Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1892-09-20
HUGH M'NEIL'S HEN.
B, ALFRED R CALHOUN.
lCopyrisht. I'D. By American Pre-. As~aeis
CHAPTER m.

CHAPTER II.
I think I can say without vanity tha
saw sone trying service In the west
ON scouting expeditions. aud had goot
opportunity 90 study the men selected
for thi. very essential and very hazard
ous work. They were. and cannot re
call an exception to this. the pick u
cur cavalry force. When not detailed
for the work. because of their familiar
ity with the country 20 In traversed
the scouts wer. men of marked intelli'
gence and self control.
We were well mounted. except that
our horses wcr. rather thick about the
gir,h. owing io their having 10 subsist
entirely ON gras.. which az that time
was rich and abundant In all the val.
leys in this part % Tennessee. was
very sure. from the strength ~ the enc
my'- cavalry and the manner ~ their AL
vance. that my own little party hal not
attracts their notice. but the chances
wer, they were sent out by General
L~llrtier. then In command at Chat.
tancoga. 90 surprise the main body of
our detail scouting through the country
r'"c'n he o"a h''"S a"" W. w
las- I" 'NPr ~ ,ne J"h0"o" W '"'
s~quatchie aud the Tennessee.
Acting CA the advice u Lin Moore,
our guide. we rude for the north instead
VI making TOT 'he w'-' 'n sh'"ee v.
the cnni~ierat-. Aiter We hsh p'ac"'
ndge brtween us ami the enemy we
brought our horses down 'o tIo' ana
again turned w-tward' ~ that we
were travelling IN the same general dir-c-
iion as the Confc'iera'es anu not inor-
than Two miles apart About Two hour'
after our start nun the camp of the
night before We halted our painting ant
mails on Oh. crcsi ~ ndge that com
mand~i q magnificent view of the un-
dulating, heavily timl-r-i country
sweeping down To the tennessee. bu'
what most attracted our attention was
the flashing of the sunlight on the arms
VI men AMI the trapping- OF hor-'s.
More than once CURSED IN my heart
Hugh McNeiI- iien' who hal stolen my
held glasses. but the verirst rccruitco
tell that there was more than one troop
~ the enemy marching for the west, an'l
the sigh, - number of canvas covered
wagons coming over the sloi-s from
Chattanooga convinced me that the Con-
fcieraies wer- not out On noun'ain
raid. hal no rcason 10 believe that
the main force. under Lieu'cnants Ar
thur and Brown. was not quite 20 vigi.
LIANT a. we hal been. They certainly,
with ffty.four men. were better able Ia
carr for themselves II II came to fight.
", fel, nervous, thinking they might
L. surprised. AMI well knowing that by
this time their whereabouts and purpose
were known 10 the enemy, Tor M that
time every southern sympa'hirer within
our lines felt u to L. hi. religious ~
well ~ patriotic duty Ia play the spy Tor
hi- own side. ON hearing my fears Lin
Nor. aid. with the quis, drawl that
distinguishes the southern mountainecr
even NOR. than it dos- the New Eng
land Yankee:
II reckon, cap'n. "a how yo' mout L.
night. Now, do you uns think yo knows
,h. road 10 the coal nine-, leas,wise
that You uns ken get thar. 10 thar amt
no roadf
! assured him that ! had no doubt
alput my ability Ia reach the point
named. or to gct back with my men Ia
sill'- brigade. which hal be.n advanced
before our dcIartur. In the direction of
Bridgcpori. Then asked him why he
put this question. ! rccall his Response
as II II were uttered a minute ago;
IF You uns ken get through, hitll b"
better 10 Inc to light out and 20 hit
alone. I ken travel afoot oyah the-.
har hills better'n any criiter that ever
wore hcof-. and II ~ L. them Conf-is
ken git ahead of me OF ketch me, I'll
give e,n leave 90 hang me and L. id
Ia en-
I felt that my six men and myself
con,d get through, though W.. might
have Ia kill our horses, io-s which. un-
der IN. circumstances. was not worth a
consideration, but knew that the mali,
fore. could neither move 80 fast nor
hide ~ readily. II dill not take me long
10 decide. ! told Lin Moore what
wished him tn say to the officers, and
made him reI-at u over twice. lie
wanted me to write letter and to In
trust the maps to his care, promising To
give them to General sill or GENERAL
Mitchell. but though ! had implicit
faith In him. knew that II he WAS taken
with such papers In his possession he
would H. hanged ~ Spy, and therefore
I declined.
Five minutes after his proposition was
hr.t made, Lin Moore. with his rife on
his shoulder. was running down the
western slope of Waidens ndgo with
the long. tir,le-s spring that no horse
could have kept mp with Tor half day.
Before the guide was out of sight we
hal Resumed our march and Kept stead
lily on TIL the middle VI the afternoon.
We passed = number OF cabins and saw
an occasional mountaineer hceing In his
corn patch, but refusing the signals Ia
stop for chat we made no halt till II
became necessary to feed our dripping
horses.
While the animals were grazing. our
vigilance was not abated. but each man
took q position from which he could
look out for the enemy. the orders being
to report any unusual sight or sound,
even II IL did not indicate danger. With
my carbine thrown across my lap sat
down on an elevation to write mp my
itinerary. but ] had not been at II for