Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1892-07-05


Edward Campbell. hal borne up with
admirable foriiiude ~ long as he felt
iha, he was standing In the shadow II
the gallows. but now that the certainty
~ q respite. no matter how brief, was
assured. the tension suddenly relaxed.
b. turned pale as . cor~e. wa. s.ire'i
with III 10 coughing and would have
fallen hal not Captain forbcs caught
him In his arms and laid him on the cot
from which be had risen.
A doctor was summoned. and after
administering a sc'latiSe 90 the rcprioyci
man he advised Mis- Campbell. for her
own .ake AMI her brothers, to get some
rest. Captain fortcs accompanied her
10 the quarters assigned her by General
BOYLE. and A. he was about 90 bid her
good night. or rather good morning. Tor
II was now after midnight. he aid;
Il leave ~ soon a. u Is daylight, and
80 this will IL our last meeting IN this
place. perhaps on earth. do not AK
Tor any thanks, Tor the little have
done has been a pleasure. hut think,
Miss Campbell. that you owe u ,o your
self to l-licv. hereafter that the men
who wear the blue may h. a. brave aud
homes, ani manly ~ the men who wear
the gray Your brother can never again
take service against Oh, union aud - ]
shall pray Zoe hi welfare AMI Tor yours.
The IoOr girl could make no fitting
frsponsc She gave him her hand an'l
WHISPERED. God bless yvu. Howard,
and farvwell''
Early the ncit morning. although tho
rain was still pouring down - " " had
only hsgun, Captain forbs- mru were
mounted and marching out ~ camp
The company had To pass Miss Camp
bcll. quarters. ani a. the head u the
column APPEARED the men saw the slcn-
der. gray clad figure % the condemned
mans sister standing In the doorway.
with her white hands olasTod and her
brown head bowed Following the
young captains example. th. soldiers
raised their hats as they passed her. and
all felt Tor the once that the III viii of
a, leas, one southern woman did not
follow them on their march.
Many u Captain FORBES summer out
ings. In the happy days before the war.
had bccn sisni hunting in the tempest
tossed mountains or fishing In the
streams that form an intricate mosaic of
riyer and hill between Crab Orchard
and Cumberland Gap At the list u
was never q nch country. and solely To-
cause the mOuntaincers. contcri with n
little. had never dcyelore,l the agricul.
tuu,l wealth of the many valleys, and
were ,oo ignorant and poor 10 work the
mineral deposits of the hills. even II
they hal l-een aware u their existence.
Al certain seasons the mountain roads
hal bccn passable. and a mule driver
might have Iasscd over most % them
without finding unusual proyOcaiions 10
hi. rraiy profanity. but since the war
all this was changed.
Between Crab Orchard and the Gap
the Confcdcra,cs hal no organized force
a, this time. bat tina, officer would have
l-cn unit for command who construed
this fact 20 mean an exemption from
danger. fOr the hills swsrmed with
scouts and guerrillas. Frequently the
sun could be sccn flashing on the rifle
barrel ur uncovered canieen Of q man
far IN front and usually mounted, but be-
yoni strengthening the advance guard,
no change was made In the march. NJ
times spurt u white smoke would ap-
pear from a hillside. far above the road,
then would follow the whistle Of bul.
let. and next the report u rifle IL
the bullet did no harm to man or beast,
the line kept steadily on; u Il hit, then
the best hOrsemon surrounded the hill
aud half the troop assembled 10 search
Tor the guerrilla II hc was caught ho
was strung up 10 the nearest tree; II hc
was seen In flight he was often shot. but
usually the chances for his escape were
about even.
Il was not till after he had passed
through the Gap and was within hard
days march Of Knoxville that Captain
Forbes heard Of Longstreets advance
north from Chattanooga, where he had
been on Bragg's left, and discovered that
the enemy's cavalry in heavy force were
fora.;ing all around. From Union man
he learned that burnside was besieged
In Knoxville. and that II would be i'm
possible for any force 10 reach him
which was not strong enough 10 alter
all the plans of the able Confederate
leader and throw him on the defensive.
After hurried consultation with his
iieutenants Captain FORBES, then on the
Holston. determined 10 hurry back to
the protection Of the guns guarding
Cumberland Gap. but tho men and the
few company wagons had hardly come
10 a fright about" when clouds Of gray
horseinen appeared On tho surrounding
slopes.
In an instant the captain saw that his
only chance % escape was to abandon
che wagons aud swim the swollen river.
lie ordered the wagons % the bank, set
them on fire. and sent half his men
across. while with the other half. dis
mounted and thrown forward, he 10
mained back 10 check the enemy.
His men were armed with Spencer
rifles, 30 that the cartridges were not
affected by the water. A. soon n the
force sent across had secured q position
on the opposite side they opened fire. ~
n 10 cover the retreat Of their comrades.
The Confederates saw the move and
charged down Captain FORBES hor-e
was killed. and before he could kick oil
his boots aud free himself from hi,
heavy overcoat for the plunge into the
Icy river. he aud half dozen Of his men
were prisoners. The others subsequent
~ made good their escape.
Captain Forbes had seen mnch de
tached service. and up TO this time he
had never Lost horse or wagon by cap
ture Tho Confederates were about "a
extinguish the fres, when he called to
them that there was powder In every
wagon. powder he had carried for Just
such an emergency. and the explosions
that followed his warning showed hs
was right
SiI horses. with the captain and al,
men. not one Of whom was wounded
were the Confederate reward Tor loss
| Of i've times that number OF their owl
men. The Fourth Tennessee cavalry