Wichita eagle., 1888-07-29


lenses, and as no administers had been Oh.
served upon the ground during the day, il
was hoped that the enemy might have neg
lected to picket il after nightfall A detail
Of four or five officers from among the OH.
GERS in the ravine, with a guide from the
block house, was therefore selected, and they
were instructed to make their way, II posi-
bic, to the next block house. Arriving there
they were to consult with the officer In com
mand, and if he thought the feat practicable
they were to try and make their way, sepa-
rately or together, to Nashville, and carry te
Gen Thomas information OF the desperate
straits of the various beleaguered dstach.
ments. The guide himself was to return from
the other block house and report progress,
There was one weakness in this plan. Gen.
Thomas himself had been listening to the
cannons all day, and knew pretty well their
meaning, but he could not 60 to the relief OF
the imperiled detachments without fighting
a general fight in their behalf, and for this
be was not ready. But that was not consid
cred, and, accompanied by their guide, the
officers set forth to execute their commission.
Their path led downward from tho door OF
the block house on the side opposite the "a
vine in the precise direction whence the first
gun Of the fight had been fired. 1t SCENE
like a rather curious road to safety. But in
every other direction it was known that the
enemy were thicker than humble bees, and
as tho open field to be crossed was in the loop
made by bend Of the creek, and on the side
opposite the enemy, it was hoped that he had
neglected to throw his pickets across.
Hardly had the party advanced 100 feet
from the block house before q man looking
very gray in the darkness was observed get.
ting up from behind log. In an instant
one of the officers had him by the collar.
"Who are you4" was demanded in whis.
per, but at the muzzle of a cooked revolver.
"One Of tho train men," responded the
poor wretch, shivering between fright and
cold in q voice not too audible.
''What' have you been lying here under
fire all dayr
Yes"
"Then lie down again, and make yourself
comfortable till morning. Or, stay; can't
you find your way into the block house!
Only be careful that the picket just outside
don't shoot you. You might better have
gone for a soldier and kept yourself out OF
danger"
After this colloquy the party passed on,
and soon entered the open field 1t proved to
have been a cornfeld, and the stalks, cut
after the fashion of the country, were still
standing about three feet high. To move
silently through such a rustling obstruction
was impossible and the passage of the party
through the stubble sounded to their own
ears like the rush Of a cyclone. But they
failed TO rouse or disturb the enemy, and
after q few minutes walk came to the bank
Of the stream opposite the block house. A
low whistle from the guide was answered by
a corresponding signal from the other side,
and after the soldier had forded the stream
to explain he returned and piloted the officers
across the railroad bridge and into the pres
ence of the officer in command
The information obtained from this gentle
man was not reassuring. He had seen the
battalions of Hood marching in between that
point and Nashville all day, and there was
found by recrossing the bridge and keeping
down the right bank Of the stream nearly to
the point where the Murfreesborough turn
pike crossed the creek. At the crossing there
was bridge, but this bridge would undoubt-
edly be found picketed by the enemy. Just
above the bridge, however, there was a ford,
and by crossing this ford there was possible
chance of slipping by the enemy's camps and
reaching the city. Tho general direction
could be found by observing the reflection Of
the city's gas lights ON the clouds. But there
was one almost fatal objection to even this
route. The right bank Of the stream on its
winding course led SO nearly to the other
block house that the party in passing would be
almost certain to fall into the right flank OF
the enemy's sEirmish line, if it still remained
in position There was hope that, in def
erence to tho weather, it might have been
withdrawn to some place of shelter; not a
very military dependence it is true, but the
old adage of the drowning man and the straw
will always be well illustrated on such occa-
sions
There was nothing 80 do then but to pro-
coed The old guide was dismissed to his
post to report progress, and the commandant
of the block house called for two volunteers
from among bis own men to act as guides for
the officers IN their desperate endeavors to
penetrate the lines Of the enemy. Two brave
fellows stepped forward, armed to the teeth
with rsvolvers, and announced themselves
ready for tho service Possibly, however,
they should not be called brave for having
more courage was required to stay than to
60 But these men proved themselves brave
in the event.
Recrossing the bridge, the party, now
numbering six good men, well armed with
revolvers, though carrying no other weap-
ons, began their perilous march down the
bank Of the stream. They decided to move
in Indian file, keeping just the distance apart
that would enable each person to see the back
of his next leader through the darkness. This
was to prevent disaster to the entire party if
any member was captured or fell They had
not marched far before the wisdom of this
order of march was discovered. The party
was approaching, but at the same time en-
deavoring to outfank, plantation house
standing on a slight elevation and dimly OUT
lined against the sky.
Halt rang out Of the darkness few
steps il advance OF the leaders of the line.
But the party did not halt. On the con-
trary, every man faced promptly about and
struck OUT precipitately for the rear. This
brought the line to moving by the other
flank, with one Of the officers in the lead
Holding his way few hundred feet in tho
new direction, followed by his compatriots.
he came to fence. This he surmounted
precipitately after the well known method
Of a somersault sustained on the top rail.
and once over, he moved by the left flank,
SO as to keep under the protecting shelter of
the barrier. The entire party, one after an
other, initiated his movements and rivaled
his CELEBRITY. They followed, and a change
in the direction of the fence soon led again
in the direction Of the dwelling, but further
to the right and presumably nearer to tho
enemy than the line over which the pas
sage had before been attempted.
Surely" soiloquized the leading officer,
''in this darkness we shall slip by unob-