The Portland daily press., 1892-06-09
mrhere is a man approaching with a


| The white flag proved to be a hand
kerchief fastened to the end of sword.
| This was responded to by fastening
| Elias handkerchief to the end of rifle,
which Dick Bradley carried as he and
| Father Peters walked down to meet the
two men in gray who were approaching.
The fear that these people belonged to
Eet Magoone's gang was soon set at
rest They were dressed in gray uni
forms, and the network Of gold lace on
| the collar and sleeves of one Of the men
indicated that he was an officer. As
! Father Peters and Bradley went down
to meet the truce, it was decided that
the former should do the talking, so
when the Confederate announced him
self as belonging to General Zollicofer's
command, and peremptorily demanded
to know who the people upthe hill were,
| he was answered:
''We are Union men making our way
to the north, but we do not want fight
unless it is forced on u.s."
"Why are you going north?" was the
next question.
1--WE deny your right to ask" replied
| Father Peters.
81 am here to prevent recruits going
through to the enemy, and if you do not
surrender you must take the conse-
| quences," said the Confederate.
eve are quite ready for that" said
the old clergyman.
"And if nothing but fight will suit
you uns, broke in Strong Dick Bradley,
"come on, jest as quick ez you uns dog
gone please. Now go back and tell yo'r
rebils that"
The Confederate became gentler after
this, but beyond learning the purpose of
each other the truce resulted in no good.
AS soon as Father Peters and Bradley
rejoined the party, two young men, who
declared that they could reach Camp
Dick Robinson without food or sleep,
were detailed 10 make their way to the
north and to inform the first Union
troops they reached of the condition of
the fugitives whom they had left be-
hind. This precaution, as will presently
be seen, proved the salvation of the
mountaineers.
The Confederates numbered about a
hundred men, cavalry or mounted rifles,
as could be seen when the clouds rolled
| away and the sun came out. The enemy
were green and undrilled, as were most
Of the troops on both sides at that time,
but the officer in command evidently
understood his business. Leaving a
guard with the horses grazing in the
valley, he advanced his men in open
order, and evidently with orders to pro-
tect themselves as best they could till
they came within rifle reach.
81 recall" said Miss Peters, 'that I
saw all this without any increase of fear,
nor was at all shocked at seeing my
father on his knees with his rifle pro-
truding through an opening in the rocks.
Indeed it appeared SO me like an act of
habitual devotion. I vNnted to do some
thing, and if there had been an unused
rife within reach l am sure I should
have obeyed the impulse to use it.
81 never admired Strong Dick Brad
ley SO much before. expected that he
would rave and swear, but instead he
went softly from man to man, uncaring
for the exposure, and whispering, Low
and stiddy, boys; low and stiddy, and
not too doggone highp"
AS the Confederates advanced with
out drawing the fire of the man on the
hill, they began to feel that the task was
easy, for they yelled in that peculiar
Indianlike way that afterward distin-
guished them in battle. They became
more reckless and began to expose them
selves, when an irregular fire opened on
them from the rocks.
It was not till a dozen men had fallen
that the Confederates began to get a
true estimate of the enemy. This was
the first conflict in which any of them
had ever participated, and so the cour-
age of the bravest began to cool at the
sight of blood. They threw themselves
on the ground and opened mild fusil-
lade at the rocks on the hill.
zone Of our men got shot through
the feshy part of his left arm" said Miss
Peters. "The sight of the blood made
me shudder when I came to tie the
wound up in a handkerchief that had
been used as a flag of truce; but con-
fidence and hope returned when the
young fellow said, with laugh, as if he
rather enjoyed it, Lor bless you, Ella,
that amt nothin to what I did fo' one of
them sinners ez was fo' climbin up this
hill
'.The young man had just returned to
his place, and I was about to rejoin
mother, when 1 was startled by low
cry. Then I saw father Keeling back,
with an awful look in his eyes. I ran to
him and reached out my arms to help
him, but he fell-fell at my feet-dead.
"God forgive me! but at that instant
did not fully feel our terrible loss. The
impulse came to me to take the rifle that
had fallen from his hands and to fill his
place, and am sure that should have
done so had not mother tainted.
81 recall that Dick Bradley quickly
and tenderly lifted the body back to
where the men could not see it, and he
whispered, Don't take on loud; don't let
the boys know our loss till we've licked
them hounds down the hill"
And during that morning and well on
into the afternoon the mountaineers
fought without knowing that Father
Peters was dead It was evident to Brad
ley that the enemy had been REINFORCED,