The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-03-20

it, Lieutenent David Gibbs of Colonel Hales
regiment of provisional militia, was stationed
at Spring Hill with part of a company, all Liv-
lngSton men, and chiefly from the Forks Hart
came into the Forks on Thursday, and tho
same night Gibbs sent scouting party after
him. This party returned Friday noon with
out accomplishing anything On Sunday Hart
and his men moved up into the Clear creek
TIMBER, Ill the northwest corner of Livingston,
for it was growing uncomfortable down in the
Forks.
TRACKED TO HIS LAIR.
Sunday night another scouting party OF
twenty men, under Lieutenant Gibbs in per-
son, left Spring Hill and moved to the Clear
Creek range, going into camp in the woods at
midnight, preparatory to n "drive" after tho
bushwhackers in the early morning. 1t was
warm midsummer night, and the men slept
ON the ground without covering. The horses
were tied to sapings, and two sentinels kept
watch and ward. Only mile away lay Hart
and his band in n romantic little vale on Coon
creek. Their camp was natural tent COW
cred and canopied by the overhanging and
lnterlocked branches of an elm and linden,
hugo and outrageous as banyan trees, and
was carpetcd with moss green as emerald and
soft as velvet. The guerrllas kept out no
pckets. They were few in numbers and they
preferred to take the chances of u surprise
rather than endure the fatigue and loss Of
sleep incident to standing guard at night At
sunrise the band moved mile or more up tho
creek and made another camp on steep bluff
overhangng Coar crook near two or three
farm houses, in q locality where water and
feed could be had for the horses and provisions
obtained for the men.
Monday morning, at the first glowing of the
dawn, Lieutenant Gibbs and his men We're in
their saddles. Moving swiftly forward in tho
cool morning air. the trail of the guerrlas
was struck at the head of Coon creek, and
after following its tortuous course for some
distance, the party divided into two squads.
One of these, composed of the leader and
twelve mon, took to the Coon creek hills,
among which the trail seemed to lead. Tho
other, consisting of seven men, followed up
Clear creek, and soon came again upon tho
trail of the bushwhackers, Joe Hart and liye
others. Eager as beaglcs, and as true and
tirelcss as bloodhounds, the mllitiamen
pressed forward, crowdng and tearing through
the thick brush, leaping or stumbling through
deep hollows and ravnes, pistol or q gun
in one hand, bride rein in the other and
all eyes to the front. Half a mile from the
farm of old man Curtis the Dushwhackers were
reached.
THE POET BusHwHAcKER's DEATH.
Hart had just finished a letter to his parents,
under cover to lady relative in st. Joe, which
one of the band had volunteered to take to
Chillicothe and put in the po5toflice, when the
alarm was given that the feds" were coming.
There was no time to saddle up; there must be
fight Right boldly did the guerilla leader
meet the issue, and superbly did lie rise to tho
occasion
"Get ready, quick, boys he called to his
can keep them back. Take good aim and try
and drop "a fed. every shot"
Tho toderalS came right forward When
they had como within twenty yards of the
position of the guerrillas Hart called out,
| "Firel" and two rounds from half dozen
reyolvers were fred at them Every shot
missed. The seven miitiamen yelled, and at
once charged up the steep bluff. Hart stepped
forth and fired two shots OF one of them, not
twenty feet away. just then William Mat
thews threw down his revolver, fired at Hart's
head, and the ball struck him in tho back,
seyering the carotid artery. The blood spurted
six feet away. Hart stumbled backward,
throwing UP his hands wildly as il clutching
at something above his head, lurched reeled
and fell In few seconds he was dead. They
say he bled bucketful, and that the ground
and the grass for yards around were soaked
with his gore His men retreated when their
leader fell, taking to the thick brush afoot and
scattering. The lederals captured four horses
and equipments, two navy revolverS, over
coats, blankets, y piece of blue jeans, ETC..
abandoned by the bushwhacker5 when they
fled.
The militia buried Hart where he fell, with
something like decency-a 3-foot grave and no
coffin, and no winding sheet save his blood
soaked garments, but he was covered from
sight and lay with his head to the west like a
Christian. They found OH his body his CONF
mission from Colonel Parker, small silk con-
fedcratc flag, field glass, q memorandum
book containing numerous entries, piece OF
poetry cut from "a newspaper, and beginning:
We met, twas IN Il crowd, etc
SOME LETTERS.
Some letters one from his sweetheart. and
the one he had finished not an hour before his
death, which was addressed to his parents.
The latter was az follows:
MAR CHiLLICOTHE, IIyfEGsrC COUNTY mo,
July l3 lSl2-Dear Parents. Being mp In this eoun-
ty with IL body of partisan rangers on raid have
concluded to drop few lines to you, letting you
know Of my health, which is fine, and also of my
operations and OF my brother George. saw some
lf,Ug hpNf ~
the army who say George after the battle Of Capo
Gilar !eau. He WINS well and in excellent spirits.
John Is dead. lie was wounded at Springfield Jan.
uayy . ana died soon alter. Don't weep for him.
!, with you, viii always mourn his
timely death, yet he conld not have died in better
cause. He was second lieutenant, and George Is
nov first lieutenant
captured lot OF Andrew county militia and
Killed several. The boys under my command
eau ;ht Harrison Burns, George Henry, aud some
one else, don't know who yet, and killed them, as
tboy refused to give up their arms which were navy
reyo!ycfs. and tried TO shoot while in the house,
when they were killed ia the presence Of the W0-
men. | could not hep IT,. 1t was their own iault;
they should have surrendered. We got four fine
navy rcVovCrs from Il n. They helped to murder
G orge Brcckinridsc and old Sam Mason and shot
MR., Mason in the arm.
You did not get out uny too soon. am going to
GRO the whole Qulniroll regiment and Xii OIL An
drew county, every last devil, and they know II.
You bet they fly when they hear Of me up here.
They say / am damned sight worse than GUAM
re and that my men would sooner die than lye.
captured $1,000 ~ grecnbackS on my last raid,
from the federal paynmstcr NJ Fattsburg think
our boys killed Bill Oge.
NV headquarters GrC In jackson county. Write 10
me and tell me how you are getting along and
where you are at. ! mny do something for you.
Don't come bnck. Tell me what postoice 70 direct
~. Answer this Immediately. EuclCso IN small
envelope and direct 10 Joseph Lawrence then en-
close in large envelope and direct 70 James Butts,
Liberty, Clay county Mo, and don't sign your lull
name; better sign Emma" How had better send
you money. by letter. express or special messenger
! wiz send you some sometime this summer Tell
me whore my cousins at, and who is in tho
army. Give my love 10 all.
Wss wounded IN he head no. long ago, but am
wcl how. We twelve of as, chang 81 scYenty-ono
feds, with Our navy rryOlycrs a few days ago, in
Jack on. killing some forty odd, capturing fifty
bgaochea ling rifles ltytour or ffly five navy re-
yolyeis and about sixty horses, with thor equipage,
AMI Lost only three killed-nOne wounded OF taken
pfig 1ncis remain your son; IOE.
Cousin salle have directed this 10 you because
] DO not know where pa or ma are at Please send
II 10 them and obllge. wrote to you last spring,
but never received any reply. Yours Joa.
q ~
If you have not tried Salvation OIL you
should do 50 and you will DO greatly surprised.
Mr.. LO.
From tho PEORIA Transcript
A Washington belle who went west to teach
the young Indian idea how to shoot IL to marry one
ID