The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1889-07-10
,'Yss, lnassa; I knows ,em, . ne said; "de

house, but I'm glad ye didn't doitp RaQe
"Whym n.,J ifl, 4 d
"Jes cause I'm glad you didn't. Some
body orter do V an, some 'un will, mebbe."
Look here, you black rascal, II l hear Of
YOU burning any houses l'llhaye you shot,
"De good Lord bless you, massa, won't
'deedI won't,r sv QI i,tiliDH 5.hfH
The Captain walked ON with his head
bowed trying to make out the character OF
the negro. He had been the slave Of Mr..
Nef for twenty years, and he had known
him ever sYhce boyhood, but there had AL
wcys Seemed 10 be some deep mystery con-
with him. There was something in
b 5 nature unfathomable. When next he
looked for Blsckhawk he had vanished
Az the little army advanced their num-
bers continued to hourly increase, until they
had over a thousand men, with indifferent
arms and still more Indifferent discipline.
Cairo was forty miles away when they re-
ceived information that JEFF Thompson.
with force Of rebels far superior 10 their
own, was between them and their haven
Of safety. Colonel Richard Oglesby, 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. tts +" .'t'-
Among tho 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
face that was very earnest, said;
Boys, we're gom' TO smell gnnpowdcr
before the day is done. The rebels ARE about
three miles from hero on q farm, and waitin'
to cut US of"
"How many are they In numberl" one OF
the officers asked.
Don't know; but they're reported about
three thousand strong"
A silence cnsued. Then one OF the officers
realizing that they were in poor condition
to fight such odds suggested that 1t might
be well to make circuit around them. But
Colonel Smart shook his head and an
swered: trt
"Eo, u we undertook that we'd have to
turn back, nnd 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 Well 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 offP'
said Luke.
THAT'S IT, Captain ..t...
"Trhe sooner we get AZ il the better, for
they are reinforcing oil the time"
The others were Of the Same opinion, and
each oaicer was instructed to SEQ that his
men were In the best condition possible for
battle. A fow minutes were given 10 tho
inspection OF guns, and to see that all were
supplied with ammunition, aud the force
moved on, the cavalry considerably in tho
advance. .......
Il was a bright autumn morning. The
night he'd BEEN slightly chilly, but as the
sun rose. the dew evaporated, and 1t grew
sultry. ,f ,.t, rH.,sr. rf-- -.
Captain Mason, who was well In advance,
found hihsel descending q wooded slope,
while out on his left was q long, level
stretch Of iand, with vast corn and wheat
fields, cut up and broken by lanes and roads,
with hero and there beautiful farm-houses.
They could oDly occasionally csieha glimpse
OF the vsley below, for rs they wound down
the rldge 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 rayines,
the sides Of which were covered with such
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, Justas Luke at the
head Of his company reached the crest Of
the hill, distant shots beyond the FIRST farm
house in the vallsy reached his ears.
Horsemen could be seen galloping up and
down the lanes, and for some time 1t was
impossible 10 distinguish friend from foo.
Captain Mason. drew his company up
along the line Of the bluf above the valley
30 as 70 guard the pass, and waited for the
Colonel, who came galloping forward In
time to meet the returning cavalry. The
cavalry reported that the enemy were
strongly posted beyond the first farm
house. EfE
Luze's company, with the cavalry, were
ueDOVe0 A9 AElrmlhuefb, ana OrQefeQ 10 hu-
yspcs p pn,il thew came upon the enemy
After a few yyords, Of announcement 70
bis men tbev descended TO the valley and
danloved
FENCES vere thrown down. and through
the Acids. woods. pastures and meadows
thew beoan 10 advance l....f
T,,,o baI,oa IN n cornseld be,oyy n house
D raconno,,er [ His fo,ces extended on
oT,har o;da ~ him ana bnt three or four
e.sno. s. ,,ro o,u e. s,ah, The ola farm.house on
s,o Ion w, 49, haa 80 ! ,,eocetu, npiet and home
iuso uo Isl, A Tho great Sarf.green stalks Of
, liAe iooA O -, ne su auarv s,de ;he hIaSes and
oIa IN .,o,,,. Ill tprrning n ;uno,e ,mnenetrable
~ IVY az s' On pn.v Sees ryere drovvsilv hum.