The National tribune., 1893-04-06
HOW SCOUTS WORKED.
Sergt knight Tells How They Went About
Getting Information.
Continued from last ,reek.)

TN my last letter stated that Hancock'f
Second Corps got several miles in the
/. rear of Lees army at Milford, where We
had a sharp brush with the rebels.
The next day, or perhaps two days alter
! ward, we found ourselves on the River 70
Just how we got there. or the day OF the month.
/ have entirely forgotten. a party OF scouts
started out on the right. and after going about
| four five miles we came TO IinsleyS Mills.
! The water was not running over the dam: on
the contrary, the planking of the dam was
bare and dry for at least four feet. The house
and mill were surrounded by shrubbery and
trees so thickly that at short distance it was
almost impossible TO see the buildings. The
enemy seemed to be in force Oh the opposite
/ side of the stream. We were about mile be-
low Corbin's Bridge.
Tinsley's barn, which stood about Is yards
| from the so called river, aud about SO yards
| higher up the stream, offered shelter for our
/ horses of which we availed ourselves. Two or
three of us dismounted and went into the barn
and looked through the cracks of the doors,
| from which we could see their works and pick
| cts on the opposite side. We had not been there
| but few minutes when young lady made
| her appearance in the barn. 1t was amusing
! TO hear her talk. / think she WAS about IL
! years of age and pretty. She pretended to
stand in great fear of the Yankees, and at the
same time had placed herself III their power
/ 10 prevent them from stealing She naively
| informed US that was what she came to tho
barn for, and commenced walking around to
see what she could save from rapacious
! grasp. She at last selected pair of cushio ns
from douhle-seated carriage and prepared to
depart. Just before she opened the door said
to her: Miss wish you to understand that
yoH have deceived no one as to what you came
here for. You were not afraid of being in
suited. You knew perfectly well you were az
fp h..yp hpen q
river among the ehivslry.' You have gra-
tnitousy insulted us for no earthly reason OK
cept to find out how many men we have in
this PARTY. This is why you have been walk
ing up aud down across the floor at tire back
OF The barn. You know there are not many of
Us. Go and tell your friends to come over on
the dam aud we will give them all they want"
She scared then sure enough, and left.
Soon after her leaving heard the clatter
of horses hoOfs coming over the dam, but not
many of them. A row of shrubbery extended
from the house in diagonal direction nearly
to the barn. The two of us in the barn were
the watch, closely. In short time dis
covered cavaryman, dismOunted. stealing
along inside the shrubbery, and fired q shot at
him. which turned him TO the right-about in q
great hurry.
Suon after we heard horses recrossing on the
dam and left the barn, the majority of the
party going on up the river towards Corbin's
Bridge
When near the bridge the party suddenly ran
into at least twice their numuer of rebel in
tTntry stragglers, footsoTe and weary. i will
do them the Justice OF saying don't believe
there was coffee cooler" among the lot.
They surrendered easily and their guns were
destroyed before they had any idea OF the num-
Der of our party. When they came to real
ize that they had surrendered to a smaller force
than themselves, their curses were loud and
deep; the army In Flanders could not have
beaten them.
One man in particular, with very handsome
head of auburn hair called Confederate regi-
nsent OF cavalry who were in plain sight on
the other side of Corbin's Bridge everything
hat gentlemen and soldiers for not coming
across the bridge and recapturing them. He
Shook his list at them, and cursed until he
appeared to realize how useless his rage was.
when he suddenly cooled down and began
looking at his captors. In moment he ex-
claimed: Well If i have got to be prisoner
] know of no body of men on Gods earth
wonld sooner he prisoner OF, than of yon all"
He had recognized Cline. PEW. and Cole.
He had been captured by our party the year
before in the Gettysburg campaign.
Several of the boys vino were with the Head
quarters scouts the year before Were prisoners
at this time themselves, away wounded-A.
y. Carney, in the latter category: Hogan,
Swisher, and others, In Andersonville; Ebe-
Dezsr McGee dead.
The man, who did this swearing, WAS q Cap
tain in Mississippi regiment, and had moth
ing 10 wear except what he had on. He was
not turned over prisoner Of until we
made ND very fair outfit OF underclofll ing
blankets etc, for him. Before he left us he
said: Boys, God bless you; ] know you think
you are right; we think the same. When this
cruel war is over j want you all TO como to
Mississippi and see me-"
! am sorry TO have forgotten his name and
address, for there is no man living / would be
more pleased 10 see than he.
| Col. George III. Sharpe, Deputy Provost Mar
ai-GeDeral. told me the next day to take a
man with me, 60 out and watch long I
could see what was going on in that vicinity.
The next morning. with good iield-g glass. two
of us went out and took our position on hill,
down stream from Tinseyis Mill about $50
! yards There was capital view of Corbin g
Bridge aud the other side of the stream, until
| yen came as far down as Tinsley's Mill; then
| the woods were SO dense that little could be
seen. We discovered that a large barn q
| Hill beyond Corbin's Bridge WAS used q hos
| piial. i think the man with me was James
| IlHtton, but am not quite sure. At all events,
| whoever he was, asked him TO go up the tree
We sitting under aud take look through
| the glass from there. ] held bis horse while he
| went up. When he was up so that his feet were
about six feet higher than my head the angry
/ hiss of a minie-hall, that passed about half
way between my head aud his feet, warned him
| TO come down.
The first day out there was bare of incident,
and our report that night WAS a meager one.
/ Next day We went again and took our positions,
| th- same as the day before. We had not been
there long before a young aud bright negro
came and told Us that his young Missis Miss
Laura Tinslcy, had told a friend of hers, that if
| the two Yankees who were the hill the day
| before should como again the next day, they
would not go back, as she had been to the
woods in our rear and had found there were
no Yankees in them.
Enc WAS going to sec or had seen the rebel
cavalry. and was going to have six men 20 up q
ragine to the woods and come in our rear, and
either CAPTURE or kill lis. She had just as lei
tile man with the straw hat should be killed a.
not The negro showed us place they would
have to pass before they could get into the
ravine and advised US to keep close watch Oh
| that Boirt