Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1891-02-26
SAMMYS CAPTURE.

How An Ambitious Young Confederate
soldier Got Into Trouble.
Sam Blackwell enlisted when only a
little over fourteen. in the Fifth Ala
bama regiment, under Colonel Patter-
son. This regiment was part of a
command used To dispute the Federal
advance, as much as possible into the
State of Alabama. At the time of which
/ write it was mostly deployed in light
picket line across four miles of country,
To guard three or four avenues of adj
vance along which strong body of
Union troops was moving from Decatur,
Alabama, TO the northwestern counties
of the State.
Sammy was on a lonesome post,
where there was no prospect of seeing
any thing exciting, when Colonel Pat
terson, With quite a strong party, passed
along the picket line In conversation
with Sammy the Colonel mentioned in
cidentally that Captain Rice and six
men would go down the road in the di-
rection of the Federal position, Sammy
Immediately exclaimed:
20, Colonel, let me go with them
II will be obliged to keep man at
this post, sammy"
Well, maybe some man en- the detail
would rather stay here than be on the
scout2"
I've no objections to your going, if
you can swap places with any one on
The reconnaissance.
Billy Smith, won't you take my
place, and let me go in yours?"
Yes, I'll take your place fits agree
able to the Colonel
ITS all right with rne. Give him your
instruction Sammy, and fall into col
umn.
! Soon Sammy was cantering away
from his lonely post, and felt his young
active nerves tingiug with the prospect
of brush with the Yankees" When
the Colonel arrived at the road, he paus-
ed and said:
Captain Rice, move down this road
carefully, ascertain the whereabouts of
the enemy, and report back to me- l
did intend to reconnoitre in force in that
direction. but a desertion last night
makes me fear that the enemy may
have been informed of my intentions
me off. BE careful and don't crowd mp
too close on the enemy, for the object
in sending you IS merely 10 find out the
enemys position, and probable inten-
tions."
Very well, sir; I shall be careful
Away went the little squad on this
dangerous errand The road at first,
led through the forest, but afterward
entered a lane. Along the left side Of
this lane lay an old field grown up in
weeds, while the right side was only
the woods fenced in. This lane was a
mile long, and when the party had near
~ reached its farther end, a body of
mon was seen emerging from the woods
in front, and deploying across the field.
This brought the scouting party to a
halt.
How many Of those fellows are
there?' asked the captain.
Every one in the squad, after a hasty
count. answered that there were thirty
seven
Well, let's send EN- few, said the
Captain
The men dismounted and began fir
800 yards away but they did not return
the fire. After several shots the Cap
tain said
Their conduct appears very singular.
They seem waiting for some thing.
Mount and be ready TO ride back Hand
me your gun, Sammy, and hold
my horse. want to show you
how to shoot You see that Yankee on
the knoll? Well, I'll take aim at the
buckle on his belt-see how it shines
That target lesson was never finished,
for just then, close at hand from the
woods on the right, rang out the com
mand,
Fire.
A sheet of flame burst from the
woods. and the scouts. all headed for
the friendly end Of the lane. clapped
spurs to their horses, and lying close
down upon the right side Of their necks.
plunged madly along Captain Rices
horse went with them and he jumped
quickly into the weeds on the left. and
thus made his escape That fence. how
ever, was ten rails high. st4ked and
ridered." SO the men had no chance of
escape that way. and dashed wildly
along the lane. The forest bv their
side seemed alive with Yankees, for the
entire length Of the lane the firing con-
tinued. 1t is wonderful how much
shooting can be done in battle with
out anyone getting hit. have read
somewhere that the Seventeenth Indi.
ana and rebel regiment met one night