Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-05-29

WeIe ScIU 10 tup IlguU, anu III Hut tlulc
returned and reported the way clear, and
we soon passed the danger. Descending
almost to the valley we turned to the lef.
and entered a dense pine thicket just as
the day was breaking. 1t was only after
| had seen blood on Penfeld clothes that
he explained that in scouting to the right
his party had stumbld over a soldier wrap
ped in his blanket, and the cutlery he had
been about to make was prevented by Q
thrust from hunting knife which reached
his heart This occurrence was to be de-
plored but no one could be blamed for it.
We retired into the thicket until there was
no danger or being seen, and then four
men were posted as sentinels, and the
others ate their bread and meat and lay
down to sleep. Theforenoon passed quiet
ly away, and at o'clock three others and
myself relieved the sentinels. | at once
made my way to the northern edge of the
thickets, where I could overlook the road
descending into the valley as we'll as a
part of the valley itself, and a brief OBJ
servation satisfied me that we were being
pursued | saw a score of mounted men
riding down the road, and another body
in the valley below, and their actions
showed them to be in state of excitement.
We had no doubt been tracked as far as
the picket post, but from that point our
pursuers were uncertain whether we had
pushed on or secreted ourselves.
At about 4 o'clock a body of about
twenty men, some on foot and some
mounted, searched the western half of the
thicket and some of them came within fifty
feet of US, but they made no discoveries.
We heard several of them loudly declaring
their belief that we were miles away and
as they left our thicket for the road the
search seemed to be given up. The maj
or portion of our pursuers were guerrlllas.
who would have shot us down without
mercy. When darkness came, and we
were ready to move on again, five OF the
men came to me and declared their inten-
ton to return to their homes. Realizing
the perils that lay before US their nerve
gave way, and they decided to return while
it was yet safe to do so. | was arguing
with them when one of the party who had
secuted to the east on his own hook return
ed and reported large force of infantry
going up the mountain road. He believed
there was full hundred, and as it was
plain that they would guard every avenue
of return the FIVE changed their minds and
decided to keep on with the party.
That night we made fully twenty miles,
always in the fields or woods; and next day
was passed in the timber. We knew
that
EVERY ROAD WAS GUARDED.
and twice during the day squads of caval-
~ were in sight. We were undiscovered
and undisturbed,, however, and by hard
push on the third night we reached the
eastern slope of the Cumberland Noun
tains. An hour before daybreak. as we
were about to cross a road, and while two
of the men were scouting ahead to see that
all was clear, one of them, named Saun-
ders, walked plump up to the man in citi-
zen dress who was patroling the highway
with a gun on his shoulder He took
Saunders for farmer living in the neigh
borhood, and explained that sixty men be
longing to a company recruited about
Montgomery had been sent up there to
stop refugees. He said our party was ex-
pected along that night, and that every one
would be shot down, no matter whether
they surrendered or resisted. He had sc
rods of the road to patrol, and as he was
about midway of lis beat Saunders thrust
knife into him, believing this the only
alternative. He then took the body and
concealed 1t In thlcket. and our party cross
ed the road without discovery. When
daylight came we went into hiding among
the rocks far up the mountain, and, while
no one came very near to US during the
day we saw regular troops, bodies of IL
regulars and citizens moving in every di,
rection. We moved on again as soon as
darkness came, travelled all day without
being interrupted, and next night lay hid
den almost at the western base of the
mountain. On this night, after we had
been afoot about three hours, we reached
the Kentucky line, but soon after doing So
and while moving cautiously upon high
way, we were challenged from front and
rear simultaneously, and we realized that
we had walked into a trap. Fire was
opened on us at once, but we left the
road. climbed among some rocks to the
right, and soon returned the fire with
spirit, the force opposed drew away to wait
for daylight, and after scouting in every
direction and finding ourselves surrounded
we intrenched ourselves and prepared fo1
the fight we knew daylight would bring.
When morning came we found ourselves
hemmed in by force of about 800 men
portion of whom were enlisted soldiers
acting under commissioned officers.
Then occurred what war history de-
scribes as "a defense without its equal in
the history of the whole struggle They
opened fire on us from every side, and
every one of our party replied as fast as
a sure shot could be counted on. From {
o'clock in the morning until 9 there was
no let up, but we were so well sheltered
behind the rocks that no one of US was
scratched We were then summoned to
surrender, and upon returning a defiant
reply body of men numbering $50 charg-
ed our position. To get at us at all, they
had to appear in the open road, and we
broke them three times before the real
charge was made. Then. as they tried tc
ascend the steep side of the hill, we had
them at our mercy At noon we were
again summoned to surrender, and when
we refused they brought up six-poundel
and opened on US. The first shot went
ten feet above our heads, and at the second
the gun burst and killed four men. At
o'clock they charged again and were driven
back. and an hour later a force of Union
cavalry, out on a reconnaissance, swooped
down and bagged the whole force to man
taking us prisoners, two army wagons
and another field piece which had just
come up. We then had three bullets per
man left. and must soon have been obliged
to surrender. We found, upon coming up
that we had killed thirty-eight and wound
ed sixty of the mob, and the only casualt.
on our side was flesh wound received by
one of the women.-New York Sun.
| CYCLONE IN OHIO.
Great Damage Done to Property ant
Stock.