Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1892-11-17


on the stranger when the furnace doors on
the steamer flew open and stream OF
light disclosed the vessels outline in an
instant to the commander at the guns on
shore. Hold on, men; for your lives, hold !
on-they are friends" was the quick cry |
and the vessel passed on in face Of gunnery
that would have crushed her at one broad |
side Twas IA close call, and the captain
of the craft paid for his recklessness on
the galows a fortnight later lie vas
hanged for treason to the Confederscy.
Shelby's band remniRed In che vicinity
of Little Rock several weeks, frequently
volunteering Cor dangerous work, although
they weru not legally in the Confederate
service. Finally an expedition was set on
foot to proceed to the heart of Missouri,
and Shelby and his men joined it after re-
enlisting for the war. The command
fought its way to tho Missouri river and
back to Arkansas Shelby leading out 1000
soldiers raised in his home county in two
days. From the colonclcy of the new regi-
ment Shelby leaped at one bound to the
command of cavalry brigade, formed
with his own and two other new Missouri
regiments.
Soon after the formation OF the brigade
Shelby's force united with Gen. Marina
dukes division and took the field to re-
sist the invasion of Arkansas from Mis-
souri, The Union troops were in two
columns and Shelby's duty was to threaten
and harass one column while the main
army attacked the other. In this move
ment the budding general madeu use of tao
tics that served him in many campaign
afterward. His opponent was Gen. Blunt,
leading an army of several thousand.
4. Ys..alrl L. .
there was no escape but by retreat. His
brigade comprised thirty companies, and
these were distributed on both sides of
the road some distance apart. When the
encmy's head of column came to the first
company it would be met by volley at
point blank range. The company would
quickly form column and gallop back to a
new position behind the other twenty-nine
companies and so on for miles.
After leading Blunt tedious chase
| through the mountains Shelby was ordered
to turn and dash between the two Union
columns and prevent their junction. He
set out preceded by an advance guard that
was told to "attack anything and every
thing in sight" Shelby rode at the head
of the brigade, and at the first sound of
| fighting in front rushed on with two can
non and few men to support the advance.
| Suddenly he was confronted by superior
mum bers and challenged tosurrender. The
enemy dashed for the guns and cut down
the artllerymen and the leader resented
a revolver to Shelby's head, crying out
second time, surrender or | tirep'
You are mistaken retorted Shelby
"It is you who are my prisoner. Listen! be-
| hind you"
The sound of the advance guard gallop-
inn ir,tp (, ba f,. ba1 NV
| and the Union colonel handed over his
sword, eXclaiming with the best grace he
| could. 81 am cau.rht. r..-rI- orurht"
enelny s ADVANCE Cuaru was an Institu-
ton in itself. IL was specially recruited
for the purpose from scouts and border
men. The motto was Never retreat"
and it soon became an honor for a man to
be promoted from the line into the adj
vance corps. Shelby possessed every quail
hcatiOn for rallying about him the most
daring spirits of the west. He was of that
class called "hustlers" and boomers" full
to bursting with action and enthusiasm.
His hatred of shirks and idlers was so
deep that when he found himself in the
White river region of Arkansas, where
there we're at least 10000 refugees of mill
taly age, he determined TO drive into the
/ Union army those who couldn't be coaHed
/ addressed to those men he said: You
! shall night for the north or tho south. |
will enlist you in the Confederate army or
drive You into tie Federal ranks. You
shall not remain idle spectators Of a drama
. enacted before your eyes"
The order allowed a period Of grace in
Which the men could choose which side
they would serve, and closed with the
striking appeal, Come up like Ilen or 20
to Gen. Steele tthe Union commanier) like
men,
Gen. Forrest added to his celebrity us n
cavalryman by an attack on fleet of
Union gulho;.ts at J5husonville, Tenn.
That was in October, lcG4. Some weeks
previous Shelby made a successful attack
On the Union tnc,ad boat Queen City, at
Clarendon on " hite river 1t was during
his occupation Of the district as Il recruit
ing ground. The Union forces held Du-
wallis Bluff and the navy patrolled the
river below that point. Shelby led his
men steaithily to the waters edge at
Clarendon, masked four cannon and
body of his soldiers, dismouLIed for the
purpose, and at daylight opened fire upon
the unsUSpecting sentinel.
1t was n short fight and the Queen City
ttrucl, her co!ors. Shelby dismounted her
batteries and then applied the torch. The
ships guns We're hauled ashore and placed
in battery near the scene, and in
short time Il fleet headed by the gunboat
Tyler steamed down from Tie bluffs.
After a hot action the vessels were driven
I'll and shelby chung to his post until Z
force Of land troops, under ten. r. y.
ldrr, marched down GA his flank to aid
the Suuboats. Shelby Got away in his
iaNor.te style Of "A Running hght.
Shelby took part in many raids as a sub
ordinate LEADER and personally led one
from Arkansas To the Missouri river in
lsj3, coverings vide circuit. lie claimed
to have Travelled l,50O miles, seized and de-
stroyed much valuable property and de
leated the enemy in several battles. AS
for hi, fighting in general, there were
field officers Of his regiments Killed in &C.
,ion and y wounded, nearly all Of them
several times. His advance guard and the
l.