Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1888-03-02

only is was expected that 1 would keep
the brigade supplied promptly with its
ms | from nome, and be equally prompt
III forwarding the arihy mail to the
lines of railway i'll the rear for trans
portation to the North. This was
sometimes attended with difficulty, and
not ikfre .uently with danger. Upon
reaching Shelbyville, which had been
evacuated only day or two before by
Che rebels. L took possession of the
aug over some interesting history of two.
OF three journeys to Murfreesboro for
mail, [ come to the time when we had
fixed UP an old locomotive, with one or
two cars attached, and were running
SWo trains day Ietween Shelbyville
and .Wartrace. The main line from
Nashville to Chattanooga ran through
'Wartrace, and Shelbyville was just
eight miles to one side, and rickety
sort OF a branch road had been built,
connecting Shelbyville with the main
Slle at Wartrace. BY this time quite
large army was camped about Shelby
vile, also at Wartrace, at which point
our mail was now received regularly,
except when interrupted by accident or
by the enemy. 1t was my duty to go
over to Wartrace every day and sort
out the shelbyville mail. One day we
were on our return trip, and the old
locomotive was grooming and putting it's
way UP steep grade when [ discov-
cred a man at the top of the grade,
about quarter OF mile distant, COM
ing toward us on run, swinging his
Flat and shouting at the top Of his voice
for us to stop, or we would run over
his horse. at first we thought that
there had been a sudden attack on Shell
byyiile by the rebels and this was a
messenger sent out to warn us. But it
appeared that break had occurred in
the telegraph between Wartrace and
Shelbyville, and the operator, with a
companion. had each mounted horse,
and were following the railroad to find
the break, and the operator, it appear
ed, had been so unfortunate as to ride
alis horse into one of the cattle-guards,
and there he lay, refusing to help him
self. The two men had been working
Cor au hour with rails and all sorts Of
prizes and other expedients to get the
horse out and on his feet, but without
avail. Then they heard the putting of
the locomotive, and, thinking it would
soon be upon them, to the great injury
OF the horse, if not warned in time, the
operator had fastened out to give us
warning. I was on the locomotive at
che time, and the engineer merely
slowed up; but the man was frantic,
thinking that he was not going to stop,
and that bis horse would be
l,.H
q had taken in the whole situation, and
looking forward saw the horse, which
had Just then got a glimpse of the To-
connective, and prickiag up his ears he
jumped out of that hole as nimble as a
rabbit, and in three seconds he had
disappeared in the timber, with the
other man in hot pursuit on the other
horse. All this was unobserved by
che man who was shouting to us to
hold up. The scene became ludicrous
to us upon the locomotive, and J. inn
znediately became the sp kesman.
Whats the matter?" inquired.
"My horse stumbled into a cattle
guard just little piece ahead here,
and you will have to stop and help us
get him out before you can pass"
BY this time the young man had
climbed upon the locomotive, and we
were but few rods from the place of
accident, where dozen or more rails
were sticking out from the hole where
the horse had lain. We all protested
an entire disbelief in his story, and &C.
cused him Of being rebel guerrilla,
with evil designs upon us.
II am no rebel" he replied. II am
the telegraph-operator at Shelbyville,
and you will ind my horse in the hole,
Just as I have told you, and my COM
rade and ! have been trying for an
hour to get him out"
"Well, here is the hole" said I, as
che locomotive stopped, and tho fire.