The National tribune., 1889-05-09


and would rather die than marry such hard
| hearted tyrant Still her people seemed de-
| termined that such should be the case some fu-
! ture day. / now began to see little romance
! looming up in the case, and told her would
| Law down my life if necessary to protect her
/ from such an unnatural marriage with this
rebel knight, who was the Captain of her
/ brothers company.
About o'clock next morning ali our ar
/ rangemenis were made for future meetings.
! bid her farewell and was permitted to imprint
1 the first lovers kiss on her dimpled cheek
and fastened away toward camp, for fear of
missing another roll-call at reveille But when
] came to where the camp should have been,
imagine my surprise and discontinue to Ind
1 il totally deserted not tent nor a comrade
to be seen or heard, and from all appearance
| the whole army had departed early the pre-
vious night. Here / was alone in the enemy's
/ country What should / do? Should ! return
1 and seek shelter in the negro quarters, and
/ conceal myself near my afiianced The tempta-
+ tion was great, but had always been dutiful,
/ loyal soldier and the thought of being away
I from my command without leave, and it ex-
pectiug to meet the enemy in battle, almost
paralyZeG me with shame and remorse. 30,
without further hesitation, / started on the
double-eUick in the direction ] supposed the
/ army had gone. Fortunately / passed through
/ Natchitoches and arrived on the river bank at
/ Grand Ecore Ia little village about three miles
/ from Natchitoches) at the wharf or boat Landing
i by daylight aud easily found the trail of the
army. which had taken the Shreveport road.
/ ] followed on at a rapid pace, until met an
I old darby on a mule whom / asked when the
! Yankee army had passed. be said, Ihey all
+ done passed long alorc midnight, about mil
/ lion, heguessed, some riding on oritter-back
/ but most walkin', and was haulin' lots of big
cannons on wagons" Ny next inquiry was If
I any rebels were on or about the road.
fore the lands SalleS. mzgSa +" he answer
! ed; Mars Cap'n Todd's men, all ridin' crit.
/ tiers, is a-iollerin' on, a-ketchin and a-kllIln
+ every one OF you-uns they can"
Now, I remembered that Lizzie had told me
I this Todd was Captain of an independent cav
! airy company of scouts, and that he had be-
come terror TO all who sympathized with the
/ Union cause, and WAS very abusive ana tyran-
/ nical to the slaves, and regarded as dangerous
man. / pushed on cautiously, keeping sharp
/ lookout for the Confederate cavalry. Finally,
/ on emerging from strip OF pine timber, saw
/ ahead of me- not over a half mile away, squad
| of Confederate cavalry approaching me at
lively gait Quick as thought l fell to the
ground and erawled into the brush and under
growth not over 10 or so feet from the road.
When they came up opposite me they halted TO
converse and take observations. One fine-look-
/ ing young man took out feldglass aud looked
back in the direction they had come Another
soldier said:
Il thought saw - niger right here in
the road as We came in sight, but what do you
make it out, Benz"
The Young man with the glass answered:
1T is just as Capt Todd expected; detach-
ment of the Yankee cavalry is coming back
over the road for some purpose. All. they
have halted at the brook, and seem to be dis
mounting"
I also learned by the conversation that Capt
Todd would meet them at the crossroads, which
had noticed about two miles back, where he
had planned an ambuscade to trap the Federal
cavalry if they came on.
We will conceal ourselves dismounted on
each side of the cut in the road, and if we don't
get away with some or all of them Yanks, my
name amt Ben. Greene" said the young man
with the glass; after which they cantered back,
to my great satisfaction, as / then did not ex
pect the enemy to be between myself and
friends. After the enemy had passed out of
sight / ventured out on the road again and
travelled on as fast as l could walk, and soon
came onto a detachment of the 10th Ind.
Mounted Inf, who had halted near a house to
water and feed their horses. They seemed sur
prised TO see lone Yankee on foot and un-
armed. as they said the rear of the army had been
harassed so persistently by a detachment of
mounted bushwhackers that they had been sent
back to look after them. soon found that Capt.
NJ with whom / was well acquainted, was in
J command Of the battalion, and gave him the
particulars Of the conversation had overheard,
especially in regard to the contemplated am
bush. The Captain pressed me hard TO tell
him how I happened TO be so far in the rear,
but | could only tell him l got left, and was
anxious 10 rejoin my command. He furnished
me a mule which had been picked up, and as
sured me ] would have but little trouble in
reaching my regiment as the road was well
patroIled.
+ That night about o'clock rode into camp
! at Pleasant Hills, and had TO go with Capt II.
al 1vad nclag Of .
whole affair. Col. E., being an old disciplin-
arian, did not sympathize with the poor boy
5 as / thought he should have done, and | had
the satisfaction of lying down to sleep with a
I, promise of a regimental court-martial as soon
as an opportunity presented itself. But before
l fell asleep we were ordered 10 get up and fall
in line, and started on quick time to the front
At daybreak on the morning of the 9th of April
0 we came up to where the cavalry had found
: the enemy in considerable force, but by our
T assistance they were sOon dislodged, but dog
gedly contested every inch of ground till we
E reached Sabine Crossroads; near Mansfield, La.
] where, as is fully recorded in history, we were
drawn into the trap set for us, severely beaten
0 and sent pell nell back through the thieket tC
Pleasant Hills There, reinforced by A. j
Q Smiths Corps. we fought the battle of Pleasant
i Hills on the 9th, and routed the yictors of the
previous day. Yet Gen. Banks ordered the
retreat TO be continued TO Grand Ecore, where
0 breastworks and awaited the return of thu
! feet, which had gone on up the river
u Here met Capt. Moore again, who said tina
by the information / had given him he wa
: enabled to completely surprise and get ava,
2 with Capt Todd and his ambuscade, and haC
C captured most of his men, but the willy Cap
4 tain had escaped. Looking over a list of tn
q prisoners, l found the name of Sergt Ben
y Greene, marked severely wounded in left arm
2 Through the kindness of Capt. Moore ! wa
e permitted 10 pass in and out of the warehous
IS where the prisoners were being kept; and vii
y here say that through Capt Moores interces
+ sion 1 heard no more of regmental court
L martial.
soon became acquainted with the brothe
: Of Lizzie aud showed him so many little kind
nesses that he, finally, seeing my friendly dis
70 position, told me that he was within about fou
o. and half miles of his home, where lived hi
Il widowed mother and only sister, whom he wish
a ed to be permitted to visit if possible before be
q ing taken away. told him / would do every
q thing in my power to secure this privilege fc
81 him, and again sought Capt Moore, who was i
charge Of the prisoners. Iagreed to go with Be-
/" to visit his folks and see that he returned Afte
30 the usual red-tape procedure he was fnall
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