The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1886-04-09
NUMBER g.
Through Confederate Lines on a
Hand-Car.
Chicago Inter-ocean.

Chicago Inter Ocean.
1'I ran through the rebel lines on
a haud-car Once,1 said yOangish.
/ looking business man. II didn't
mean to do it, but | did it, and
gained considerable reputation
through what may be regarded as
an accident. 1t was on the march
Of BueIl's army nOrthwaTd from
the line OF the Tennessee to
Louisville. Buell., it will be remem-
bered, was undecided as TO what
point Bragg meant to strike when
he entered Kentucky. He inter-
ceptcd some correspondence and
learned that the objective point of
the rebel army was Louisville.
"rhereupOn be hurried his divi-
sions along the Louisville and
Nashville turnpike, aiming to keep
on Gen. Bragg's flank, who, as he
neared Louisville, moved OH the
Bardstown turnpike. The march
was very hard one on the men,
and some five or six days before the
army reached Louisville | broke
down. reported to the Lieutenant
Colonel that could not march, aud
asked to be put in an ambulance.
My feet were in terrible condition,
and the Colonel sympathiZed with
me, but informed me that all the
ambulances were full, and that |
must pull through it i'll some way.
[ conferred with five or six or the
fellows, and we decided to steal 4
hand car and go by rail. Our theory
was that the railway ran alongside
of the turnpike and that in case of
trouble we could JOIN our brigade
when wanted.
"But we assumed too much on
this point aud on others. The turn
pike goes straight over Muldrough's
Hill. The railroad makes long
curve or bend, and this carried US
off toward the rebel line. While
Gen. Buell. kept coutrOl of the turn
pike the rebels had captured sever
al points OH the railroad. We did
not know this, and did not know
that the railway was for so great a
distance so far from the pike, but
we got started and made our way
up the incline of the hill aud began
the descent, when We discovered
that our car had no brake. This
did not give us much uneasiness,
DIS we went along at tearing rate
without any work.
"But we soon discovered that we
were on the territory held by Gen.
Bragg'S army or by his advance,
We came upon the struggling
guards so suddenly that they could
put no distractions in our way.
and we flew by like the wind. We
were ordered to stop a hundred
times, but we could not have stop
ped had we wanted To. Without
moving hand, this squad OF blue
coats went charging along on the
flank of the rebel army, creating as
much astOnishment as though we
had rode through the lines Oh horse
back. We went into the rebel lines
as though we had been shot out of
a cannon, and we went out of them
ut the same speed. As the car
slowed down little we came tO-a
small river or stream. Discovering
that troops belonging to one army or
the other were engaged in burning
the bridge, We threw our hand-car
from the track, hid it in the woods,
and went forward 10 recOnnoiter.
The bridge-burners wore gray
coats instead of blue, aud we hid
in the woods till uight, tore of our
clothes aud waded the river, stole a
J hand car on the other side, aud
struck out for Louisville. We
made a tIiumphal entry four or i've
days before the main body of the
army tlld, aud we met with warm
reception. We had gone through
the rebel lines without getting into
trouble. The moment we set foot
Within the UDiou lines at Louisville
we we're placed under arrest and
taken before old General Nelson.
Unfortunately he had commanded
our division and We had to tell a
straight story. We embellished
our report as much as possible to
convey the impression that we had
beeu sent out or tnat we had vOlun-
teered to secure information.
"The old General listened pa
tieutly to the end, then ordered as
to be put in the guard-house, aud
there we remained until We were
released some days aiterward by
our own regimeutal commanders. l
discovered afterward that Nelson
took great deal OF comfort
in the fact that we had broken
through the rebel liues, and that
his object in listening 10 us 80 pa
tieutly was TO get all the informa-
ton he could OF Gen. Bragg's for
ces along the road. THIS iuforma-
ton was conveyed to. Gen. Buell..
1t we bad made a raid on cavalry
horses il would have been regard
ed as dashing performances, but
as we made It Oh a haud-ear, aud
a little against our will, Ne were
laughed at quite asOften as We we're
cOmplimeRted.S
The Assistant Secretary Of the
Treasury wants Congress 10 make