Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-05-30

Luke $, veins, and left him, trembling with
dread. Awakened by shouts. the crack of
firearms and all the appalling sounds Of
carnage, confuses the veteran, and the won
der Is that it did not produce a panic among
these raw recruits.
Perhaps they were too, much. stupefied to
become panic-stricken. They seemed to
realize thar their safety-lay in getting be-
hind the fence as soon as possible. as it
afforded them partial protection.
By the time Luke reached the fence the
firing ceased and the echoes of the shots
died away The raw recruit glanced down
the fence. row, which was dark with men
crouching. kneeling and lying behind it.
while their-guns formed serried phalanx of
black muzzles. The moon shone in peaceful
splendorupon the scene. illuminating it with
floods of silver light No one could be seen
in the wood beyond, but it was, from that
point that the attack was threatened.
When Luke found old Arkansaw Tom on
one side of him, and Ned Cotton on the
other, he regained his self-possession.
Where were the enemyl Not one was in
sight, nor had shot been fred in the last
three minutes. Luke asked Arkansaw
Tom where the rebels were, and was told
that they were not far away, and We're ad-
vancing on them, for they had already
driven in the pickets. But so peaceful and
quiet was the scene that Luke was about
half inclined to believe there was some mis-
take about it.
The crickets, which had been awed to
silence by those rude. alarms, resumed their
chlrrups, and the whippoorwlll, on the dis
tant hill. renewed its song. A pig came
struggling down the path beyond the fence,
grunting and roofing about among the
leaves. wholly unconscious of danger.
For several moments not word was heard,
and naught save crickets. night birds, the
rustling of leaves and grunting of the pig
broke the silence. This walting-this ex-
pecting bloody struggie-was more try
ing on the nerves than If 4 death struggle
was at hand. Luke's mind was busy recall
ing the past and trying to dip into the
future. Would this night end all on earth
below, and would the mystery Of his birth
be revealed only in eternltya
Some one whispered:
'sThey comer'
The regular tramp of feet could be heard
coming over the distant ridge, where the at
taeking party had evidently halted to dress
their lines.
CdpJoiu CuldEL. IL
a voice which was little unsteady itself
but which had within it the rim. of deter
mnation that gave courage to the men.
Luke strained his eyes to catch glimpse
| Of re foe. The nearer approach of the
marching columns indicated that they
would soon be in sight, and, despite all his
| determination, he found himself trembling.
The pig continued 10 root about among
| ot wit all bp
| giving vent to its satisfaction in expressive
| grunts.
| The enemy at last came in sight among
the trees on the ridge, and despite the in
| functions of the officers the more nervous
| of the recruits behind the fence row began
| blazing away at them. Luke at first de-
! termined to obey the command of his superb
ors, and wait till the foe were near enough
| to make sure shot, but the enemy being
recruits also, and as nervous as the men
they were attacking, returned the fire, and
when bullet struck rail so near him as
to cover his face with dust and rotten wood /,
he could no longA restrain himself, and
blazed away with the others.
| The pig gave utterance to a squeal OF
alarm and ran hither and thither, net ev-
erywhere with binding flashes and deafen-
| ing reports, until it at last raced down the
| fence row at full speed.
The enemy made no charge, but contented
themselves to fire few shots at long range
and then gradually fell back.
| Whether any of them had been killed OF
wounded the Union recruits could not de-
termine, though next morning puddle OF
blood close to tree was discovered. Bill
/ Snow, the only man touched on the Union
side, had slight flesh. wound in his arm.
Captain Smart made no effort to pursue
the enemy, but contented himself to remain
behind the fence with his forces for an hour
or two after they had disappeared. The
attacking force was evidently about equal
to his own, and failing to make a complete
surprise, or even take advantage of the
partial surprise, they had deemed it best to
| retreat.
Sleep was a stranger to the eyes of the
new soldiers the remainder OF that night
When morning came not sign of an enemy
could be found. 1t was the general belle
that the opposing force would renew tht
battle at daylight, but when it came they
were many miles away, and only the bullet
shattered oaks and fences renamed to tel
that a conflict had ragged there but few
! hours before.
The recruits, elated at their victory
seemed to have suddenly developed int
veterans. In their enthusiasm they wanted
to be led at once against Lexington, which
Price was supposed to be investing with {
force variously estimated 1T from twenty Il
one hundred thousand men.
The recruits were again in a turmoil fol
the lack of leader. Two days were spent
in trying to devise some general mode o.
action. Luke, disgusted with military
| organization which seemed no stronger
than a rope of sand, was half inclined II
desert and seek the service of his country
elsewhere.
They were constantly threatening t(
break up and go off in different directions
each company to itself. Nothing but the
knowledge that prowling bands of Confed
crates swarmed everywhere held them to
gether at Sagget. On the evening of the
third day man mounted on jaded horse
rode into camp with the startling intelli-
gence that Lexington had fallen on the 2eth
of September, the day before.
All hope of reaching Lexington wa:
abandoned, and without any leader the
army was in a deplorable condition. Sur
rounded by the enemy, cut off from friends
and convulsed with internal strife, thei4
condition was somewhat precariOus.
Some wanted to go to st. Louis, others Jc
Springfield, and another day was spent al
Sagget arguing which course they should
! take, when a messenger came with orders
from somewhere for them to move to Cairo.
That, of course, settled their destination,
but there were many minor details to DC
consulted in regard to the march. Captain
Smart still had nominal command OF the
forces, but his authority was liable to be
usurped at any time.
By pressing into service such teams as
could be found, they managed to organize