The National tribune., 1889-02-07
Why our story has been called as the reader has

why our story has been called as the reader has
seen.
Helena continued to be permanent military
post from that time onward, but the rebels did
not attempt TO disturb it, for the double reason
that their force of troops on the west of the
Mississippi was small. and no good could come
from raid on the town when they would not
be able TO hold it more than few hours only
until gunboats could arrive to drive them away.
Gen. Curtis was ordered to st. Louis to take
command Of the Department of the Missouri,
and operate against the rebels that were max
ing things somewhat lively in the neighbor-
hood of Springfield and Fayetteville. pOr-
tion Of the troops that had composed The Lost
Army remained at Helena, but the greater
part were ordered to join the corps that made
the second attack upon Vieksburg and ulti-
mately succeeded in reducing that important
stronghold of the rebellion.
Two or three weeks after the arrival of Gen.
Curtis at Helena word was received of party
of rebels some - or 10 miles away in north
erly direction. Two companies of the Sd Wis.
Cav. went to look for the enemy, and were ac-
companied by our young friends. They found
the enemy, and very unexpectedly toO for they
ran into an ambuscade; but happily the aim of
the rebel rifles was so bad that only two or
three men were injured. Then the Unionists
went in" and thTashed the rebels, compelling
them to retreat after the loss of several of their
number Harry and Jack had each prisoner
TO his credit though it is proper to say that
they were not captured in fair fighting. The
way of it was this:
After the fighting was over the youths dis
mounted to look over the ground and pick up
anything that might be of value or would indi-
cate to what company or regiment, if any, the
men they had been engaged with belonged.
They had done this on several occasions to ad-
vantage and in the latter part of their CAM
paigning it was a rule TO which they adhered
whenever circumstances permitted.
While they were inspecting the scene of the
skirmish, Harry came to large tree which
proved on examination to be hollow. He re-
marked TO Jack that it was a good place for
man to hide in, to which Jack replied that 1t
would hold half dozen or more if they didn't
mind little crowding.
Who knows but that some of those fellows
hid there when they found we were getting the
best of EN-" said Harry. "Suppose we inves-
tigate that tree"
Jack agreed to it, and they approached the
tree, cooked their pistols and pointed them up
the hollow into the darkness.
Come down out of that" said Harry, in
commanding tone, or we'll shoot daylight into
you"
There was no response, and Harry was about
TO turn away when Jack, more in fun than
with any expectation of finding anybody, called
out:
Come down, say. You'll have just five
seconds to come in"
I'm a-coming," said weak voice from the
darkness, much TO the surprise of the boys, and
amoment later down slipped a forlorn-looling
Butternut," whowas evidently greatly fright
ened.
Surrender" shouted Harry, and tell the
rest of 'em TO come right away"
There's only one more ielier there" said
the prisoner, who surrendered by throwing his
hands in the air and dropping his shotgun on
the ground. The summons was renewed. and
down came the "one more feller " and surren-
dered after the same fashion; and this was the
way their prisoners were taken.
=" Not quite as meritoriOus performance as
capturing them ia open fighting" said Harry;
hut then it's like hooking fish in the belly
instead Of catching him in the regular way by
the mouth-he counts just the same"
During their stay at Helena Harry and Jack
made themselves useful in looking after the
negroes that fOcked there for protection, and
they were sometimes derisively mentioned by
their comrades as managers of the Freedmen's
Bureau. But they took the satire good ma
turedly and went on with their work, which
consisted Of aiding IN the distribution of ra-
tiORs, making lists Of the negroes as fast as
they came in, assigning them to different parts
OF the camp, helping them TO their free-papers,
drafting out all who were able to work, and
sending them TO the levee to aid in unloading
steamboats,, or into the forests in tine neighbor-
hood of Helena, where they were employed to
cut wood At every opportunity they endeav-
ored to instil into the negro mind the idea that
freedom didn't mean idleness, and insisted that
the best way of making this fact understood was
10 put the negro at work, even if work had to
be manufactured for him.
Consequently, when there was nothing else
to be done, Harry would take the negroes who
were under his orders aud set them to throw
ing up fortiication around the camp. When
it was completed he pretended to wish TO
change something about it, and thus the earth
OF which 1t was composed was handled over
several times IN succession
The last we saw Of cur young friends in the
camp at Helena they were looking on and list
ening one Sunday evening when the negroes
were having religious meeting. Several negro
preachers harangued the assemblage in their
quaint and lorcible way. Prayers were offered,
and three or four hymns were sung with great
fervor, all the congregation joining. and fairly
making the woods ring with their voices. The
meeting weund up with the following doxol-
ogy, the composition of one of the negro
preachers, who lined it out to the congrega-
tion several times in succession until enough
OF them had committed il to memory TO make
sure that it would go:
We're all free now
We're all free now
We're all free now forebber.
We don't tank nlassas
We don't tank missu~ses;
But we III tank de Yankees forebber.