would not break loose. nor even
whinny, until l came back to him.
Walking giDgeTly along through a break,
in the brush, l made out three men,. One
stood quite apart from the rest and was
mOtiOnless. At Onc l recognized Gen.
BeaUregard. 1 had neve seen him be-
fore, but knew il vas Beauregard from
the pictures of him. At once l went
back, mounted Joe and rode toward him.
There was a mOmentary surprise on the
part Of the General and his comrades. l
might have been a Federal scout with a
behind me, for a light cloak hid my
on that chilly February morning. /
zen. Beauregard, with his arms behind
him, was now striding up and down past
a small smOldering hre. To me there was
an expression Of extreme distress or his
cOuntenance. l made out with the quick
Of one accustomed to note such things
that, with the exception Of the VI OH.
GERS, he was quite alone. l saw a light
wagon. Then the CHATTER of my
sabre attracted mis- attention. In an in
slant the soldier was manifest. He stood
bolt upright and faced me. Then l rode
quietly up and salUted him. Next throw
of my cloak l displayed my greasy, torn
uniform, which bore hardly any Semblance
Of gray on il.
s.What are you doing here, my man? ?"
asked Gen. Beauregard, in quick, abrupt
tones. $50 back to your regiment at
once. The curse Of the service
is struggling"
81 am no straggler, e B~eauregard,"
1 replied respectfully.
s'HOw do you know me? What is your
cOmpany-yOur b~rigade?" he inquired,
with a trOwn.
told lin tie duty l was on, but still
be was suspicious. Then 1 d~ismOunted, |
and showed him my dispatches. He
glanced quickly at the addresses on the
envelopes, and said, Its all right, then,
l suppose. Do your duty, then. Time is
precious. Goodbye"
To be thus dismissed did not suit me.
So [ volunteered some information. At
first he seemed d%isinclined to heed me,
but the position Of some of the Confeder-
forces and the Federal advance, and
the possible whereabouts of Gen. Sher-
man, seemed to surprise him. Three
Northern papers, a fortnight old, L handed
TO him. Then he bid M stay a moment.
L must confess l had hoped that n Thin
bleful Of something to drink would have
been offered me. The General went to the
two officers, who were standing in the
background, and spoke to them. Then,
turning to me, he said: "My friend, If
what you say is true we had all better
leave here. You are sure you are not in
hen he looked me through and
LlfOu8l Ii ever Il nun udu Keen anu
piercing eyes, Gen. Beauregard was the
pOssessOr of them.
"'That will do" he said after some
scrutiny. "Now ride along, my man."
'NOthing to report, sir, at my head
quarters!' l asked again saluting.
Nothing; goodbye"
Then l rode of, rather slowly and sadly.
Turning in my saddle l could see Gen.
walking up and down, with
the same short stride, backward and for
ward, past the low fire. He did not look
happy. Perhaps he was thinking then
how gloomy were the Confederate pros
poets. Between the flush OF victory at
Bull Run and the solitary bivOuac in this
dreary South Carolina road, what a diff
ference! L pondered over this meeting
all that day. L had ample time for con-
sideration, for my horse was too used up
to carry me, and L walked my 20 miles,
and it was we'll did, for l had saved
for a good run that night. Then ne
all his legs, for L was only saved
by his speed from being gObbled up by a
squad of Kilpatrick's scouts.