The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-02-02
BULLETs 81 THE -,


which were in the new wood of the stockade
He and those who were on guard had good
deal 10 say of these wonderful guns of the Yam
KEGS that could imbed such a large long ball
so deeply in the hard wood of the stockade
from such distance. Our battery had actually
enjoyed the glory Of putting a couple dozen Of
shots over into Kentucky somewhere. Our fell
lows imagined that they had done some wonder
ful execution By these few shots: but upon in
vestigation day later found that our troops
were SO close TO the guns at the Zine that they
were ia fact actually under the guns and be-
low the stockade, so that hesh0ts passed harm
lessly over them and landed a long distance
beyond, where they probably fell among the
tree-tOps, only soaring the owls.
II this attack Of our troops had been made
after my report Of the weak condition Of the de-
fenses Of the rebels it would have resulted In an
early capture of Cumberland Gap.
FINGERED a long time IN the Gap at such
points as admitted of my seeing over into Ken
lucky. l kept my eager, longing eyes strained
over that vista, hoping ! might see the Stars
and Stripes floating defantiy above the tree
tops. So eager was / 10 learn about the land OF
hope and Of home that lay stretched out before
me, that ] quickly gathered from the sol
! dIers who We're about me all the infor-
nation they had about the land that lay
! beyond Ny curiosity was pardonable at
I the time, because l was green, you know,
and had never seen the Yankee country
before. They were also quite anxious to tell all
! they knew, and more too. / gathered enough
information in a very short time 10 satisfy me-
/ first that there were no rebel pickets stationed
beyond the Gap, though some predatory horse
men belonging to the artillery. and mounted
7 on anything they could get, were in the habit
F Of scouting cut the roads occasionally for for
/ age; secondly, the Yankees were in force within
I 3 few miles Of me. was told that their cavalry
/ frequently came almost to the foot Of the
mountain below.
This was enough FOR me. would not allow
another sun TO set or rise on me before had put
4 myself under the protection Of the old flag / sat
alone on q log on the side Of the Hill for a long
4 time. ] remembered the awfuily hot July day
J that my companion and myself had set together
/ on log in like manner on a hillside very like
this one at Hsrper's Ferry, and how we both es-
capped inside the lines IN heeyening. BY expe-
riences in the rebel lines during the long months
/ that followed passed before me rapidly. was
willing 70 risk q good deal to get away at once
and without the i0rmality Of a g0od-by to the
boys whom had just met and left at the camp
q little 70 the rear. ! remarked to the sentry
who was On guard nearest me. Is there any
danger Of being caught ii ] 90 down the hill K
that house pointing to one right below.
want to get something good to eat"
Oh, no." lie said; our fellows 60 dowr
there az the time
He was q very obliging sentry. If he ha(
orders at all, they were, probably, to allow II,
one % pass in. With q heart throbbing will
suppressed excitement, / looked around
was close on TO evening, and supper-time
Lanyard had returned to the performance O
some duty. No one was near except the good
natured sentry ] leisurely stepped bevon,
bounds, and with parting injunction to tn
soldier not to shoot when he saw me cominl
up, ] stepped of az q lvely gait, aud was sool
winding down the horseshoe curved road
which led me either to home or heaven, libert,
or death.
Before reaching the foot Of the winding roa
that led on past this little house standing beloy
some distance, ] stopped a moment-oniy
In0meut-to plan.
/ concluded not to go to the house; that
should avoid leaving any trail by which
might be traced. To accomplish this, it wa
necessary that ] leave the road, Chamber up tn
steep side-biii embankment which was full G
brush and thickets BY SO doing il would lea
me into a woods TO the side of the house.
It was probably
) ANOTHER OF Ny MISTAKES
10 have left the road and climbed that hill TO re
into the woods at that time in the evening sal
/ al the foot Of the mountain below me the littl
2 old house by the roadside which reminded IN
unpleasantly, both by its similarity in appear
ance and location, Of the old shauty near Manas
sas where had experienced so much annoyin
q trouble from the quizzical and curious oil
a bushwhaeker proprietor after my failure 10 ge
s through the lines 10 Washington that night i
e August. 1861. 1t must have been about supper
r time when j had gotten pretty close to tn
: house that day, because the curling blueis
- smoke from a freshly-made wood fire was jus
< then beginning 10 pour from the top of the bi
b rough stOne-and-mud chimney, which was, q
: usual, hung onto the end Of the cabin as a sol
: Of annex
] The sentry had so recently left at the to