The Brookhaven leader., 1885-01-01
Was Prov1dentially Preserved
and Safely Returned
to jackson.
Most Tragic Exploits Graphically
Portrayed.
All to be Written on Postal
Card,
And Exhibited at the Worlds Cot
ton Centennial.
From the New Mississippian. ]

! l. |
According TO promise l will try
and give you an account of my trip
to Vicksburg during the siege of
that city and the various incidents
and adventures | met with on my
perilous journey TO and from it.
Our whole country is familiar with
the history of the siege, and also of
many OF the incidents and scenes
connected Herewith, but few, save
my own familiar friends, know any
thing of the part took in that
MEMORABLE EVENT,
and hope that l may be pardoned
by your readers if | appear some
what egotistical in my account, as
find it impossible to narrate tue cir
cumstances as they occurred with
out using the pronoun l frequently,
and in all candor l must say that l
would much prefer to have lett un-
written this sketch Of my adventure,
but the pressure Of my friends and
my own immediate family have fore
ed me, instead of my future biogra-
pher, to give it to you, and through
your paper to the public. l feel
great ditfidence in writing this ac-
count, and l hope that any errors
may be passed over.
On the twenty third day of May,
1868, left Gen. Joseph +. John
ston's headquarters at Canton in
Madison county, Mississippi, and at
his request presented myself to Gen.
Loring at jackson, Kinds county,
Mississippi, and requested him TO
furnish me with dispatches and guh
caps for the besieged army in Vicks-
burg, and though was suffering
from unhealed wounds, | would car
Nv them through the lines and deliv-
er them to Gen. PemberLon, the
commander at Vicksbrrg. l was
cordially met by Gen. Loring, and
all preparations were made on the
night of the 23d, except the procur-
ing of suitable horse, and this was
pressed into service for me on the
morning of the Oath, and the caps
were put in a pair of saddle bags
that were borrowed from
GEN. -. C. M'MACKIN,
of hotel notoriety, and they enclosed
in an oiled sack made waterproof
AS the church bells were ringing
their last peals ON the morning OF
the 24th of MAY, / mounted my
horse in front of Maj. Mimms' head.
quarters and rode out of Jackson
via the cemetery, and ate a hearty
neal at my fathers, some fifteen
miles in a northerly direction from
jackson, near the Madison county
line, on Limekiln creek. Here my
haversack was packed and my pis-
tolls and sword put IN excellent or
der, and my father and the rest OF
the family uttered fervent prayers
for my safety on the journey, and a
happy return. After an afectionate
adieu from each member, / mounted
my horse and
RODE SWIFTLY AWAY
in the direction of CoX's Ferry on
the Big Black river. Crossing soon
after nightiall, l stopped at the hos
pitable home of Mr.. Thos. r. Hollo.
man, in Yazoo county, Mississippi
where / was entertained right royal.
ly by Mr.. Holloman and his excel
lent family. A Miss Sue Perkins
was an inmate of this household
and her deft hands prepared a nice
lot of lint and bandages for me tC
take on my journey. After a quiet
rest and an early meal, l again
mounted, and Mr.. Hollomau acted
es pilot for Inc until we came near
the Bear creek road that leads from
Mechanicsburg, in Yazoo county, tC
Vicks burg. just before reaching
this road heavy firing was heard in
the direction of Mechanicsburg. We
halted, and / advised MIR. Holloma1
to return, as his own home might be
in danger. He did so, and l rode
slowly forward until / could hear
voices, and the rumble of wheels
and the tramp of horses, and
CoNCEALING NY HORSE,
crept close TO the road, and dis
covered a force of blue-coats hurry.
ing forward in the direction OF the
firing. / hid myself and watched
their manevering for a long time.
soon found that the sounds OF the
battle were growing nearer, and
soon the blue coats began TO fall
back, and the ambulances went
hurrying by with the wounded, and
| in a few hours all was still. and my
position lay between the two armies.