The Brookhaven leader., 1885-01-01

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stopped and listened. All was quiet
i turned down the road in the
DIRECTION OF viCKsPURG.
All was still as death. Not a lea
stirred. rode on in the gloomy
silence for some time. Suddenly 9
sharp "Halt" rang on the night
air, and almost instantly there was g
blaze of light and a crash of mus
kerry, and the balls whiz1ed past
me. turned at right angles 70 the
westward and dug my spurs into the
fanks of my horse, and dashed
down the hill through cane and
brush while shower after shower jof
bullets followed me, FREQ by the
Federal pickets; but my gallant
steed bore me safely away. / lost
my havcrsack OF food, the strap was
cut by ball, and also one of my
crutches-the top and shaft shot
away-but | was not
TOUCHED b. SINGLE BULLET.
| continued my course westward,
and daylight found me on the top
of high hill, overlooking the val
ley of the YozLo river, and on the
east side OF large field, belonging,
as l have learned since, to Scotch
gentleman, NJ. Bruce. l looked
round me in everv direction. !
could see large mass of blue-coats
far to the south, but none to the
north, and only a dense forest be
yond the field in front of me.
rode slowly down the hill and made
for the woods on the back side of
the field. This l soon reached and
as came to the back fence at the
woods MY horse sank dowl with
scarcely a quiver. l got from the
saddle, and as | did SO
HORRIBLE WOUND
was revealed in my horses side,
just back OF the saddle, through
which his eutrails protruded; the
tail of my coat had hid it, and
was covered with his blood. Brave
horse! you deserve requiem here
lifted the caps from the saddle and
unloosened the girth, but he was
gone, and | alone with a heavy load
of caps, broken erutch and stif
and wounded limb, scarcely able To
raise myself out of the mud. / laid
the sack OF caps across my should
ers, and slowly crawled into the
wood and came 10 the bank of a
stream of water short way in. l
deposited the caps on the bank, and
cut with my sword torked stick
and used il in place of the crutch /
had shot away. With the aid OF
one crutci an" this stick l made my
way down the stream in search oil
two 'ChOctaw logs" or old rotten
logs well honey -combed aud full of
air cells. These l intended splicing
together with my bride reins, and
using as ratC. But
FORTUNE FAvoEED NE,
I had gone but a short way when !
found small dug-out moored to the
hank, and l hailed 1T with joy. 1t
seemed TO have been used by some
one to carry corn to hogs aid stock.
hid on some mound or ridge in the
in the overflow, as parts of cobs and
shucks were in it. 1t was not more
than nine or ten feet long and quite
narrow. | got into it and padded
back up the stream to where | had
left the caps, and put them on board
and then started down the current.
| soon reached a broad river, which
proved to be the Yazoo, and as ]
came into it l could see several
large iron-clad, gun-boats coming
up it, and small tug boat in front
They saw me about the same time ]
did them, and | made for the oppo
site shore where the brush was
dense and thick. They seemed to
know my thoughts and fired a small
shot across in front of ME. l paid
no attention, but padded hard and
fast and my little boat seemed to
fly as if imbued with a knowledge
of the
| DANGErS T6AT BESET US.
l made the brush just as another
shot came crashing by. They low
cred large row boat, or yawl, and
manned it, and came into the brush
in my wake, but sped on and soon
they were out of sight and they he.
gan shooting at me with muske;s
and pistols, and the balls came
very near, hut / had the advantage
in the race as The woods were too
thick for them to use their oars, and
their boat too large and clumsy
10 get through the bush and cane,
and l soon put wide gap between
us, and was beginning to feel secure
when they again hove in sight and
greeted me with volley, and one
fellow stood up in the boat and
made some excellent shots at ne,
and the woods getting more open,
they were gaining on me. But the
brush grew dense and darted into
it, and got through, and crossed q
small open place, and entered anoth-
er thick one. just as / got into
this hast thicket the yawl hove in
view. could not resist the i'm
pulse to give them q shot, so behind
a large tree as rest, ! fired and my
| frianH IN tha haw nf tho heat Irar-