The Irish standard., 1889-05-18

no railroad for the transportation Of armies
or supplies, until that running east from
Vicksburg was reached. In fact, 1t was tho
great strategic position at the West be-
tween the Tennessee and the Mississippi
rivers, and between Nashville and Vicks-
burg.
General Grant at once put all the troops
at Savannah in motion for Pittsburg Land
ing. 1t was his intention TO march from
this position on Corinth rs soon as Buell.
with his army from the Ohio should arrive,
and the west bank of the river was to be the
starting point.
Colonel Mason was thrown well to tho
front in the brigade OF the brave old Gen.
eral B. M. Prentiss. Lukes regiment was
filled with recruits which were almost
hourly pouring into camp. Many OF the
new soldiers were young men fresh from
the farms, counting houses, shops and
stores, who had never yet smelt powder,
but who were destined ere long tc learn
something of the terrible realities OF war.
Arkansaw Tom, Corporal Max, Ned Cot
ton and Bill Snow, who were still with the
regiment, had become q sort OF self-im-
posed body~guard for the new Colonel
Though not on his staff, they were always
near at hand in hours Of danger.
The Colonel came to love these four vet
srans like brothers, and even though MAX
did grumble he knew he could be relied on
when hard fighting was required.
:sWal. Kernel, don't yer think we're
gwine ter hey fight purity soon" asked
Arkansaw Tom one morning, strolllng Into
his Coloneps tent.
81 don't know, Tom; sit down on that
cracker box. Well, about the fight
shouldn't wonder. General Johnston is
massing his forces at Corinth, and be.
lieye General Grant intends to move on
that place. There will be powder burned
when those two meet"
"Shouldn't bs aprised, Kernel I've been
tellin' Nv tn boys ter git ready fur the gol
Earnest knock down they ever heerd on"
"We will have feavy lighting soon, but
whenit will take place, end. where, don't
know--''
"But say, Kernel, cone in t. tell ye
somethin'."
"What, Tom!'
"Don't yer remember that air 6od blast
ed Niger wo5 yer call Black Jack ur suth-
| in O. the kind, who went on Their boat t.
Belmont, an we thort war killed IL tn
| swamp clus t. Donelsons''
eyes, you mean Blackhawk."
"Wau, he's turned I'd agin."
"Where is he?"
"In camp. It's a. Gods fact. Saw 'ina
this mornin','' said cid Tom: smoking his
short pipe.
"Wheres''
"1n camp. Came past our quarters
Whar our mess war"
"Did you speak with him?'' the Colonel
asked.
"Yes; axed him whar he'd been, an
! he said he'd been layin' IN th' brush, ter
! shoot cuss as ne hates. He's been clar
out ter Corinth, but hain't got his man yit.
Golly, 70 orter see his gun; it's great,
b1g, long-barreled ole-fashioned rife. Very
thing ter kill buck"
"He ought to know something about
! what the rebels ere doing. / wish you
would ind him, Tom, and send kim to me-"
"pll do it, Kernel. Ell go right now IN
hunt i'm up, |" and old Tom rose TO his feet
and started from the tent to find the mys-
terious negro; but Blackhawk, as usual,
could not be found when sought, and Tom
had fruitless search.
That evening General Prentiss ordered
Colonel Mason tn take two hundred men
naxs morning and go out several miles in
! their advance to reconnoiter, as it was re-
ported that the enemy had been seen in
considerable force along the Corinth road.
Almost ever since his arrival al Pitts
burg Landing Colonel Mason had heard Of
skirmiehimg in their front, and his own
pickets had been fred or several times.
s.It is probably some guerrillas," said the
Colonel to himself. s"rhey are prowling
through the country. and the woods are
fun of Them. A few companies OF cavalry
car easily put them 10 Eight"
OF course the four men who had been his
selt-constituted body guard formed q part OF
the two hundred picked men, and with
three days rations and forty rounds, they
set out at daylight next morning. AS they
were passing one of the outlying picket
posts sergeant hailed them and said:
eyed better look u little out"
"Have you seen any thing of the enemy
! this morning?'' the Colonel asked.
"Nc; but they've been a shootin' at us
boys all night and wounded Jack Gates"
'.Hnw many times were you fired on!"
ssThree. The last time they gave us
! dozen shots all at once"
spThey are only few bushwhackers: we
will drive them from the woods" said the
Colonel.
With three or four exceptions Luke's en-
tire two hundred were veterans who had
O69u GT4luSU SO0 uObVSoN ASnb0 19 DOl'
mont and Donelson.
The country was undulating and covered
| with dense growth Of trees and under
brush, except where clearings had been
made and fields cultivated.
The Colonel and his stah were the only
mounted men in the expedition. The re-
cent rains had made the roads muddy, and
marching was difficult and wearisome.
They had coma ahn,t five mr. sir nni7eu
when the advance guard informed the
Colonel that they were in sight Of farm
house, near which number Of horses were
hitched.
'sThey are bushwhackers. Now to capt
ure then,'' said the Colonel.
He divided has command into two di.
visions, and approaching tho house from
the south and east prepared to flank it so as
70 prevent any one from escaping.
Luke glanced at the sky to see what the
ho,, h,,<;< tn Rn,s 81