The Billings herald. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1882-1885, 1885-01-03
Gensral Beauregard.
fC)r. New TO!L T;nes.1


tc,r. New Io,k T;mes1
Il was ns.tho: b,cau l had good men,
ory for localities nor for familiarity with the
country Il at fer thc nine months before the
breakup Of the Confederacy tho duties of
scout and courier We're a signed to me.
happened to 10 tho owner of a thoroughbred
horse Of remarkable spel and endurance,
an as be would carry me eighteen hours in
the twenty-four, and keep it up at that rat,
for several days, l coversl many thou
sanis of miles. Horse and man when under
orders were never spared, AMI more
especially tie latter Occasionally I
could save my hor e from being completely
broken down, becarse my superior Of.
ficer had once been manager of Ken
tucky racing stable and if without any other
requirements, he knew at least how much a
hor could stand. He had certain amount
OF resi- e;t for horse, but none f, r man.
Wien. at tle winI-up Of thu contest, double
aad triple duty was expected Of oil the men,
Phvsleal endurance wa, taxed to its utm ,st.
Read!n, Gen Beaure ,ard's almirablc ac-
cont of Bull Run il The Century, wonder
# tbs gallant gentleman remembers how, q
day or two after the burning of Columbia.
he with couple Of officers we"o bivouac!s,l
:omcwhere not over thirty nils from the
ca1lval of South Caroi.na! | lad Leen
rlii"s v'ry hard for tie last few days, and
VAS CUTE iIoken d, VII. The EIap move
Hicnte Of my horse. and Lis tail S ai!ng, con-
slnc ii rle E@t it was a modest request cn
h. '.aro tor lie 10 Gis;acTinlcr him of my
10 cunds. So l din.ouE:ed at Cnce, my
nDr following, the iri lo thrown over my
am Tier, vas n tuln in tie road, wi en-
tha ore frci.i su gi-h manner became
rtCcenly On tie alert. rrickinS his ears.
Iiat was enough f,r Glo. There was a man
II al, aid Elv lcrse had wiEded him.
Up in ry s.dla : was il an instant AMI
."TTrr,,ts 4. ee.s gi2. | knew Columbia had
zen burned, t.Ia5 our forces haa left it, and
rad scnie Il ct rcass 10 suppose that the
advanc- o. Ia Teder;ls might BE- in this di-
r .ct.on. Ih:re va NJ u g III going back,
ami | tad 10 tace tie thing whatever it
might lie. Z thi,k friHge of brush on one
side Of the road wouli Lid- rle. l took to it
at once. skrtin5 tie road. Hit.hins up the
here to a limb # a pine tree, went on
afoot. l knew that ny horse wai So well
educated, that even had there Leen q stan-
reda, be wcr!d not l.eak loose, Eor even
whirny Until came Lack to hin.
Walking gingerly along through brcal il
the brush, made out three men. One stood
quite cp,rs from the rest and was motion
les: At orce recognized Cen. Beaurcg CARL.
had never seen him before, Lut knew it
"a3 BeauregarI from the pictures Of Kim.
At once | went back, mounted Joe and role
toward him. There was a ElOmeatary sur
prize on the part of the general and his COM
IA les might have leen a Federal scout
with a II oop lehind me, for g light cloak hid
nv uniform Oh that chilly February morning
Gen. Peauregarl, with his arms behind him,
was stridng up cni down te.ore small,
sn oud dering FIRE. TO me tLerc was an ex-
preston of txtr me distress on his couNte-
nance l made out with the quick eye Cf one
accustomed to rcts such things that,
with the exception cf the two otli-
GERS, lie was quite alone. l saw a light army
wagon. Then the clatter of my saber
attracted his attention. In an instant the
8 ,ldier was manifest He stood belt upright
and faced me- Then l rode quietly up and
saluted him. Next throwing off my cloak
displayed my greasy, torn uniform, which
bore barely and semblance of gray on it.
"Wat are you doing h2re, my man?'
asked Cen BeauregarI, in quick, abrupt
tones go back to your regiment at once
at orce. The curse of the service is straS-
CLING"
II am no straggler, Gen. Eeaurcsard," re-
pied respectfully.
"How do you know me? What is your
brigade!" he inquired, with
a frown.
told him the duty was on. but still he
was suspicious. Then I di mounted. and
showed him my dispatches. He glanc IL
of fto ho
and said, "It's all right, then, suppose. Do
your duty, then Time Is precious. Good
bye"
To be thus dismissed did not suit me. So
I volunteered some information. At first he
seemed disinclined to heed me, but the posi-
tion of some Of the Confederate forces and
of Gen. Sherman, seemed
papers, fortnight old, l handed to
must confess had hoped that thimblefal
of something to drink would have been Of
fered to me- Tho general went to the two
officers, who were standing in the b; OK
ground, and spoke t. ham. Then, turning
to me, he said: "My friend. it what you say
is true, we had all better leave here You
1To sure you dI0 lbU AL tIIOI. 4uSLl ue
looked me through and through. Ii ever a
man had keen and piercing eyes, Gea. Beau
regard was the possessor o. them.
THAT viii do" he said, after some scru-
tiny. Now, ride along, my man."
Nothing to report, sir, at my hea lQuar-
ters?" l asked, again salltins.
1Nothing: goodbye"
Then rode off, rather slowly and sadly.
Turning in my saddle I could seq Gen.
Bpaures sarl walking up and down, with the
same short stride, backward and forward,
past tae low fire. H. did not look hap y.
Perhaps he wss thinking then how gloomy
were tina Confederate prospects. Between
the alsh Of victory q. Full Run and the sol;-
tary bivounc in tie South Carolina roai,
what a differences. / r'nderel over this
meeting all that day. had ample time Tor
for my hor.e was too 81 up
to carry me, and wa.kel my twenty ..-ilas.
And 1t was well l did, for l had'savel 90
for good,run Shat night. Then h. wanted
all his legs, for wa only saved by ';.s sreel
from being gobbled ur by sqllAI .. kllpat-
rick's scoutl