The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-04-21
a STRAY SHOT.

It was early in '64 while our brigade (Hood's) was still in Tennessee, that one morning we received orders to be ready to march at moments notice. We had been idle for some time, and the prospect of action was not unwel- come Besides, ''brush" meant a possible supply of blankets, clothes and commissary stores-of all ofwhich we were in sore need! Those of us who had them rolled up our ragged blankets the bugles sounded "fall in," and we were on the march.
 We learned presently that the Fed erals were advancing by Cumberland Gap, where we had about regiment of cavalry and battery of light artil- lery. It was splendid day: the ground was covered with a fresh fall of snow that glistened in the cold sun- shine, and melted away here and there, showing patches of warm looking brown earth. The sky was a soft, pale, blue overhead; and the crisp little wind that blew in our faces had lost the biting edge it had at dawn. Our spirits rose as we fell into the familiar regular swinging step, and there was no struggling.
 We had tramped steadily forward for some time when we heard, all at once, a sharp firing of small-arms ahead, and rapid work by the battery. It seemed to be short, hot fight with out the usual skirmishing, and we were put at once on a double-quick. But much to our disappointment when we came to the bit of open country where the firing had seemed 80 brisk, save for the trampled snow and one or two wounded men and few dead horses, a broken-dow caisson, a sabre dropped here and there, or a blue or gray cap caught on bush or tossed on the ground, there was no evidence that regiment of cavalry and bat tery of artillery had here met an enemy in hand to- hand conflict. The Federal troop, which proved to have been single regiment out on a scout, had retired bey ond the Gap, and our own force had followed in the direc- tion of its former position.
 We were grumbliDg loudly at hav- ing come so far for nothing, when a woman, mounted on an old sorrel horse and wearing blue home spun bonnet, came galloping down the road. She dismounted at a small double-log cabin near by, and walked rapidly over to the spot where we were making ready to camp.
 Had we seen anything of her two little boys, she asked, turning a pale, agonized face upon us. They had been perched upon the fence when the Rebs began forming in line just across from the cabin, and the older one, "a leetle turned O six" had taken his little four year -old brother by the hand and run out into the road to look on. Then, in moment and before any body could cry out to them even, the Tanks had come laundering along and they had been caught between the lines and swallowed up in the rush and roar of battle. When the short tussle was over they were nowhere to be seen. She had gone to where our lines had been re-established, and Lad there got ready leave to pass ever to the Federal camp; but no one had seen or heard anything of the missing children. Would we bslp her hunt | them?
 Wouldn't we! Every man volun. teered with a whoop. We formed long line-like a sxirmish line-and started-searching every foot of ground carefully, and calling out cheerily as we went. We peered un- der the edges of fallen trees. We turned over brush-heaps. We scat tered the dead leaves that had drifted into root bound hollows. We dragged the little pools of water made by the melting snow.
 We had gone over two or three miles in this way. The short after noon was waning, and the wind was growing sharp and keen with the leDEthen;Bg rays Of the sun A halt was called. Some of the officers apd older men consulted hastily together and it was decided to beat around in the opposite direction, when suddenly a shout came:
 "Here they are p
 The shout was caught up and turned into a glad yell as it rolled along the line. I had heard the "rebel yelp' be- fore and heard it many time after, when it meant victory at the close of a ife-and-death struggle, but l never