The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1886-07-15
A story or the war.

From Mark Twain's Private His
tory Of Campaign that Failed in the
Century, we take this incident:
For time life was idly delicious, it
was perfect; there was nothing to mar
it. Then came some farmers with an
alarm one day. They said it was
rumorcd that the enemy were adj
vancing in our direction, from over
Hyde prairie. The result wasa sharp
stir among us, and general consterna-
ton. 1t was rude awakening from
our pleasant trance. The rumor was
but a rumor-nothing definite about it;
so, in the confusion, we did not know
which way to retreat. Lyman was for
not retreating at all, in these uncertain
circumstances; but he found that If he
tried to maintain that attitude he
would fare badly, for the command
were in no humor to put uD with IN
subordination. So he yielded the point
and called council Of war-to consist
of himself and the three other officers;
but the privates made such fuss about
being left out, that we had to allow
them 10 remain. for they were already
present. and doing the most Of the
talking too. The question was, which
way 10 retreat but all were SO Hurried
that nobody seemed to have even a
guess to offer. except Lyman. He
explained in few calm words, that in
asmuch as the enemy were approach
ing from over Hyde's prairie, our
course was simple: all We had to do
was not to retreat toward him; any
other direction would answer our needs
perfectly. Everybody saw in a
moment how true this was, and how
wise; so Lyman got great many CON-
pIiments. 1t was now decided that we
should fall back on Mason's farm.
1t was after dark by this time, and as
we could not know how soon the enc
my might arrive. it did not seem pest
to try to take the horses and things
with us; so we only took the guns and
ammunition, and started at once. The
route was very rough and billy and
rocky, and presently the night grew
very black and the rain began to fall;
SO we had troublesome time of it,
struggling and stumbling along in the
dark; and some person soon slipped
and fell, and then the next person be-
hind stumbled over him and fell, and
so did the rest, one after the other; and
then Bowers came with the key OF
powder in his arms. while the COM
mand were all mixed together, arms
and legs, on the muddy slope; and so
he fell. Of course, with the keg, and
this started the whole detachment
down the hill in body. and they land
ed in the brook at the bottom in pile.
and each that was undermost pulling
the hair and scratching and biting those
that were on top of him; aud those
that were being scratched III! bitten
scratching and biting the lest IN thci,
turn, and all saying they would d..
before they would ever 60 to var again
if they ever got ont Of this brook this
time, and the invader might rot for all
they cared, and the country along with
him-and all such talk as that, which
was dismal to hear and take part in,
in such smothered, low voices, and such
grisly dark place and SO wet, and the
enemy may be coming any moment.
The keg of powder was lost, and the
guns too: so the growing and com.
planning continued straight along
whilst the brigade paved around the
pasty hillside and stopped around in
the brook hunting for these things
consequently We lost considerable time
in this; and then we heard q sound.
and held our breath and listened, and
il seemed to be the enemy coming,
though i. could have been cow, fol
it had cough like COW; bu. we did
not wait, but left couple of guns be.
hind and struck out for Mason's again
as briskly as we could scramble in the
dark. But We got lost presently among
the rugged little ravines, and wasted .
deal Of time finding the way again. SC
it was after nine when we reached Ma
could open our mouths to give thu
countersign several dogs came bound
ing over the fence, with great nois'
and riot. and each Of them took a sol
der by the slack of his trousers an.
begau to back away with him. w,
could not shoot the dogs wiihou
tndangering the persons they wer
attached to; SO we had to look on, help
less. at what was the most mortifyin,
spectacle of the civil war. There wa
light enough. and to spare, for tn
Mason's now run out of the porcl
with candles in their hands. The oil,
man and his son came and undid tn
dogs without difficulty, all but Bow
er's but they couldn't undo his dog
they didn't know his combination
he was of the bull kind. and seeme'
to be set with Yale tlme-lock; blu
they got him loose mt last with som
, sca,ding water, of which Bowers 60
his share aud returned thanks. Peter
son Dunlap afterwards made up fin
name for this engagement, and ais
for the night march which precede'
it, but both have long ago faded on
| of memory