Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1892-09-13
By ALFRED R CALHOUN.
lcOp,r,sA,. is.. b, American r,-. A..oei'

A,aA&s-.SXM
= TyNS%
Hc made ,iiw % r,coVr pc pdpcr.
General q. NJ. Mitchell. although Iast
middle age In is6,. was one % the most
romantic soldiers ~ the war. lie was an
able. patriotic man. anil n he hal any fail.
ing a. a commander u was In rrrfccting
more plans than dozen armies could
execute. Among these plans was one
for the capture % Chattanooga by AL.
yancing a force rapidly along the night
lank of the river. the feasibility of
which was subsequently, demonstrated
by the brilliant .xI~lition under Cen
.ral Neglcy.
To learn the nature ~ the country he-
tween MacMinnville and Chattanooga
moun,e.i forv. % sixty men, made up of
detachments from the SEVENTH Pcnn.yi.
vania. First Tennessee and Fifth Ken
tucky. with a number of men from the
hills 81 north Alabama. r-c.ntly mus
icre,i into cur service. all young. eager
ani well mounted. left Stevenson for
the Cumberland mountains ,o the north
20 the Tennessee.
Having just made In perfect safety
trip down th. mountains from Ken.
tucky with six men. all In uniform. ]
was sent with this expedition.
Lin Mcor was the man on who-e
knowledge % the mountains We relied
chiefly during this scout. Before start
ing out he assured General Mitchell that
he knew the Cumberland mountains
frum eni "a end A. we'll as n he hal
hail, 'em 10y DAYS work, AMI the result
.how-i that hc was not a braggart.
On this scou, .it u us. under Lin's
guidance. cut loose from the main body
and pushed toward the east. TIL onc
midnight W. dismOun,s-l on the crrst ~
a hill frum which ". looked down On
Moccasin point, subsequently io t-come
famous. and could see the white tents
of the Cunf~lcraie- cleaning like opal.
In the moonlight frum Lockout noun
| tain "a Chattanooga.
Satisfied with the outlook. We moved
hack frum this elevation a. a little
siryam at the base. where We threw our
sely,s on the ground Ia rcst while our
weary horses were grazing.
A. hal planned a. examine. 10 FAR A.
could DO - with a field glass. the psi.
iion and extent 70 the Confederate i.-
fen..- on the following morning. u was
unlers,U..l tha, W. should remain where
W. were for III. night, and as the little
rayine was ont II the way and as much
secluded ~ " We hal ts.n in q cave.
Lin Moorr thought 4, would - perfect
ly safc "a lie down. and he showed his
confidence by wrapping NJ his boots in
his coat. putting the bundle under his
bad and dropping oti o. sleep In no
time. The ret 20 the party followed
Lin's example.
All the men were asleep, AMI ! was
about Ia pull oa my bro's 20 ease my
feet. when NJ on the hill heard the
note % ,h. whippcorwill. hal known
this bird from my chilihool, and ] had
heard u many time l-forc In Oh.
mountains. bu, never after nidnigh,
anil bu, seldom after dark: yet th.
sOuni wa. too accurate and distinct to
L. an limitation. While I was won.
dering az this AN owl. seemingly I-rch.d
In the gray limestopc rocks directly above
wherc we lay. lcgsni
"llOohoo-bon. hoo-cor' ending with
the shrill whistle peculiar io the white
owl.
This seemed more In keeping with the
time ani place. and was again about
"a pull off my boots, when suddenly a
rivalry started between the whipp"or-
will aud the owl. and they dashed along
meek and neck" the hooting and the
whisiling increasing In rapidity till the
rcks rang again. AMI very much PER
plexed ru~e Ia my fee, aud walked
back to try ani get u view of the elf.
but ~ the full moon was sloping west.
warl u was in shallow.
Gradually the contest died out, as II
the fea,h.rcd rivals had become eL
hausiei. but there was still an occa.
sional faint "hoo-hoo" and "whippoor-
will when suddenly dog--a dog with
the voice of Cerberus-lsgan baying up
the hill. Then the laying changed to
the angry barking of two dogs-one a
savage monster ami the other pugna-
cious flee"
Icrepi over 10 Lin's side. and bending
down so a. not Ia break In nee,llessly on
the sleep of my near by companions, l
whispered for him to get up and step
hack with me.
Drawing Lin back. - ne NJ, 10 disturb
the others. I told him IL what hal
heard. but b.fore he could frame u re-
ply the noise began again. This time 10
was the bellowing IL distant and evil
IDENTIFY belligerent bull.
"Doggone hit. who'd "a thought hity'
was the guides comment.
Thought WHAT I asked In surprise.
"why. tina. he'd a come ovah har."
Who'd "a Gomez asked. uncon.
-ciously dropping into the mountain YER
nacular.
"w'y. Hugh McNeilis Hen. Nevah
heah II hiiny'
"No, I don't think ever have, and u
that's hen II IL the most extraordinary
bird ever heard"
.Oh. Hen amt = bird; he's nat'ral," :"
said Lin Moore with the manner Of .
man who. In his own opinion. has given
n full ami satisfactory explanation. But
was more perplexed than ever.
SEEING this, Lin Moore whispered:
"IIen-that's IIugh Seils ssn; he's y
plum eejit."
"who. Hugh McNeily'
NO. Hen. that's him a-makin believe
up thar that he's hull string IL tree
t.s.ds. Oh. him and mes ole friends,
and oflin slept together In these hills
afoah IN. wah. No one wouldn't think
n nat'ral could In 10 KNOWN as Hen.
He'd corner q lawyer AKIN questions, and
a. 10 mockin any sound lac evah heahs,
he can't L. beat. Why. hits mos sur.
prism. There. that's the cronk Of Wild
i..se. and we uns. ef 20 he we uns didn't
tnow twas Hen. would believe them
birds wuz a-nyin right straight ovah.
head, and we could most zee 'cn forum
= triangle, n they most allus does, way
up in the sky. But I'll fotch him down.
10. bsiu . nst'ral. thar amt no hahn
into him"
The guide placed two fingers In his
\ month and emitted . long. low whistle,
ending with the musical cry of the quail.
"bob white"
.Bob white, bob whitsi bob whitsr'