The Delta independent., 1888-02-07
A STRANGE DELlVERANCE.

fRtSCA oSShCS Vi a ANoi A'ASy
in which l played, involuntarily. a
leading part which has always been
interesting in its telling and may be
equally so when written and read.
1t was about a month after the close
of our civil war. when l was stationed
in town on the Mississippi in Louisi-
ana busily engaged in connection with
my duties as provost marshal of divis-
ion and district, in parolling the many
eX-confederates who were constantly
coming in, most of them sick and worn,
all hungry and dirty.
Old Colonel C., good "rebel' and
fine gentleman. considered himself un-
der obligations to me for sending to
his home. in an ambulance, his young.
brave, gray-coated and very sick SOL
dier son, and he continually invited me
to accept his hearty, old-fashioned
Southern hospitality at the home plan
tations about eight miles from our post
He had three young daughters, good
rebels all. but pretty. bright. sensible
ladies, whose political opinions never
tainted their courtesy. 1 was glad to
seek such pleasant company and often
did SO.
] received notice one day from the
colonel, that the next Sunday would be
little Georgia's birthday. that my pres
ence would add to the joyousness of the
occasion, and that there would be am
pie home products for egg-nog, which
latter intimation / well understood to
mean that would be greatly thanked
if 1 brought the spurious ingredients
for the concoction.
Early on the day mentioned / noun
ted with two canteens. one of whisky
and one of Jamaica rum, fastened on
my saddle bow, and with no weapons.
Necessity required that should be in
uniform passing through our troops
and lines, and as the day was very.
very warm. only wore a flannel under
shirt beneath my closely buttoned
double breasted coat, and strapped be-
hind me clean white garment and
two collars polished in the best style of
the laundry art l knew 1 would have
to throw off my tight fitting "harness"
on my arrival to put on the light. gray
jacket the colonel always insisted suited
me better than the blue and and brass,
and wanted to look mice"
The road was long. hot and terribly
dusty. About 500 yards from my desti-
nation / stopped. picketed my horse in
side the fence. retired to thick grove
of high underbrush 1 well knew, and
through which ran little stream of
clear water. / disrobed and bathed.
then, fresh. cool and clean. Iprocecded
to prepare for inspection and review"
I was struggling with the over starched
"biled shirt" head and arms hidden,
when through the mufIling heard the
cracking of twigs. As 1 thrust my
head, with hair all tumbled, through
tho BOSOM opening Of the garment. 1
looked directly into the muzzels Of
three revolvers and one shot gun. all
with my head in manner not calculat-
ed to increase a mans appetite for the
contents
behind each weapon was villainous
outlaw, specimens of that class who
were rebels and murderers with Union
men and murders and Yankees with the
Confederates, men who met with no
mercy or sympathy from the true sol
diers of either side. Worse still. rec
ognized from descriptions often given
me. that one Of the party was Mat
Kingsley, whose house. near the post 1
had been forced to take as smallpox
hospital, and who. l heard, vowed ven-
geance upon me for the act
There was nothing to do but throw
up my hands," and / did it There
was no use in arguing or pleading with
such a gang. 80 I put bold front on
the matter and tried to compromise.
Ibad a couple of hundred dollars in
greenbacks in my pocket and these with
my horse / offered If they would free
me. They laughed the proposition to
soorn. They had me and all these be-
longing to me and intended to part
with nothing. They had not expected
such luck as finding me. being on
their way to some other cowardly.
theiving expedition. and securing me
was prize unexpected.
Quickly as possible was stripped Of
Of every piece of clothing and made to
replace it with the ragged, vermin-in-
fected rags Of my captors- 1 was
warned that II / made the least outcry
my brains would spatter the brush i'm
mediately, and knew the threat was
in earnest
Bill Kingsley. the one ! recognized.
claimed me as his ''meat." He told
the others to go on their projected raid
while he took me to the rendezvous and
saved me up for their return the
next morning. Then securing my arms
behind me, and hobbling my feet
beneath Kingsley's lean mule. which
they forced me to bestride. three Of the
party took their departure. carrying
with them one Of the canteens Of
liquor. my guard claiming the other as
his share. He mounted my horse. and
making me ride slowly before him.
directed my way through bride path