Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-03-26
LIEUTENANT EARLE.
Recolleetions Of The Federal Scout
Who Made his Name n
Terror.
very Reckless Raidinr startling Move
men'sIn and out of the confedcratr
Lines.


Lines.
ny WILLIAM b. rIErp.
Philadelphia Times.
The most daring scout and ralder who
operated from the river towns Of Mississ
ippi and Louisiana, which were rarrl
soned by federal troops after the fail az
Vicksourg, was one Lieut.. Earle. nm
freshman. He made himself a terror Ia
the residents OF East and West Ration
Rouge parishes In Louisiana, and when
MS mission thereabouts, whatever n may
nave been, WAS accomplished he passed
up the river with his band OF forty or
iulS men 10 Natchcz. His reputation ha3
preceded him and the hapiess country
people trembled. Active, restless, hold
and cruel, Earle was ever in the saddle ar
planning some fresh incursIon, MS
panu committed so many outrares of n
character utterly at variance with ali
usages OF civilized warfare, that Il WAS
determined by the nearest Confederate
cavalry commander, Gen Writ Adams. 10
detail : special scouting party TO look
As commander Of this party Gen.
Adams selected Capt. b. Il. Paddock. n
Wisconsin man, who came South shortly
oeiorc the opening OF hostilities, and who
hao proved himself good aud enter.
prislng soldier. He was permitted to SO.
lect ms men, to the number OF eighteen or
twenty, and his only orders were 20
put stop 70 Earle's depredations. 10
TINS end Paddock selected the village of
fayette, twonty-slN miles from Natchey.
as his base OF operations. This little
town was the center Of cultivated and
wealthy community OF planters families,
Almost every one Of which was repre-.
scented in the Confederate army. The
gray uniforms OF the scouts proved a
ulsman which opened every hospitable
door TO It's wearers and, being chiefly
young men and youths OF gentle birth, Il
Is not surprising that they should have
been tempted for time 20 lose SIGHT of
their appointed mission and yield them.
selves willingly 10 the unwonted pleas.
ures OF society
RECEIVING TIDINGs PROM EARLY.
as check TO these gay revelings came
the tidlngs from below that Earle had
been out on foray from Natoheg. Al
lady whose son was In Gen. Loe's army
acted as distributor of letters from absent
Confederate soldiers TO their home moo.
pie aud usually contrlved to smuarle
through the federal lines such as were Ia
he Delivered In Natchez, likewise taking
charge of those 60 be forwarded 10 The
armies. Lieut.. Earle visited this lady's
residence one night under guidance OF a
negro, reused the sleeping family by
forcing olamorous entrance, seized with
his own hands this gentle woman III her
night attire and roughly bonnd her TO a
hed-post Meantime his band rausackod
The house and appropriated TO their own
use whatever unconsidered tribes they
tancied. The gallant lieutenant, after Sc.
curing his Victim as described and treat.
ing her TO many threats, gathered together
everything IN the way OF letters or writ.
tea papers he could lay hands upon.
hastily decampcd and rc-entered the fed
eral lines before daybreak. The worst
atrocities committed by this officer are
suppressed In this narrative. Lieut..
Earle Is dead, A single example only Is
given, as explanatory Of the anxiety man
Tested by the Confederate authorities for
his capture.
AFTER THE DARING LEADER
To horse was now the word and Pad
docks scouts, armed with double shot
guns andarmy reyolyers, went seriously
10 work. Every road leading out OF Nat.
chez was picketed by the federal cavalry
and many dash was made TO carry of
the vidcttes by the active scouts. Five OF
us rode leisurely up one winter afternoon
until within hundred PAGES OF the post,
where we were within fun view of the two
members OF the Second New Jersey Cav.
airy then on duty az yidettes on TO the
right, out OF the road, the writer saw an
officer in blue riding magnificent chest
nut horse and In utter ignorance OF our
presence Fired with desire to possess
the noble animal beckoned to comrnde
and deaYored TO get between the officer
and the pickets This was all but accom-
piished when Drake, who accompanied
me, but who had not perceived what |
was after suddenly cried out: fYonder
goes id laDkeep The officer heard,
and few long leaps Of his grand charger
quickly put him within his lines, How
ever, we charged the obtuec yidettes and
took them nicely In.
a DuTcHMAN's NARROW ESCAPE.
Billy Smith shouted "Surrenderlu as he
seized the nearest MANS carbiuc. ought |
ugh" was all the answer, while the sol |
der tightly gripped his gun. There was no |
time to parley and Smith was about TO
shoot, when the second yidettc, who had |
yielded on demand, exclaimed "Don't
shoot him; he's nothin' but did Dutch. |
man aud don't understand word you
say.n The caroline was wrenched from
the d. DIS hand and the captlycs quickly /
sent TO the rear under the escort Of one
man, while the remaining four OF MS
turned TO receive the charge OF the re-
serve picket with yolley OF buekshot
This checked their assault and as dark.
ness fell, we rode away unframed. After
the surrender the Second New Jersey
Cavalry, Lieut.-Col. Yorke commanding,
vas stationed In Rodney, on the river.
Here the writer made the acquaintance Of
q number II the officers and Capt Minden
Tom Drake's odd Yankee'') showed /
him the coveted chestnut horse.
This regiment Tor some reason was
held 10 small esteem by the scouts aud
we feared not 70 tackle its detachments
At great odds But the Fourth Illinois,
which was relieved by the former com.
nand, was made Of sterner stuff. Three
Or four u US dared not recklessly charge
a dozen Of them, and 10 ali our dealings
with these fellows discretion was rarely
gnored. When they gave chase they fo'-
lowed with the swittness ard tenacity Of
the hound, and, when a squad Of them