The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1891-11-19

Prepare 10 mount-MouHt!" The fence !
down. The men are on their horses aud W
gallop straight out into the cotton field, Will
the road swarms with Johnnies, who emerg
from the brush as they see We have escaped th
trap laid for us.
Aud now began n running fight, which wa
kept up for mile or more, as both column
gallop toward the town; they on the road. W,
IN the field; they trying to head u oG, ",
trying 10 prevent il. Carbines and revolver
keep mp a perpetual clatter. On we plung,
through tho soft ground, over logs and bitches
until at last we are within range Of the Marine
boats, when the JOhunies stop, aud waving nj
a defiant good by, hasten 10 put themselves oul
Of the reach Of our shell. Ii is marvellous how
much shooting eau be done sometimes with 81
little destruction.
IN THIS UGLY LITTLE sCRAPE,
which must have lasted an hour or more. tho
| only casualty on our side was n horse badly
wounded. What loss the enemy sustained we
know not. On reaching our picket-line, at the
/ edge OF the town, We were glad 10 find our rear
4 guard who when they were cut of, plunged
into the woods that skirt the river and by
making wide circuit reached town in safety.
The men are loud in their praise Of Lieut..
! h0ane, whose cooluess aud presence Of mind
! saved Us from falling into a most deadly am
buscado. The trap was well laid, and had we
/ gone into IT, which wo certainly would have
/ done but for D0ane's forethought i'm sending
those two men down the road many a saddle
would have been emptied and many a horse
would have returned riderless 4 close watch
was kept up on the pieket-line the rest Of the
day aud all night, but no further delnonstra-
i tloGs occurred.
Friday, May IA tug came up from Vicks-
/ burg with dispatches for Gen. Macarthur. At
! / o'clock in the afternoon about so Of ms. in
/ command Of a commissioned officer, started to
EfaN Il
! out about SundOwn, and Gamo upon unmis
/ taxable traces Of the army and of recent fight
! ing. Trees were mangled by cannon-shot
! buildings were in ashes, and fences were lev
! Cled 10 the ground. Darkness camo on and
no indication of the army. Wo rode on until
! 10 o'clock. when our advance guard was sud
denly challenged. Halt! Who goes there9 /"
rang out on the still night air Union sol
diers from NaZO0 City was the answer
Bang bang!" was the reply. followed by
great activity and preparations for conflict.
We were riding into the rebel camp instead Of
McArthur's. Our slender force instantly took
thc form OF a line of battle The advance.
gnard was driven back upon u.s. A hurried
consultation was held. We were % miles from
the command at Yazoo City. We evidently
had taken the wrong road, and had
RUN INfo THE ENEMY.
The night was dark. We had no idea now
hNiI' ~ ~ ltDh ADI llfAIANuE. 20 We hN0uf-IfGeu
and struck out for YaZoo City Men and horses
were already weary, for we had been in the
saddle constantly since ] o'clock IN the after
noon, and IL WAS now past 10 at night But
bug,es were sounding In our rear; the encmy's
camp was stirring, and il was necessary 10 get
away from there IN short order, for pursuit
was certainly to be expected. Tie trip back TO
the Nazoo was terribly czhausting. and VIC
hardly expected 90 get there peaceably. There
"A umrulgr ff s7.gp q IL.
where ambuscades were 10 be expected similar
70 our terrible experience at Rodney, where
hali our company was killed or captured. The
enemy followed us as far as Benton AS we
rode through the town orders were given 10
form an ambuscade I'm the first cut; but the
orders were given for the benefit Of the viii
layers who, 10 WAS expected, would notify the
r.n5 and make them more cautious in tic pur-
suil ] guess the bait took, for we were not
inocfted aftcrward, and at ] o'clock in the
morning reached our picket-lncs at Yaz9o
liy, completely w0rnOut with our long ride
We had been IN tho saddle from o'clock in tho
afternoon til o'clock in the morning, without
moments respite.
Saturday, May 1i-Rcyeile Is the most
beautiful call ever blown on a bugle As 70
wakes the echoes in the gray dawn OF the
morning, calling sleeping army 10 its feet, it
makes ono think of
THE TRUMP OF THE LORD
calling the earth and sea to give up their dead.
IL d the most thrilling music 20 a soldier
awake, able 10 appreciate h. and observe It's
euectA But 10 an exhausted trooper, who feels
as u he never wanted TO get mp again, and 70
whom returning Consciousness is returning
misery, ~ Is tie most aggravating sound ever
heard aud 10 never sounded so hateful TO me
rs this morning. j heard q soldier one day
under the delIrium Of chlOrOfOrm, while tile
Surgeon was cutting bullet out Of his shouI-
der, say, feel like tho whole town Is play
ing billiards on my shoulder" Well, / felt
tbs morning as if the whole brigade had been
beating the tattoo on my person. Every bone
ln my body achCd. and / could scarcely move
without groaning; 50 ] inwardly anathema-
uzed the bgeicr for disturbing me. aud delib-
erfcly resolved not b. get ~ till ! got ready,
ii I was put ou extra duty for a week.
he OIaery-Sr rrzc9ut, however, was quite
Inaulgcnt, aud there being no urgent need Of
m5 services, ] was allowed 10 sleep till / rot
ready 10 gei up which was about the middle Of
The forenoon. Ia the afternoon drew two
months pay s23. Uncle sam has raised the
wages OF private soldier from Sl3 10 SIC a
month, 50 / got So more for the last month
than ] have been getting. Big wages thisl
WHO wouldn't be a soiiierg But we are not in
taIs army for pay. No amount Of money could
hiTe men 10 undergo what patriotism prompts
them 90 suffer and dare. There arc Young men
iH THIS company drawing $40 a month who, il
they were 80 home, could command from $50
20 500 month aud be exposed 10 no hard
ships or danger. Aud ID Is SO an through
the army. The men are fighting for their
country and will be more than satisfied
d tHo Government is saved, whether they get
anything OF nothing for their services.
Sunday, May l5.-A beautiful morning, per.
icciIy calm and still. The air d laden with
the perfume 0l loEcrs, aud the birds arc sing
iHp swcetly in the trees. Went on picket on
the flights south Of town, on the EiCksburg
fuad. Six Of Us on this post About II o'clock
the church bells began 10 ring, and the Cor
p9ral In charge said he was going 10 church
and lcit me lu command till his return. ] wore
my new hOnOrs with the C0mplaccucy that
might be expected from a boy Of ls Felt con
si1e1biy large like, until, by aud By, several
shots were heard, accompanied by loud aud
prolonged cheering over on the Benton road. !
The noise increased, and apperCi % be coming
into town from that side Discharges Of
mGakciry gave emphasis 10 the cheering. To
put the case mildly,
OUR CURIOSITY WAS EXCITED.
u might be Macarthur, or it might be the rebs.
The boys asked me what we had better do. |
said didn't know. They said 1 was In COM
mand aud must say what 10 do. This in
q gnauiy reUudiatcd. ] told them / was no
Corporal and they knew IL. and they couldn't
make me believe ] was. While this interesting
controversy was going on, we had intuitively |
mounted, aud with carbincs at rest were ready 1
for any emergency, when 10 our great relief /
C9rp' Owen came riding up, and said that
Gen. McArthur's forces had arrived, and 1t was /
they who were making the noise. ] gladly /