The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-01-10
A WILD MIDNIGHT RIDE.


C0pe0h0 N0te'o A0vO0t0ro D0RtDI the
Late Un-ploaaAntn0sA.
From the Youths Companion.
Captain Mott OF the Fifth Iowa cavalry.
IN his "Sketches of the War;" narrates .
stirring midnight adventure. With . lit
tie detachment Of men he had been OF ON
some expedition when he found himself
suddenly beset by the enemy, q full
thousand strong. Retreat was ordered at
once, and the federals went GallopinR
down the valley with the confederates in
men had 20 far gained upon the
enemy ~ TO be out of range
OF their guns. Captain Mott, with
two other men, Gibbs and Bischon,
were mt the rear of the retreating column.
ssSuddenly from the bushes and woods
on the side Of the road there was a flash
and hang! hang! came the fire of our hid
den foes. In an instant every horse was
At full speed. My own gave q wild hound.
nobly from the first. and I Thought he was
only excited by the firing. My attention
WI. chiefly upon the men. hut as l gath;
sSs firin s."t SUN ]. Sf / d fd"S not q" thin, dhs s'1 he n had
ss : his; as Gg Eli, si and Sf si.c SsSn r rnS
caught him ~ the bridle. but in a moment
he had dragged them half off their sad
az told them to let GO, and he dashed
forward, STRIKING madiy against the horse
~ H. fr S;,ai I'm rne he s"1 Si% nn, s sems US w eyer h to
ttHC y oss 80 III ~ sAS
head down, and running strai9ht as an
rrow, he flew by the entire column.
and winding the Birdie rein round my
wrists made every effort to stop him. II
was in vain. exerted all my strength; l
Mr.. Rarey had taught; 1 drew his head
from side to side till his mouth touched
the stirrups; but he went on, on, ON at the
"The road lay through thick woods and
down n series of steep hills. On one of
low It's windinRs and kept straight on. Ii
was like "a locomotive rushing through the
woods.
together. On he went dashing between
them. He struck against one of I EN- and
G 5sS.Ta almost n%a tito to e k inn ans and j Ps knew w H.
could not see. i made a great, a last
effort to raise him. 1t failed-the tree
blow-and I lay ON the eround-the horse
struggling on top OF me.
II tried To rise and remount,. but my
right arm hung useless, and ! felt dizzy
struggled on the ground. Next the enemy
down the bank. at the foot of which ran a
little stream. As I reached il, l heard the
Rallop of horses on the hill above me-.
their hands, u~nbucklcd il hastily and
gave il u last look. Ii was the parting
gift OF my bees. friends. and had been my
i could not bear to part with IL thus. Fol
an instant 1 hcsitated.
Perhaps they will not see me-
said; but no, the risk is too great; what
ever happens to me, they shall not have
the saber.'
"A log lay across the brook; I leaned
forward. and under it's shadow threw the
saber in. II splasilcd i'm the dark water
and was gone. Shall 1 throw my pisto
after il? No: 1t will be but a pistol more
for the confederacy. Here they come! ]
stretched myself close beside the bank
and the party of horscnen galloped by
After long and painful wandcrings ans
many hair-breadth escapes from capture
the captain found himself again within
the union lines, and some time later he
revisited the scene OF his adventure ana
recovered his sabcr.
"Bustcd and broken and never to- b,
dra VII again." he says, lit is "a tlhousan'
times more precious To me than when
FURNISHED and bright. I first received it..