Cheyenne transporter. [volume] (Darlington, Indian Terr.) 1879-1886, 1886-04-03
MURDER ON THE OUTPOSTS.


1t was in Virginia during the autumn
of 1861, the first year of the war.
was sergeant in an infantry company
which had been selected on account oi
its fighting qualities to guard an inn
portant point on the line of communi-
cations. The South Branch, rising
considerable distance above Moor
field, winds along north until it reaches
ROmney, and four miles beyond that
mountain-locked natural stronghold
bends abruptly TO the east, on its way
to join the greater streams of the Poto.
mac. At this bend the turnpike road
connecting Romney, where the Union
force was disposed, with Green Springs
Run, the depot supplies on the Balti.
more and Ohio Railroad, crossed the
river by suspension bridge. The
written order to our captain com.
manded him to hold this bridge "to
the last man, if necessary. And
there we remained until some weeks
later, when the Confederates maneuv-
cred our entire force back to its base
on the railroad.
The war had stripped this part OF
Virginia of most of its people. Hill
side and valley seemed to belong again
to the wild things of nature. The
scream of an eagle soaring in the gray
sky would call out perfect din OF
animal notes. Even the handful OF
soldiers prowled about as stealthily as
the foxes themselves which now and
again scampered out of the laurel
bushes. Graceful deer, with spreading
antlcrs, sometimes peered out from
under the forest growth. One after
noon bear even made bold to invade
a picket-post's cooking camp.kettle,
licking the fat from the edge with great
relish and contedly Looping off before
the startled soldiers could realize the
character of the visitor and fix their
bayonets to turn him into better meat
than mess pork.
One evening, just at 6, as the second
relief was changing posts, the sharp
crack of musket shot rang out, from
down the river apparently. 1t was a
dark night and nothing could be seen.
AT the shanties the pOker-decks were
cast aside and there was hustle for a
moment, the rush of feet, the rattle OF
leather straps as the men put on their
harness, curse or two as some one
failed to find his own musket, and then
all was still again. Cartridges were
looked at, pieces clutched and bal
anced in a half-jocose manner, as if to
say the Johnnies" would get more than
they came for, and all listened for the
next shot, or volley, and the order
to 'fall inr'
We had a captain and two lieuten-
ants. But the First Lieutenant, a
crusty, good sailor, who was killed the
next year at Antietam, was serving his
turn on guard that day. Just before
dusk we knew he had crossed the
bridge with "a corporal and private to
GO to the left, along the river and up
the ravines, to see that all was in order
at the posts for the night. Ten of the
men also from the shanties had been
missing since early in the afternoon,
and it was supposed they had lodged
the posts in order to ford the river,
and had gone to hut In one of the
ravines where an old negro had been
smuggling whisky for some time and
selling it clandcstnely to our
soldiers. The Lieutenant had in
tended to visit the hut in quest of the
stragglers.
Minutes passed, and though we stood
al out ut the shanties with arms in hand
no sound came but the murmur of the
river edd, ing along under the bridge.
the 81 Ching OF the trees and the cough