The National tribune., 1889-05-23
BREAKING UP A DANCE.
Incidents of Trip Through the Boys and Brakes
of Arkansas.


EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: The soldiers
who fought the bushwhaekers in the swamps
and boys of the South played as important
part in the rebellion as those who faced the
enemy on the open battlefield. But many
events of Importance have as yet failed to reach
the light of public print.
In the Fall of 1864 Gen. Clayton, commander
of the Union forces at Pine Bluff, Ark, sent
party of scouts under Capt. Davis into the
southern part of the State, with instructions
to capture all the rebels we could and forage
the fat of the land. The party consisted of
about 100 men of the 18th III. Cav, well armed
with courage and carbines. We travelled in a
soUtheasterly direction down the Arkansas
River, varying this way or that to whatever
invited our attention, whether it was a corpu-
lent porker the dark form of q guerrilla
gliding into canebrake.
On the fourth day of our march we stopped
for dinner in a large barnyard on the south side
of the road. A high fence extended from the
east side Of the lot along the south of the road
and wellnigh impossible bayou on the north
side ran parallel with the road for nearly a
mile to where it made a sharp turn to the
south. While preparing our repast an unsus-
pecting Confederate came up the road, riding
horse aud leading one at his side. He advanced
to within a hundred yards of the lot before he
became aware of our presence. On seeing us he
wheeled his horses and began as hasty a fight
as his bony steed was capable of. Two of our
boys mounted their horses and chased him from
the road, meanwhile getting good view of the
country between his person and the saddle
When he reached the turn ia the road he at
tempted to jump from his horse and escape
through woods. But he struck the ground
after the fashion of a wheel, and before he
could gather up his extremites his pursuers
fired couple of shots over his head and shout
ed. Hands up!" The frightened reb backed
OFT into fence corner with fear and trembling,
and the boys soon ushered him into the barn
yard. He was so scared that he made no effort
to keep anything from us. The extra horse
belonged, he said, to one Maj. Pepols, who had
crossed the river to attend dance some eight
or ten miles to the southeast. South of the
place where the dance was to be held was a
party of about 100 rebels
After consultation it was decided to capt
ure as many rebels as possible at the dance
that night and move onto the camp next morn
ing, as they were camped out of hearing of our
guns. To avoid suspicion as to our intentions,
we rode directly east, until opposite the place
of the dance. We then turned abruptly to the
south. The house stood on an old field east of
the road. West of the road was a deep bayou,
and lane extended about a quarter of d mile
along the road to the south. Surprising that
those from the camp south would come by this
road, six dismounted men were sent to the
| south end of the lane to bar retreat and the
remainder rode behind the bank of the bayou
| The men at the south end of the lane were to
conceal themselves until a man rode into the
lane when they were to step into the road be-
| hind him and order him to halt. If he did not
| obey signal gun was to be fired, and we were
| to ride into the north of the lane abreast
We had not been in waiting very long when
the report of a gun rang cut ON the air, and we
rode into the lane. A horseman came galop-
ing up the road, but as soon as he saw that he
was in trap he surrendered. He was dis
armed, gave his name as Maj. Pepols, and we
marched him into the bayou. The next to fall
into the trap was Captain, whose name can
not now recall When the formidable halt"
sounded in dusky twilight behind him, he
spurred away and came dashing up the lane at
rapid rate. We shouted at him to surrender.
On he came never needing; he spurred his
horse again and attempted to break through
the solid phalanx of cavalry across his way,
| never checking until MORALLY wounded by half
| dozen balls. He was carried to the house to
be cared for; but if he danced it was in troubled
visions and to the death knell of the Southern
Confederacy.
In this way we continued to capture them
as long as they came and when The hour for
the dance arrived there was neither sound of
music nor feet of dancers, but the 'resounding
echoes of carbines aud the clatter of the hoofs
of the cavalry horses.
The next morning we started in the direction
of the camp, but had gone only about four miles
when we met party of the 7th Ind. and 7th
No. They had surprised the camp early that
morning, captured quite number of prisoners,
and were on their way to headquarters. We
! Joined them and began to retrace our course.
On the afternoon of the next day small party
of rebels hid in canebrake near our line of
march. and when we came opposite them fired
volley from their muskets Evidently this
was done in order to give the prisoners chance
to escape. 1t was a futile attempt, for not a
man was hurt, nor was our line of march
broken. The men at the "other end of the
! guns must have been killed or seriously
wounded, for they fired only one volley, and
we reached Pine Bluff without further trouble
and with all our prisoners.-Mc LAKEY,
Co. l., 18th III. Cav, Waterloo, Kan.
WARNER's Safe Cure removes headache. deaf
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sions and COMA"