The National tribune., 1888-01-26


Harper's Ferry at once. and said Your train
IS the best broken-in; select enough teams from
the other trains to make up IS and report which
ones You want, aud who you want rs your as
sistants, IS you are 10 90 in charge. Get ready
to leave rs soon as possible, and report TO me at
once when you are ready"
/ rode back to camp and told my men Of my
orders, and all but three or four agreed to go;
but the vacated places were soon filed by trans
fers, and at 4 p. IL. the same day 50 teams and
wagons were at the depot while at 10 p. m.
they were on the way to Harper's Ferry loaded
on two railway trains OF p cars each, in charge
OF my assistants with orders TO report to the
Qaartermaster at Harper's Ferry. / was soon
fitted out with 80 more teams and drivers, two
Wagonmasters and two extra assistants. In
three days I was at Harper's Ferry with SO
weli-equipped teams
As long as I live I viii remember the first
duty l did there. carpenter came into my
park very early one morning with All order for
q team to haul load Of lumber in a great hurry
The lumber was ready, and the carpenter was
in such dreadful hurry that he asked me to
help him, and / took hold and did 50, until he
told me what he was buildIng-a gall0Ws.
Down went my malet and chisel in hurry
and ] quit that work.
After / had got a new WagOnmaster as assist
ant that was more competent, we were placed
along the line of the Shenandoah Railway,
which was being rebuilt, as it was iudi5pensa-
bic for supplying Gen. Sheridan's army, which
then lay at Fishers Hill.
Aboat 80 Of my wagons were detailed to haul
supplies from the end Of the railroad to Sheri-
dams camp and the rest were camped along
the road hauling material for construction Of
the road; l making my headquarters with the
latter outfits. Ny duty was very heavy, but
was sell assisted by David Sooy, who now lives
at SmIthTile, \. j.
About quarter mile back Of our main camp
was q large plantation owned and occupied by
Joseph Miller. who claimed TO be a loyal cti-
zen, and from whom 1 bought and paid for
some 500 worth of hay and grain for the teams.
Besides this, the men Of the camp would buy
batter and some 20 to 30 quarts Of milk daily
at the farm.
Miller and his specially his two
! buz0m daughters, respectively is and % years
Of age-Wcre very KIND to me, and IN company
with a friend / spent many pleasant hours at
the house, and ate several excellent meals
/ there.
The farmer had some sheep that seemed to
trouble our boys By their presence III the fields
in rear Of our camp; but never heard of the
sheep hurting anybody, although they were
! tie cause Of saving US
One morning quite early / went to the house
! for some milk and pics / had engaged, when
/ the old lady called me iato another room alone
/ and said cXciteaIy:
was IN great fear for you and your camp
/ last night
WHY? I asked
/ Col. Mosby was here last night with 50men,
! aud bad 70 get supper for him and his officers
/ at II o'clock. I would have let you know, but
he sent out scouts and pickets as soon as he
/ came.
! some Of the scouts came back before long
4 and reported that they found your pickets out
near a fence they described. so the Colonel de-
! cided that if you had your pickets out your
! camP-guard must be too strong FOR his little
force to attack, and he concluded to wait a
more favorable opportunity"
J Dne OF the daughters c0qucttshlyremar
" told 3ia I would let you know If could
for was not going to let you he killed if l
! could help Il; and didn't want to see you cap
tured 10 starve in prison Why, what could
we have said to you if Col hosby had brought
you here to our house if he bad captured you p
/ went back thinking deeply oyer the mat
ter, but | couldn't make out where my picket
line came from. When got TO camp and was
talking the case over Dan and sam" two
Of the teamstcr5, laughed and explained that
the night before, about the time mentioned,
they were out along that fence looking after
sheep-meat, and ran across some men; but they
couldn't make out who the others were, OF
what they wanted and so came back TO camp
without the sheep they went after
| weighed the whole matter deeply in my
mind aud qucrled much IS to the apparently
warm interest taken in me by the young lady
and her mother; but finally as | had also no.
tieed the tracks OF many horses about, conclud.
ed to report the matter to the commander o.
the caYalry-guard, which was camped about q
mile further down the Valley.
The larger part Of the train was out at work
along the road, leaving only 10 or Is teams IN
camp, with some sick men, and the disabled
mules.
|. bout IN a -, y,l;Ia sitt;,,, -, 49, 49,, -
aud before | had gone to the cavalry camp
heard a horscman riding up, and presently
heard some one inquiring for the Chief Wagon
master. buckled on my pistols before step
ping outside, as was my custom, and there sat .
fne-iooking man on very handsome horse
lie was dressed in a Federal Majors uniform
and wore his sdearms
lie asked many questions, particular,
! whether We we're not afraid Of Mosby sweep