Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-05-16
A oAvALRYMAN.s STORY.
His Escape From Tight Place Made Pos
sihia Inv Ti.paIv

His Escape From Tight Place Made Pos
| sible by Timely Leap.
Though differing in power the
amount of endurance possessed by the
average man and horse exceeds belief
until severe trial puts it to the test.
In the month of February. 1868. our
cavalry headquarters were in the vicin-
ity OF Bell Plain, Va, and from that
point details were sent to maintain a
picket-line extending from the left of the
main army before Fredericksb urg.
down along the Rappahannock. on the
south side of the Peninsular region ly-
ing between this river and the Potomac.
Owing to the high condition and width
OF the river, the apparent small force
of the enemy below, and the small
amount OF trouble they gave us, our
| line was light; one regiment often
guarding or watching. by picket and
| patrol. the whole extent of country
/ reaching from the left of our infantry
nearly to the Chesapeake Bay. During
the time this duty was assigned to our
regiment, lasting, as it did. about
three weeks, we saw scarcely any fight
ing, but the terrible marching i'm
posed upon us in patroling such dis
lance at regular intervals, with the fact
that the roads were made almost i'm
passable by rain and mud, told with
destructive effect upon horsefesh and
the health and strength of the men.
By reference to the maps of Virginia,
1t will be seen that the distance by an
airline from Falmouth to the Chesa-
peake is about eighty miles. As we
started from a point about half way
between Falmouth and Port Conway,
and at the end of our march down the
Peninsula retraced our steps at point
about twenty miles from the bay, the
distance direct is probably fifty or sixty
miles; but as we were obliged to follow
road the windings of which would be
difficult to trace on paper. the march
back and forth must have compre-
hended a distance of more than 125
miles. We found it next to impossible
to ascertain distances from citizens and
negroes whom we saw and questioned;
the ideas of the negroes in regard to
distances being, as they expressed
them, very vague to us.
On the afternoon of the 9th day of
February our regiment received orders
to relieve another regiment of the
brigade then picketing at King George
Courthouse; so at five o'clock we were
on the march. and reached the reserve
at twelve o'clock that night. We passed
three days picketing. At twelve o. clock
on the night of the 18th, however, we
were suddenly aroused, the outposts
withdrawn, and were soon on the
march. From that time until we reach
ed our destination we stopped only
when it became absolutely necessary.
About noon one day near the last
part of our hard march my horse gave
out, and l was obliged to abandon him
by the roadside and undertake the al
most hopeless task Of keeping pace
with the regiment on foot. To best &C
complish this left the road and struck
off across the country in a straight
line, through bramble, boys. pine
thickets and uncultivated fields. trust
ing thus to shorten my own walk, and,
if possible. strike the road again.
After about three hours scrambling
over this tracilless route. | was finally
favored with the sight of cluster of
plantation buildings, and upon reaching
it found to my unspeakable delight a
stable, and in that stable three fine
looking horses.
My presence brought concourse OF
woolly heads about the stable and two
white women, fairly dressed. who set
up terrible cutlery when 1 saddled a
bay horse and proceeded to lead him
out. An elderly white man then ap-
peared, and with menacing manner
commanded me to relinquish the horse.
l simply tapped the handle of my revol-
yer and sprang into the saddle. He
then began to beg me to take the black
horse. just then | noticed an old
darby close by the horse, and felt by
his actions that he wanted to say some
thing, but was afraid. leaned over
on his side as though to adjust the
stirrup-strap, when he hurriedly whis-
pered:
Don't take de brack horse, a'se he
de debbers own. Take de bay, and TO
de Lords sake git out o dis quickr'
Strengthening up glanced at the
white woman and the old man, and saw
that they had seemingly lost all inter-
est in the fate of the bay horse. but
were expectantly glancing in a particu-
lar direction to the east Becoming in
terested. rode the horse past the cor
ner of the stable, and. looking in the
same direction, saw what caused me to
wheel the horse into field and start
him in a rapid galiop in an opposite dt-
rection. l had ridden but few rods
when heard a great uproar in the vicin-
ity of the stables, caused by yells. curses
and the sharp reports of rifles and re-
Looking back / saw three
horsemen following me
into the field, shouting and firing at
me. To my right, and near the road,
four others were urging their horses to
head me off from gap in the trench
fence so common in that