The National tribune., 1888-12-27

Sal0 tnat, owing TO one OF UneSe 1ecOgnltloDSi
several lives were spared. BE had some ac-
quaintance with the daughter of hotel-keeper
at Lawrence, having stopped at the house sew
eral years before. Some 20 or 80 people took
refuge in the hotel, and when Quantreil came
to the house with his band of murderers to take
out all the occupants of the building and kill
them. the girl recognized him, and called him
By his old name of Mr. Hart"
She pleaded earnestly for the lives Of those
who had sought shelter under her fathers roof.
QuantreIl at first told her he would not harm
any member of the family or anybody who
lived in the house, but would kill everybody
else.
With a woman's tenderness she was not sat
isfed with this and renewed her appeal for
mercy to all. Quantrell listened while, and
then with the air of a knight before the lady of
his alteration, said:
"Well, Miss Susie, whatever you ask shall
be granted. l will spare these lives on your
account, not on theirs"
He then ordered his cut-throats to leave the
house and its inmates unharmed. They went
away, to continue their murderou5 work else
where.
On his retirement from Lawrence Quantrell
was pursued by various parties of cavalry sew
eral times more numerous in the aggregate
than his own force, but he managed to evade
the most Of them, having only q few insignificant
skirmishes before reaching shelter among the
region on the Middle Fork of the Grand River,
Missouri, he scattered his men and remained
for while in cOucealment; and this was his
plan after the most of his raids, rs we have be-
fore described.
During the fight with Quantrell's band the
wagons containing the captured provisions
and forage had been left, together with the
prisoners, in charge of q guard at the point
where the side road to the village diverged
from the main one-the point where the two
companies of cavalry met after Harry and Jack
had called back Capt. Pratt and his men. The
victorious cavalFymen returned together TO
that point aud again separated to go to their
respective POSTS.
This time there was no calling back for
fighting purposes, as no enemy was to be heard
OF. 1t was ascertained that QuantrelIs men
had come down from the southern part of
Jackson County, where they had been recruit
ing, and that another party remained some
where near the original starting-pOint. 1t was
too far away to be reached by the commands
of Capts. Pratt and Foster, and besides it was
not embraced in the orders of either. Accord
ingly, they gave no attention to the state
ments of their prisoners, but proceeded straight
TO camp.
Harry and Jack reported Immediately to
Gen. Vandever, and then to Gen. Curtis, TO
whom they delivered the dispatches they had
brought from Fort Scott. The General ques-
toned them closely in regard to their expert
ences, and laughed heartily when he heard of
Jacks exploit in playing crazy. He thought
it an admirable ruse, but said it could not be
tried on very often, as it was sure to leak ont.
Then he praised the boys for the admirable
manner in which they had performed their
difficult task, and said he might have occasion
to call on them again.
Pm not at all sure" said Harry, as soon as
the boys were by themselves once more, " Pm
not sure that Pm in a hurry to go on another
scouting expedition; are you ?"
" As to that" answered Jack, I'D like a lit
tie rest and a chance to think it over. But
after I've rested I shall be ready to try it on
once more, but not through the same coun-
try"
Z" I don't suppose Gen. Curtis would send us
that way again" was the reply, as he would
know that it would be doubly dangerous for US,
since we've been seen with the cavalry and
would be known to be on the Union side. We
couldn't make anybody believe our story about
hunting for stolen horses from Forsyth way"
On the day of their return to camp orders
were Issued for the army to be ready to move
on the following morning. The boys wonder
ed if the advance upon Little Rock was about
to commence, and also whether the dispatches
they brought had anything to do with the or
ders to march.
But the development of events did not indi-
cate that they were going in the direction of
the Arkansas Capital, nor yet to Fort Scott or
anywhere near it. The army moved to For
syth, in Taney Co., No., on the banks of the
White River, and nearly due east from ketS-
VILE where the camp had been. For some
part of the way the principal road follows the
bank OF the river and gives pretty glimpses of
the wooded valley and the meandering stream.
Like most ofthe Southwestern rivers, the White
has very tortuous course, and consequently
the road rather touched upon than followed the
1,EE
needlessly long.
There was no enemy of consequence along
the line Of march, and therefore no opposition
was expected or offered. Here and there half
dozen horsemen were seen, but they were not
considered worthy Of attention. Forsyth was
occupied until the army received a supply of
stores aud ammunition, which was sent from
Springfield by a somewhat difficult road
through the Ozark Mountains.
Our young friends went with dispatches to
the post commander at Springfield, but as the
road was well guarded and no rebels or guer-
rillas were supposed to be in the neighborhood,
they did not consider the journey of any seri-
Gus moment and did not disguise themselves.
! The distance IS about 80 miles, and they took
part Of two days for the ride, spending the night
at Ozark, which is about half way between the
opposite ends Of the route. There was so much
up and down hill to the road that they did not
find it an easy one to travel in hurry, and
besides, they We're carrying out the orders of
the General in spending the night at Ozark,
where there was temporarily garrison of Is
or 20 men.
1t is very pretty mountain country" said
! Harry afterwards, when speaking of the jour
ney, " and ! wished | could make sketches of
some Of the landscapes along the road. In some
/ places you look down long distance In the
! valleys, and in others you are completely shut
! in aud wonder how you viii ever get out of
/ there. An interesting feature of the country is
/ the large springs that aboand all through it /;
/ they are Ike the great springs we saw at Cross
Hollows IN Arkansas. and doubtless have the
4 same sort Of origin. There is one spring near
/ the village OF Ozark which forms the head of
good-sized brook, just as does the spring at the
] head Of Sugar Creek"
At Springfield they found very little change
in the state OF affairs since they passed through
/ the town on their way to Sugar Creek and Pea
| Ridge. The garrison had thrown up earth
works to protect themselves in case of an attack
| by the rebels, as il was thought possible that
column Of cavalry, or possibly some marauding
expeditions like those Of Quantrell and Todd
/ might take notion TO pay brief visit to the
! place, and the eommandaut didn't propose to
be caught mapping. The supplies for Gen.
/ Curtis were being pushed forward as fast as
possible, but the bad condition Of the roads and
the scarcity Of draft animals greatly him
dered the work. Mules and horses were in
! great demand, and considering the great mum.