Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1892-01-22

With all her weeping done and O'eY.
God comfort them that mourn,
Katharine lyman in National Observer
THE STORY OF A RAID.
Twas in the rotunda of the Kimball.
It's great place for meeting up with all
sorts and conditions of men, and often
long lost friends meet and recognize each
other under its cool arcade.
1t is the Rialto of Atlanta.
Peculiar incidents happen there also;
scenes lost to all save the eye of the keen
est observer.
One of these incidents happened not long
ago, and out Of it grew this story of dash
ing bravery, of fire, of blood and battle.
Its chief actor was a man whose name is
world known. Partisan to the core, he
was second Dundee; he was a type of
Rupert. He was never so happy as when
in the saddle, never SO cool as when
charging line of hostile bayonets.
But let one of the men who followed
Quantrell in that famous raid on Law
renee" tell the story-the story as took it
down from his own lips. His name is
neither here nor there; he was simply one
VI tAC NVo III oPlOAuiuAy al AAOA nAu AuO0hCCSA
young men who were inspired with the
spirit of their daredevil leader as Murats
troopers rode into the volcano of Austrian
fire at Austerlitz or Friedland.
He is now a drummer and was delegate
to the recent convention here-but when l
heard this tale of 'derring do" fall from
his lips in an easy, conversational tone,
and when l glanced at his mild, ruddy
face, could not help contrasting him with
what he had done, and say of him that he
was: GAS mild hammered man as ever
cut a throat or scuttled a ship"
Twas standing near the cigar lighter at
the newsstand when a gentleman clad in
superb taste approached at the same mo-
ment and yielded me the preference with
graceful wave of his hand. soon lit my
cigar and fell to watching him as he per-
formed similar act on his own behalf.
Our eyes then met, and though no word
was spoken. we each were positive that
there had been mutual remembrance or
personality, though locality and time were
wanting to complete renewal of an &C
quaintance that had existed years ago
He turned half aside and I was giving up
the subject in despair when he suddenly
turned and cried:
"We've met before2"
"Yes, Pm sure of it."
"And where and whenS"
''That's what Pm trying to make out"
II can do it for you," he cried with
burst of rolling laughter, and then
And then l saw 1t all. We had met
many years before in Kansas City, from
which city he was then travelling for we'll
known house.
We rehearsed "Lang Syne," and l sud
denly made the remark:
"You have never given me the true story
about the burning of Lawrence, the re-
demption of which promise l demand
now"
A shade of pain crossed his jolly face,
but presently looking up, he laughed and
said:
"That's barred by the statute of limita-
tions."
"On the contrary. the bond bears heavy
interest, and will have the whole story
right here and now"
swell" he began quietly, "you may or
may not remember that on the forenoon of
the day gave you that promise had been
in Lawrence for the first time since that
awful morning in the fall of 1863, and the
sight of the place, though vastly improved,
reminded me unpleasantly of that dies irB
when Quantrell drew bloody cash under
the columns of Hatred and Revenge and
found the total in his favor.
"That was horrible war out there in
Missouri and Kansas. It was truly an in
ternecine war-a war which the people
here know little about. No, not even when
Sherman drove the pillow of pillage over
your fairest field and sowed your cities in
salt. There neighbor was against neigh
Dor; no one was trusted, treachery lurked
like fever mist in the air, and fratricidal
blood stained red the soil of every border
county.
81 was only fifteen years old when, with
my elder brother. who died, poor fellow, at
Pea Ridge, joined company which
Quantrell was then forming. He held
regular commission in the Confederate
army, but from the first he preferred
the hard riding, had fighting life
which had such charms for him. He
was a Marylander by birth, and was
a man of no extraordinary characteristics
beyond his angular steel gray eyes. They
were the most wonderful l ever saw in
mans head, and when you looked into
them your reason was gone; you were stu
pefieds In these days we would call it
hypnotism.
among US the boys unanimously
agreed in the words of Sergeant Zeb Pike,
THAT he couldn't count fer it noway les
somever it be the horned devil in him. He
could have had women at his feet by the
score, for he was handsome and wondrous-
Iy strong, as plenty of other men are, but
he never deigned them passing glance,
though always courteous and low voiced
at all times. He seemed to love war and
war only, and once, after fierce charge
l. toI oy,ff II foo
of cavalry twice our size, he turned to
Lieutenant Gregg, now deputy marshal
at Independence, Mo.
ooh, Jack. hoY glorious it isl Why
didn't they hold out just g little longer"
In fight his eyes seemed literally to emit
sparks and his aim was unerring There
was peculiar thing about our troop
There was not IL sword in the whole com
mand Quantreli relied on his revolver
entirely He used to say that tbs sword
was antiquated; that column OF cavalry
charging with four revolvers to each man
had infinitely the advantage over an in
fantry regiment which received them With
fixed bayonets, or an equal or even superb
or number of opposing cavalry armed with
carbine and saber. By the time his com
mand struck the foe there were go many
holes in their ranks that it was an easy
matter to charge through them and take
them in flank or rear. Remember, Guam
trell fought no great battles, but in small
actions, cutting of trains, capturing stray
regiments. ETC., ne YYas as truly genius as
Napoleon ever was.
HE didn't enforce strict discipline In
camp except with the guard mount, but
he was memorable that every man should
know how to load and fire riding at O
gallop; he paid small heed to military Ell
quette, but he sternly insisted that every
mans revolver should be in the best Of