Rock Island daily Argus., 1892-01-14

/ had infinitely the advantage over an in
| fantry regiment which received them with
| fixed bayonetS, or an equal or even superi-
! or number of opposing cavalry armed with
! carbine and saber BY the time his COM
mand struck the foe I'll ere were SO many
| holes in their ranks that il was an easy
| matter to charge through them and take
I them in flank or rear Remember, Guam
/ trell fought no great battles, but in small
/ actions, cutting off trains, capturing stray
regiments, etc, he was n truly Il genius AS
: Napoleon ever was.
! "He didn't enforce strict discipline in
! camp except with the guard mount, but
| he was inexorable that every man should
/ know how to load and fire riding at a
| gallop; he paid small heed to military eti-
| quette, but he sternly insisted that every
/ mans revolver should be in the best of
| order, and l have seen lin order a most
| severe punishment upon man who had
! his weapons in bad shape and passed by a
! party Of drunken troopers quarreiing and
| cursing over a game OF cards.
"When in the enemy country we lived
/ on the enemy. Wealways travelled lightly
equipped and with greaJ speed. | remem-
Der an order OF mis-, 'Stragglers will b.
! shot which had the effect of always keep
| ing US in a compact body. These are the
main points of Quautrell's ideas OF war.
! and by which he always came out vicuori-
! Gus. Anecdotes | could tell you by the
! dozen, but have not now the time"
! The narrator paused, reiShted his ex-
! tinguished cigar and, with what thought
a half sigh, resumed:
! We'll, to get to that affair at Lawrence.
/ Quantreli had received some terrible blows
at the hands of the red legs, as the FEEDER
ais We're called in Augrs st Of that year,
| think. Several OF his best men had been
! caught by them and hung without show of
| trial. The james brothers, jesse and
| Frank, had both been wayIaid, wounded
| and escaped after a desperate fight, and a
number OF respectable old farmers in Jack
son, Clay and Liberty counties, whence we
drew the larger portion of our supplies of
| food, stock and recruits, had been brutally
! used during one of these periods in which
Quantrell temporarily 1isbanded his corps
to meet at a certain time and place.
when the night of the rendezvous ar
rived we mustered about 250 strong and
were paraded in the moonlight in an open
| glade in the big forest
"Quantrell had little to say, but | never
saw his brow SO stern and his eye so scin-
tillant with vengeful wrath. He rode up
and down our lines twice closely scanning z
his men. Then he addressed them few
brief words telling them of what had
been done and of the determination of the
enemy to ruin them mt all hazards. He
notified me that we were going to execute
a signal act OF vengeance, but what it was
not one knew save his two lieutenants
Let any man leave the ranks who
doesn't wish to 60 sad Quahtrell, but
and all understood what but meant.
If there were any traitors among US just
TO spy he would be lerforce to come and
do Us we did, or if he wished to draw out
ROW at this supreme moment he well knew
that the way within Il dozen yards would
Ue checked by a storm OF bullets from the
finest pistol shots in the world.
so we were told TO break ranks, give
our animals feed and eat one ration and
cook another. That was all we carried in
tue way of provisions.
The moon had scarcely reached her
meridian splendor when we set out on Il
frosty night all night long; the creaking
| of the horse furniture and the dull tramp
lent a pleasing monotone to the oppressive
stiffness Of the night. We were all in an
ticipation of some unusual event and the
majority of us were very sOmber and 81.
! lent.
AT last just as the faint parhelia in the
east over the level prairie land began to an,
nOunCe the approaching dawn, a halt was
| ordered and Quantre | sent forward Gregg
and a score of men to take the bridge over
the little stream some six miles this side
of Lawrence.
Meantime we brrakfasted on cold IN
tions, and such as had it took a drink oil
whisky. 1t was very dark and dismal as
the wind swept the mist wreaths here and
there over the vas. silent prairie and
tossed the tall grasses into pillows re
sembiing those of the Atlantic under q
heavy ground swell 1t was very Ghostly
standing there, hand on name and foot il
stirrup, impatiently waiting for some
sound from the front, while the gi
gantic figures of the orderlies moved
through the damp gloom like specters o.
the BrocEen calling he morning roll.
Suddenly firing was heard half a mile
in front where Gregg had gone. Then al
was still. Then came over the prairie thC
rapid hoor beats of a fast horse The rideI
soon became visible and went direct t,
, Quantrcl!.
1--WE killed three, captured nine, anC
Captain Gregg awairs orders, sir
Fall into your troop replied Quan
trell and to the bug.er:
Boots and saddles
. Loud, long, clear and shril the beautiful
refrain rang out, and ere the bugler ha(
his instrument well under his arm we has
got the order.
Fright dress ,forward-tro trot-gallOpv W,
. had already been arranged III columns 0
| four, and along we Numbered, passed th
. bridge without halt where Gregg joined
, leaving party to care for the Fedora
killed and wounded and as they were sool
, again in ranks l opine that they put thei
/ own construction on their orders and slew
? the whole layout! OH they were barba
rous.
II can't dwell OF what remains to b.
+ told; we sighted Lawrence just at day
, break and went into the town with wilt
, rush and whoop which startled the reSi
q ment of infantry posted just across tn
! river. And then the bloody work began
a no wonder women and children were hur
a in that wild raid, for there was no tim