Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-08-06
T0NEGUARDCAMPAIGN
nv ~ rx-BoY SCOUT.

- ;ry the summer oil 1oof, dA0Huu5N
p'',1 n years old, 1 was a member OF
e95 n6anv Of Confederate home guards.
SCI ,6mposed mainly OF men over %
" e"l AZ aqe ana boys under II, citizenso OF
!eNo uopstou county, Ga, and vicinity,
r. rss commanded by Capt. DAVID M'
anu most estimabe old gentleman
'D'0". - who had several times been
anon to serve the people OF the
en- a. legislator and in county Offices.
W'4. .bot time it was twelve miles from
ar 10 tine nearest railroad and tele-
Ig station. and communication with
s''p-' ;,,no-tant adjuncts OF civilization
W tent ND by a daily hack line, the
~ s,5rIa time for the trip beng ''limited"
to dye hours. 49,.
,..asbt news that stoneman's cav
S,.r division of Sherman's army was
D" raid through Middle
D l1 and that it was within
\ nw miles Of Macon. The next
4 .-Diro it was reported by a courier that
n l r's sroid7 had been repulsed by the State
.-,,,s upaer command OF Gen. G.. w.
s..ttb Of Griswoldyilie, and that it was
,stobino southwark on the eastern side Of
enc 0cmulgee river. probably with the
attention Of crossing at Buzzard Roost
n ~ Wastlake) or Veesy's ferry, and
-.,tinr the railroad connection between
n Slson and Columbus, as well rs CesrTOv-
,be immense stores of corn, bacon,
M
N Ia. svrup, etc, which mad been col
Il ,.-tad by the Confederate 1.-THE agents at
Il Perry aud Fort Valley.
snon as Can't. Brown received the
n -srort of the courier ne ordered MS COM
rony to turn out for Immediate service.
Fl r. tueh an order was not unexpected, 1T
e. nor over two hours before the com
meod gathered IN front Of the court house,
a+m4d and equipped for the campaign.
81 g4,ara were about sixty ready tor duty
. ia yrAy-haired grandsires, beardless
,orHs and disabled soldiers at home on
81 frrlougLs, Only about half dozen mem
M bars aousbt to eYafe service on account
n "eudden Illness" or other appa-
# senty good excuses. Between twenty
# And thirty Of the company were mounted
an horses. while some ten or twelve rode
mules. and there were six or eight bug
M ggs in which sat patriotic citizens who
IA canM not ride horseback, but who were
Nh fsgrmjned to do what thy considered
IN duty in ''rcpelling the invaders"
Il Nearly ever, man (and boy as well) car
1iad a douhr-harTeie shotgun. A few
# had army csrbines and navy reVOlyers.
81 The Captain Dad the only sword In the
"a commands weapon which be had used
when a militia officer years before tn"
war The company was we'll supplied
" with ratons, 0ut was poorly ''accOuIred,"
md did not pres MT a very martial APP
pearaBce, there being only one or two of
MI members who wore even the SEM
Jlance OF a uniform.
Atahout o'clock I'm the afternoon the
8 line Of march was form d-horse men in
E front, mulemen next and buggymen in the
rear. it was determined TO make
"stand," if necessary. ''in defense of our
BONES ard 6resides," at Buzzard ROOst
H ferry The march TO the river, or rather
llr edge OF the swamp through which the
FLYER ran, was an uneventful one. The
bHiy circumstances worthy of note were
lhe sincere "G0dspeeis" that we're given
Is as we rode past the tarmhouses, or. l
should say rather, plantations, and the
Sending out Of a couple of scouts TO
Neesy's ferry when we reached the river
road, where the thriving Nj Massachusetts
ftfAif 20 OAh 4eN II ID uOW AOOdBtAs
hese scouts were two solid aud courage
JUS citizens, who were both p st middle
e and quite corpulent. They were
mounted" on a double buggy, Drawn by
pair OF bl0Oded stations, and they had
ler saddles under the seat to be used
age otemergency. Strange as it may ap-
ear their idea was, in the event they
5lld ma II necessary on account of the
lAllnlly Of the enemy, to saddle aud
ouht the horses and abandon the buggy.
oTIlnaiely, they did not have to attempt
n7 tactic"
IL was near nightfall when we reached
q Fauik plantation near the great
Naaa ana Went into camp. The ''Over-
OF lne plantation, a Mr.. Dalton,
~ olr STOCK" put INTO the extensive
ana fed, and the great log dwelling,
81 IA w Wiue hall and spacious verandas,
.uru she'der for the whole command.
WEI we mad eaten our cold suppers we
se treated by Mr.. Dalton to a wagon
eA vi me WatermelOns. which we en-
wv very much; and then an hour or two
"a sP'hy ny Tue boys in sports o. various
iuus ana In b0asting OF how thew would
e.Nu Tue nght which was expected 10
80 pace next day, while TIL old men
iu sIoups silently smoking or engaged
~ "4st conversation about the gravity
@ SITUATION for the Confederacy and
s0.VIOh Of IL particularly. If anV
i'el tanned any doubt as TO our
" q ieat Stoneman IN a fair fight
iul h't give IL expression, but it was
,-.1v lhaI lhe old men were not az anx-
m uieeI thr enemy as the BOYS were.
bs.4 essolA We spread our blankets on
n, , moor, IN obedience to an order
,esr captain, and were soon fast
an ~ Is needless to saw that many
orv u'eSineu OF blood and battles and
.a g' ! O'Clock we were aroused by the
N H., lEeaht. A "dispatch" had
shs ~ teCe'ied from our corpulent
nd NV, some six or eight miles dis
M ', o mat they had been To Veesv's
~ lad heard report TO the effect
orosg ''slluan would doubtless attempt
eray, nc river az The Roost" during
lsh 20 y, and That his advance guard
"a tt'' 'Sa1lg reach and endeayor to
plfsr VII. during the night. The
utsv, Aht the "dispatch0 was
uIetfd. "hp had nearly ridden "A
.ermF, ~ lh getting tOus. Can't. Brown
rty tbr.,,.,E' VHce To send a scouting
stanee os7. lue swamp 10 the ferry,
p 4hs,.,d TWO miles. Volunteers for
q Give b.,-' service" were called for,
4 3ut NE ,,.!.,' promptly stepped TO the
mm5a- M happening 10 be one OF
~ ltousIy a,4 w were ordered to proceed
lyrYsBkee-" ascertain If there were
81 dssy,g pear The ferry. II so we oe orc
D.. Sg AK .he nat Il possible. and renort
alse5 t-aiiers by Ct urier while We re-
sre oc-. pickett the river. If MOI. We
# hifi rs. TIE river and try 10 learn