Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1888-12-07

,,,,,,a.,:. - ".lu instead OF pressing the
pursuit had stopped to look after him,
saw them lead his horse to the corner
OF the fence, where they took him from
MS saddle and laid him ON the grass.
presume he died. I hope not. Int
s4ch things are of the fortune of war.
he must have got my bullet full in his
Inc distance was now short, and we
soon rode into the town. Halstead and
the Sergeant struck some good place
OF concealment and escaped the search
that followed. Ny fate was different
Now, it will be observed that (as
supposed this was the first intimot; s
any OF our army had received that
Stuart was in Maryland. I supposed
that such scouting expedition as this
would not press right into Frederick
that they would infer from our pres,
ence that the advance of the Army of
the Potomac had got up this far. But
they did not choose to infer ANYTHING
OF the kind; after what had lust han.
pened they were bound to catch me if
'possible. I rode up to the hotel, fast
ened my horse in the yard, and went
into the kitchen to dry my boots. with
which I had tramped through some
roadside bitches before our adventure
began.
Ten minutes had not passed when o
negro came running in with the news
that "De rebels is comin'-in de town
now, sab? ?"
"Yo' can hide in de garrett, honey!"
said sympathetic "aunty."
was about to take this advice when
the thought that the finding of nv
horse would be sure to betray my pres
ence. determined me to another course.
If must be taken it would be better
to be taken on my horse than hiding in
garnet.
ran out, mounted, and dashed into
the street. There was prompt cry
behind me, Halt!' I paid no atten-
ton to it, but spurred down the street
with carbine ball whistling past nv
head.
had not gone far when q mounted
man appeared ahead of me, and there
was another call, "Halt-surrender! |"
The whole town was being picketed.
turned into side street Just as q
squad OF. dozen or more horsemen
galloped along from the direction of
the hotel. There was chorus of yells,
"Halt, Yank!" Surrender, Yank!"
quickly followed by Il scattering volley,
None Of the balls touched me, but nv
horse stumbled to his knees. He is O
lucky man, who, going at the pace that
1 was, is able to keep his seat in that
situation. 1 did, clinging to saddle
and neck, with feet out of the stirrups.
The horse got to his feet again, and
just then, when it seemed as though
capture was sure, woman came to the
door of the house near the road and
beckoned me to ride through narrow
lane. 1 did SO, put some outbuildings
between me and the road, went through
an orchard and grove, and got past a
pair of bars into another road. The
vancouver completely "threw Off my
pursuers for the time. They fol-
lowed me, but were some time in
finding my course. I took the oppor-
tunity to make a hasty examination of
my horse. To my surprise and Joy L
found him unhurt He had CHANGED
to stumble at the instant the shots
were fired, but not bullet struck him.
He was strong, fleet animal, and to
him owe my deliverance from the
perils Of that day.
| I had ridden some distance along the
road I had now reached when saw
far off the figure of horseman on
some rising ground. Another picket
this was the Baltimore pike. l turned
into q field and rode south. All my
safety now was in reaching the road to
Rockville and Washington, the enemy
was between me and that upon which
our army was advancing.
My adventure was by no means in
tended. A map of the woods and lanes
through which made my way that
afternoon, in the effort to evade my
pursuers and get down to the Mon
ocacy Crossing, three miles below,
would be study. More than once I
almost ran upon mounted pickets, or
two or three horsemen securing about,
but my good fortune, which had be-
friended me SO we'll at the start. did
not desert me, and three days later I
rode into Georgetown.
The news of my adventure had pre-
coded me. My pursuit out of Fred
erick and the stumbling Of my horse
had been witnessed by people who
knew me we'll, and lady coming to
Georgetown had brought the account,
ending with my death by the bullets Of
Stuart's men! This had been te1e-
graphed to my home in New York, and
some telegraphing from me was neces-
sary to change the mourning of my
relatives over my untimely end to Joy
at my escape.
How We Did During the War.