The Springdale news., 1889-07-05
he could not obey them, but took matters in


 well for the cause of the Union that Gen eral Grant never received those orders, for if he had, instead of pushing on and seizing Nashville and even Donelson, he would have had to lay at Fort Henry. West Point has made some good military men among the thousands turned out from thas institution; but General Grants common sense was of more value toshis country than all his early military training.
 On the 17th of March, 1862, Grant was re- stored to command, and found the Union army in his,district divided, one part being on the east side of the Tennessee at Savan- nah, while one part was at Crump's Land ing on the west bank four miles further up the river, while third division was at Plttsburg Landing which was still liyemlIes further up the river.
 The loss of Forts Henry, Donelson and Nashville had greatly demoralized the Con federates, and to once more bring the army into something like marching orders, Ger eral Sidney Johnston, one Of the most effi- cient commanders in the Southern army, began concentrating all the available forces at Corinth. The wisdom of thls action must be acknowledged by all military men. John ston had learned the kind of a man Grant was. Corinth was the junction of two of the most important railroads ln the Mssis- sippi valley one connecting Memphis, and the other the Mississippi river with the East, and the other leading to all the cotton States of the South. Still another railroad connected Corinth with Jackson, in West Tennessee.
 Grant at once saw that If he obtained pos session of Corinth the enemy would have no railroad for the transportation of armies or supplies, until that running east from Nicksburg was reached In fact, it was the great strategic position at the West be- tween the Tennessee and the Mississippi rivers and between Nashville and Xicks- burg.
 General Grant at once put all the troops at Savannah in motion for Pittsburg Land ing It was his intention to march from this position on Corinth as soon as Buel 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 the front in the brigade of the brave old Gen. eral B. NJ. Prentiss. Luke's 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 to 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 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 erans like brothers, and even though Max did grumble he knew he could be relied on ba. .l q fyl+
 Wall. Kernel, don't yer think we're gwine ter hev fight purity soou'' asked Arkansaw Tom one morning, strolling into his Colonel's tent.
 II don't know, Tom; sit down on that cracker box. Well, about the fight-I shouldn't wonder, General Johnston is massing his forces at Corinth, and I be- iieve General Grant intends to move on that place. There will be powder burned when those two meetn
 "Shouldn't be s'priscd, Kernel. I've been | tetiin' uy tn boys ter git ready fur the gol darnest knock down they ever heerd on."
 We wlll have heavy fighting soon, but whenit will take place, and where, l don t know
 But I say, Kernel, como in | tell ye somethine
 What, TomG"
 Don't yer remember that ar dod blast ed nlgger wot yer call Black Jack UT suth- in O the kind, who went on ther boat t Belmont, an we thort war killed n tn swamp clus t' Donelsont7
 Yes, you mean Blackhawk."
 Wall, he's turned up agin.n !" W here is hel"
 ssTn camp It's a Gods fact Saw i'm this mornin," said old Tom, smoking his short pipe.
 "Where!"
 "1n camp. Came past our quarters whar our mess war"
 Did you speak with himn the Colonel asked
 "Ycs; axed him whar he'd been, an l he said he'd been layin' n tn brush ter shoot cuss as he hates. He's been clar out ter Corinth, but hain't got his man yit. i Golly, ye orter see his gun; It's a great, l big, long -barreled ole-fashoned rifle. Very thing ter kill a buck.n
 He ought to know something about what the rebels arc doing. Wis, ,rc -,- :, would find him, Tom, a1niI go rigbt now n h,,,.. I 'i,' 0o :" and old Tom rose to his feet and started from the tent 10 find the mys- terious negro; but Biackhawk, as usual, could not be found when sought, and Tom had fruitless search.
 That evening General Prentiss ordered Colonel Mason to take two hundred men next morning and go out several miles in ther advance to reconnoter, as It was re- ported that the enemy had been seen III considerable force along the GeflHth road.
 Almost ever since hls arriXal at Pitts burg Landing Colonel Mason had heard of skirmishing in their front, and hIs own plckets had been fired on several times.
 lit is probably some guerrillas," !" said the Colonel to himself. They are proving through the country, and the woods are full of them. A few companies of cavalry can easily put them to flight
 Of course the four men who had been self-eonstituted body guard formed part the two hundred picked men, and with three days ratious and forty rounds, they set out at daylight next morning. As they were passing one of the outlying picket posts a sergeant hailed them and said:
 .AYe'd better look a little out
 Have you seen any thing of the enemy this merningF' the Colonel asked
 sNo; but they've been shootin' at us boys all night and wounded Jack Gates
 How many times were you fired ont'
 'yfhree The last time they gave us dozen shots all at once
 They are only few bushwhaekers; 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 been trained in the hottest fights at Bel mont and Donelsou.
 The country was undulating and covered with dense growth of trees and under brush, except where clearTngs had been made and fields cultivated,
 rf,t.. a- l |. tl,. .l, mounted men in the expedition The re cent rains had made the roads muddy and