Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1892-12-22

railing iak they made a toilet and
went Gown q breakfast. Mark had plr
posely neglected 10 write his name on
the register, usd hoped that the land
I lord vou not notice the omission. But
he C,.d. and the guest entered his name
as Mark Slack. Jasper. Tenn.
After breakfast he took Jakey and
strolled arOand tie town, making pur-
chases. He thought it prudent to get
Tome of his greenbacks changed for Con-
| feGerate bills Re followed the sugges-
lion JEkey ! sd made at setting out and
/ bought s,i;r calico and tobacco and
the squirrel gun Jssey had modestly
suggested foe himself Mark was not
/ unwilling 70 lave the gun with them, as
he thought il might possibly be Of sery-
ice in case he should get hunted and
cornered: but in that event he counted
very little on any means of defense ex-
cept fight or deception.
Mark WAS astonished at the number
of officers and soldiers he saw in the
streets He fonnd a new general in
command. 1T whom he had not heard as
| a prominent leader, Braxton Bragg. He
made circuit OF the town and an esti-
mate ui the troops, but this was Of little
value for upon the arrival Of trains
regiment after regiment marched into
camp. Mar. stood on the sidewalk hold
ing Jasey by the hand. looking at the
Confederates tramping along under the
stars and bars, their bands, when they
had any, which was rare, playing dis
cordantly Dixie or The Bonny Blue
Flag"
What regiment air tibet ARP asked
Mark of soldier standing beside him
putting at a rank cigar.
eighth Tennessee"
"Wlar they all come from?"
"Tupelo. Come from thar m'self a
spell ago"
"Whar y goenT
"Ouly old Bragg knows, and he won't
tell Reckon we're goen moth to Knox
vile ter foller th' two brigades ez went
up spell ago"
"What troops air all these hyar and
them ez is comen|
"Waal, thar's Cheatham's and With
ers divisions. and reckon Anderson's.
| saw Gineral Polk terday, n they say
Hardee's hyar I'm in tn Twenty
fourth Tennessee m'self, and thets
Cheatham's. Lays cavalry brigade is
hyar Thet's all the cavalry knows on"
Mark was amazed. A large southern
force was concentrating at Chattanooga.
and perhaps they would pour into Ten
nessee or Kentucky by one of the routes
pointed ont to him by his general. 1t
was splendid plan, provided the gem
eral who was TO execute it could keep
his enemy from knowing his intentions
long enough to throw an army on his
flank or rear.
Then in making a circuit Of the town
Mark was impressed with the natural
strength of the position. He gazed over
the plain eastward, his eye resting on
Missionary ridge, but did not dream of
the soldiers battle destined to take
place there a year later. when the men
in the Army of the Cumberland, disre-
garding the plans of their superiors,
would start from the bottom Of that
mountain and defeat an enemy pouring
shot and shell down upon them from
the top.
why didn't our generals occupy this
place when they couldy' sighed Mark.
Now it is too late"
While it was evident TO Mark that the
enemy were concentrating for move
against the Union lines. there was notn-
ing to indicate where they would strike
oy,oa,+ tl,s ,,,a,tso, 80 tl,a t,,.o 10
as having gone to Knoxville He knew
that they might strike any one of sew
eral points from Battle Creek to Knox
vile, and eagerly sought for some indi-
cation where it would be. He strolled
about with Jakey all the afternoon, the
two sufficiently resembling country
bumkins to avoid suspicion. Passing a
recruiting station, Mark went inside the
tent. where an officer was writing at
pine table.
Cap" he said. Il BEN thinker I'd
like ter jine the army"
You're Just the man we want. I
You've got plenty of bone and muscle. /
should reckon you'd been in the ranks I
afore this"
w dais uoh Mdi1 AtA hSht OuNSu J
my state T ! kin help it,"
"What statey"
Tennessee"
IL reckon you'll have chance to fight ,
in it ii you join the army"
Reckon sug'
Vas; I'm recruiten fur Cheatham's
division. Thar all Tennessee REGIMENTS A.
in our division except the artillery n a
rigelnent o Georgia and one O. Texas in /
fantry."
"Whar is yer division:"
Across the river. At Dallas or Poe's;
somewhat up thar. Y better let me put
yer down fur my rigement. the til
Tennessee.
"lnought hev ter go way down south"
mo fear O that jest now"
What makes y cal'clate on tt"
There's two divisions across now
ourn and Withers'. Y don't reckon their