Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-07-18
EARLY MORNING Raid.
An Illinois Cavalryman Tells How Liberty
Miss, Was Captured.

An Illinois CavaIryman Tells How Liberty,
Miss, Mas Captured.
While looking over list of engage
ments in which my old regiment took
an active part l noticed that of Liber-
ty, Miss, November Is, 1864. We had
been stationed al Baton Rouge, La, for
some time previous to that date. doing
picket duty and scouting as occasion
demanded. General Scott was az that
time stationed al Liberty, Miss, and it
was rumored had a large supply of
quartermaster stores in charge there.
General \. P. Banks, Department Com
mander, anxious to capture the sup
plies, ordered a brigade OF cavalry,
under the command Of General Lee,
to march across the country and per-
form that duty.
We left Baton Rouge about noon of
November Il. 1864. and after marching
all that afternoon and the following
night reached Liberty about daylight
the next morning, capturing the town,
three hundred rebels or more, a few
pieces of artillery and a large quantity
OF supplies, with but little loss to our
force. II was long and dreary ride,
for it commenced to rain some time
during the afternoon. and kept it up
all night; and, oh, Jerusalem. but it
was DARK. I remember being one of
the advance. We had to ride b. twos
about half the time, on account of the
narrOwness OF the road. which for sew
eral miles was an old corduroy, encom-
passed on either side by deep, swampy
land, making it almost impossible to
leave it without getting stuck fast. We
had to feel our way along, expecting
at every moment to hear challenge
from the front of who comes there?"
We pursued this monotonous course
without interruption until nearly morn
ing. When within a mile of the Amite
river we met the enemy's first picket
guards, who challenged Us with: WHO
comes there?" | exclaimed: '.Friends!'
Friends to whom?' was the quick re-
ply. answered: Friends to the
Union, OF course" Bang! bang! bang!
went their guns in quick succession.
and zip! zip! zip! came their bullets
pretty close to our heads. and away
they rode to their rear. We had orders
not to fire shot, but TO charge as soon
as we found the enemy; so away we
went in hot pursuit, soon coming in
sight of campires. On we rushed,
right into the midst of them. and such
gittin' up stairs you never did see''
as the Johnnies made.
1t seems that they were busy getting
breakfast when they heard the report
of the picket-guard5' guns. and, an
ticipating something, were trying to
get ready for battle or a hasty retreat,
when in came their comrades closely
followed by ''we-' uns." Some of them
mounted their horses and rode of,
some broke for the woods and were
subsequently captured, while others
threw up their hands and surrendered.
We delayed only long enough to see
our prisoners taken care of, when on
we went like mad for the bridge
across the river. We did not reach it
one moment too soon, for the rebels
were trying to burn it, and had already
torn up some of the boards to the ap-
proach when we reached it. We soon
repaired the slight damage, and then
on we gallOped. for Liberty. The rebels
made but little resistance, then fed in
confusion, leaving us in possession of
the town. We captured the telegraph
operator in bed in his Office, forced him
to give us the call-word or letter for
when one of our boys, who
had been an operator at home called
up the operator at Richmond. Va. and
asked him what was the latest news.
He replied that Mr.. Lincoln was re-
elected, which was the first intimatiOn
we had received of his reelection.
Our mission now being performed we
returned to Baton Rouge, and in few
days after set out on an expedition to
Mobile. Ala, under the command of
General Davidson.-J NJ. Gardner,
Sergeant, Co., E. 18th III. Cav, in
National Tribune.