Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1889-05-09
CHAPTER V.
ERIrNnS nm ENEMIES


ing asked the name of the fair rebel who
had so strangely impressed him. The peo-
pie at the house were probably new Corners,
for he had few years before known almost
every one in this part of the country. But
absence at college, and then in another
State, had permitted time to work a WON
drous change in the old familiar land
marks. He was marching along with head
bowed, lost in painful reverie, oblivious to
the heavy tread of two hundred feet behind
him, when voice suddenly said:j
"Massa, why didn't We burn dat houseln
He looked up, and TO his intense amaze
ment he saw the negro, Blackhawk, bare
headed and bare-footed, tramping along at
his side. Blackhawk had an odd way Of dis
appearing and appearing when least ex-
pected He seemed to have the faculty of
being anywhere in moment
''Blackhawk, what are you doing heref'
he asked; shave you run away from your
mastersn
mo, sab; l jest thought I'd foller We;
mebbe We might need me-
''Do you know the people at that house,
Blackhawklh asked the young Captain, fix
ing his keen blue eyes on the negro. Black
hawk recoiled strangely, as If he had
suddenly been touched with hot iron. The
repeated the question.
''Yes, massa; knows 'em, he said ''dey
is all secesh.n
what is their name!n
Morgan, massa; dat gals ladder an
brudder am boff in de rebel army, an
'twonld a sarved um right to bu'nt dere
house, but I'm glad We didn't do it,
"Whyl"
sizes cause I'm glad you didn't. Some
body orter do I an some I'm will, mebbe.a
Look here, you black rascal, if / hear of
you burning any houses III have you shot -
'.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..
Neff 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 ne 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 JEFF Thompson,
own, was between them and their haven
of safety. Colonel Richard Ogiesby, 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 the officers, owing 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 a
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 numberi" one 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 a circuit around them. But
Colonel Smart shook his head and an
swered:
mo, II we undertook that we'd have to
turn back, and we'd like as 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 offl'
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 70 the
inspection of guns, and TO see that all were
supplied with ammunition, and the force
moved on, the cavalry considerably in the
advance.
1t 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 a wooded slope,
while out on his left was a 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 catcha 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
a 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 galloping 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 gaiioping forward in
time 10 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 70 ad-
vance until they came upon the enemy
After a few words of encouragement to
his men they descended to the valley and
deployed.
Fences were thrown down, and through
the fields, woods, pastures and meadows
they began 70 advance
TO BE CONTINUED