Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-08-23


BRIGHT SUMMER MoRSING-A WASHINGTON
1ANS NARRATIyE-How sTUART's TROOP RE-
PLESIsHED ITS STOCK OF HORSES
INV GROUP or gentlemen were passing an
evening quietly together recently, when
ASt the question of birthdays arose, and a
80 number OF interesting "reminiscences
we're recalled. At the age even of the
youngest present birthday cannot prove alto
gether happy recurrence. however pleasantly
| 1t may be spent for it is but the close of one
more chapter in the story of life-one less
| toward the approaching end of the tale 1t so
happened that with one of the party birthday
| had just passed. and the fact recalled an Incl
dent that occurred upon his twenty-first birth
day. 1t was Mr.. c. A. Huntington who spoke.
"lwenty-six years ago on the 23d of July"
he said. the command to which | belonged
the fourth Nirginan of Gen. J. f. b. Stuart's
old brlgade-was resting after the affair at
Reams Station, in the county of Dnwidde.
and OF all the miserable camping grounds of
the war that hot, dry, dusty camp was the
worst L ever saw. For weeks we had had no
rain and the pine leaves OF the forest In which
our blankets were spread-tOr tents had
none-were Curled into spirals and the finer
pieces were resolving into dust. Food was
scarce, more so than usual, corn meal being
the staple, and 1t was mustv at that. SO when
on the evening of July % Sergt. Stringfellow, a
| noted scout, came into camp for volunteers to
| take little ride as he called it. into the
enemy's lines, | only too glad to iy the
evils that were to dangers We knew not Of The
then Sergt Stringfellow was regarded az one
of the most daring and reliable scouts of Gen.
Lees army-he is now eminent divine of
the Protestant Episcopal Church.
THE MIDNIGHT MARCH.
"When the moon just sinking behind
| the wpstlrn hOrizao and 70 ba,
were disappearin for the night from among
the silent and scraggy pines. about o'clock
| party of twelve ragged calvarymen. armed only
with pistols and sabers quietly departed from
the camp. following IN single file the lead OF
the sergeant, who ignored all questions as to
| the route or purpose of the expedition until
| the journeys end should have been reached.
1t was dark and hot as we silently ira .eled
over smooth fields and through long
! stretches OF pine woods, stopping only
now and then to listen to the calls of the owls
! which several times startled the whole party
| by their nearness 1t was not until daybreak
! and after many miles had been placed between
| ourselves and our sleeping comrades, that
| we drew rein. and i'll obedience to a low-spoken
| command from the sergeant We dismounted
| from our weary-and preylOusl v nearly tagged
| out-steeds and drew around in circle to hear
! his plans. The place where we had halted
was beside sandy road, bordered by thick
pine forests, ana for a mile more i'll either
| llleTt WIS Hu uuODSlfucteC NleW-a
! long. narrow lane nearly as level d floor.
! Having divided the squad in two parts Sergeant
| STlngtelloW at last relieved our lncreasIng
! curiosity rs to his intentions.
| Some days before while scouting in that
neighborhood he had noticed that every morn
| Ing about sunrise a squadron of cOlored cav
airy passed from its camp to that of another
| command some five miles away-tor drilling
purposes, perhaps-and it occurred to him that
here was fine opportunity to pay off az old
| N p xI1t III r.-rn
| exchange some very indifferent horse flesh for
! tirst-class goods and TO give the sable troopers
an object lesson in the mysteries of war.
AN AMBUsCADE.
| Five of us were posted up the road a short
| distance and the other seven were stationed in
the woods about where the consultation was
held. and the plan of procedure was for the
seven TO remain quiet until the head of the eX-
pected column reached the farther squad when
simultaneously both parties were to break into
the road and fire and yell for all we were worth.
! Some fifteen or twenty minutes of anxious ex-
| pectancy elapsed, when from between the trees
we could see the enemy coming along in a dog
| trot. some sitting sidewiSe in their saddles,
others with the bride reins loose .upon their
| horses necks and their hands and arms giving
| expression to a camp meeting song they were
| singing. which filled the air with true and
| charming negro melody.
| SURPRISED.
! SAT length the front reached the smaller
squad when the sergeant cried, Charge. boys,
charge" and in an instant we dashed into their
| midst, firing our pistols and yelling like
| demons Astounded and confused. those who
did not tumble Off in trying to right them
| selves turned only to be confronted with their
rear guard rushing up, with our fellows in their
| midst, whooplng and shooting right and left,
and then followed a scene that beggars descrip
| ton in any language. Some of the troopers fell
| fiat in the roadside and lay there until they
| could recover their surprise and fee for life.
Others dashed their horses into the woods, got
stuck. djsmounted and fed in dismay-can-
teens, caps and other accoutrements were scat
tered in every direction. The majority, how
ever. cut out down the roads. sending the sand
up in clouds behind their horses tails. For
five miles along that narrow, sandy lane VIC
went toge ther. helter-skelter, pistols cracking
horses falling and our men yelling like mad
men. The woods on either side of the road
were fast filling with the terrified, fleeing
troopers.
THE END OF THE RACE.
1.-THE race was brought to close by our dis
covering upon turn in the road of an abats,
through which the foremost pitched headlong,
whcreupon we turned back and gathered up
the trophies. We reached camp late in the
afternoon without the loss Of a man, and
richer by some eighteen or twenty horses
more than we wanted for our own use and a
white sergeant we picked up for good luck
Five days later the surplus captured steeds
were put up at auction and brought from g, 00l
to $4,000 apiece il our money.
These little episodes would happen and
were the life of the camps. on both sides.
Twenty-six years have passed since that bright
summer morning, but the events Of that wild
ride on my twenty first birthday are as well in
mind as though they happened week ago."
Heads Not Hearts.
From the Atchison Globe
Many men fall in love and claim to haY