Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1889-06-27
aYes, ma.sa: I knows 'sm, > hesaid; .-dsy

aYes, massa; I knows sem," hesaid; ''dey
| f. all secesh."
ssWhat ID their names"
morgan, massa; dat gal's ladder an
brudder am bo6 in dc rebel army, an
'twould sarved um right to . bu'nt dere
house, but I'm glad ye didn't do it."
"Whyf"
sJes cause I'm glad you didn't. Some
body orter do It an some 'un viii, mebbe. !"
'.Look here, you black rascal, if hear Of
you burning any houses l'llhave you shot. F"
"De good Lord bless you, massa, won't,
deed won't"
The Captain walked ON with his head
bowed trying to make out the character Of
the negro. He had been the slave Of Mr..
Neh for twenty years, and he had known
him ever since boyhood, but there had al
ways seemed to be some deep mystery con-
nected with him. There was something in
his nature unfathomable. When next he
looked for Blackhawk he had vanished.
As the little army advanced their num-
bers continued to hourly increase, until they
had over thousand men, with Indifferent
arms and still more Indifferent discipline
Cairo was forty miles away when they re-
ceived information that JET Thompson,
with force Of rebels far superior to their
own, was between them and their haven
of safety. Colonel Richard Oglesby, with .
splendid Illinois regiment, was somewhere
in their neighborhood, but, despite every ef-
fort made on the part Of Colonel Smart, he
found it impossible to communicate with
HIM.
Among the recruits received on the march
were about two hundred mounted men,
whom they used as scouts and foragers.
Captain Henry Smart had been chosen
Colonel, but as yet no commissions had
been granted any of tho officers, ewing to
some disagreement between the Governor
and General Fremont. Colonel Smart had
all the officers Of the regiment summoned to
his headquarters one morning, and, with
face that was very earnest, said:
"Boys, we're goin' to smell gunpowder
before the day Is done. The rebels are about
three miles from here on farm, and waitin'
to cut Us off,"
"How many are they in number?" ono Of
the officers asked.
Don't know; but they're reported about
three thousand strong"
A silence ensued. Then one Of the officers
realizing that they were in poor condition
to fight such odds suggested that it might
be well to make circuit sround them. But
Colonel Smart shook his head and an
swered:
"No, 4 we undertook that we'd have to
turn back, and we'd like Is not meet Price
and Mccullough. We've got to get to Cairo,
where General Grant and General Prentiss
are, and then we'll be able to whip all the
rebels in the country"
"You mean that we must cut our way
through the rebels sent to head US on!'
said Luke.
THAT'S 1t, Captain"
"The sooner we get at it the better, for
they are reinforcing all the time"
The others were Of the same opinion, and
each officer was instructed to see that his
men were in the best condition possible for
battle. A few minutes were given to the
inspection of guns, and to see that all were
supplied with ammunition, and the force
moved on, the cavalry considerably in the
advance.
It was a bright autumn morning. The
night had been slightly chilly, but as the
sun rose the dew evaporated, and it grew
sultry.
Captain Mason, who was well in advance,
found himself descending wooded slope,
while out on his left was q long, level
stretch Of land, with vast corn and wheat
fields, cut up and broken by lanes and roads,
with here and there beautiful farm-houses.
They could only occasionally catch a glimpse
of the valley below, for as they wound down
the ridge road, they were most of the time
shut in by green walls of tall trees and
thick bushes. On either side of them the
ridge sunk away into deep rocky ravines,
the sides Of which were covered with such
q dense underground that the bottom could
not be seen.
The road at last made an abrupt turn
where the ridge terminated and descended
into the valley below. Just as Luke at the
head of his company reached the crest Of
the hill, distant shots beyond the first farm
house in the valley reached his ears
Horsemen could be seen galloring up and
down the lanes, and for some time it was
impossible to distinguish friend from foe.
Captain Mason drew his company up
along the line of the bluff above the valley
so as to guard the pass, and waited for the
Colonel, who came galloping forward in
time to meet the returning cavalry. The
cavalry reported that the enemy were
strongly posted beyond the first farm
house.
Luke's company, with the cavalry, were
deployed as skirmishers, and ordered to ad-
vance until they came upon the enemy.
After q few words Of encouragement to
his men they descended to the valley and
depioyed.
Fences were thrown down, and through
the fields, woods, pastures and meadows
they began to advance.
Luke halted in cornfeld below house
IN pia fOpOoo nvfonHod nm,
either side of him and but three or four
men were in sight. The old farmhouse on
his right had a peaceful, quiet and home
like look The great dark-green stalks of
corn rose up on every side, the blades and
rich stalks forming jungle impenetrable
to the eye Busy bees were drowsily hum
ming about from vine to vine, among the
corn or lighting on the heavy pods of full,
ripe beans. A sunflower turned its bold
face to the king Of light, and q shred Of gold
upon the tall stalk marks where . butterfly