The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-04-20
FIGHTING THEM OVER.
What0u Veterans Have TO Say About
Their Old Campaigns
HOW SCOUTS WORKED.
Sere't knight Tells About How They Went
About Getting Information.

Continued from 4prd6
IN my last | told of my boy Henry wanting
10 forage for our command, and, giving
him certain Instructions after thoroughly
convincing him that lie must be careful
I'm his treatment of citizens and that he must
control the negroes he had with him, saw them
start with some Disgivngs as to what the re-
sult would be- and then started myself for
another days espionage In the vicinity OF
Tinsley's Mill and COrbin's Bridge. In going
put kept of the roads and in the woods
entirely | had not gone far before fGand
deserted field hospital OF our own. There WAS
large oI of amputated limbs, piled up as much
as four feet high, and one dead man who bad
been srougbt in on 4 stTetrher. he was SER
geaut, and had evidently died before the Sur
geons bal an opportunity al operating on him.
Before gging a mile beyond there an awful
steach assailod me, and the further l went the
worse il became. ! could hardly get my horse
along, it was so overpewering. At last dis
covered the source fram whence IL came. A
POOR Confederate evidently had been wounded,
and had wandered off into the woods, lay dowE.
and died The corpse was IN tearfui con-
ditioR-swOlien and bI2ckened beyond recOg-
nit!en | sat fer moment aud looked at him,
and How sweet 10 die for eae's country
came to nav lsind. Not like that; excuse me-"
Thought TO myself, and went on.
On arriving at the edge at the Der, before
entering the open field, | gave the whole or the
country ia my front y Thorough examination
with nv field glass ana could see nothing that
looked suspicious. Tho first thing to DO was TO
ride direct from the woods and examine the
ravinc higher up than our friends TIE euemy
lssf uerfel rated the day before. There were ne
horse tracks 10 be seen, and ! rode directly to
the top of the bill and took my position under
the tree where the two or rs Ead been the day
before. Nothing of any moment TOOK place
until bet weeu and o'clock in the afternoon,
hind the woods the opposite side of the
river and took position as Though tircy were
going TO dispute the crossing Of the bridge.
They hid hardly beea In position five min
utes when long train of smbuknces drove up,
and the wounded in the large barn before men
toned were transferred to them. and then dis-
anpeared toward the right of their liner
SHORTLY after they were out of sight the cav
airy followed in the sanc direction. Thought
to myself they were preparing to evaeuate
entirely rs SOON il Was dark.
A little before dark the same negro man who
had informed Us the day before OF the little
surprise party TINT Miss Laura Tinslcy had
kindly prepared for rs, came 70 where / WAS
and gave me a map that be had found. The
name Of some Colonel Of forces was writ
ten on It, and the map itself WIS one that our
Typographical Engineers had made OF that
vicinity aud WIS a very good enc as far as 1t
went The told me that he was over On
tire other side Of the bridge and saw the wound
ed loaded iHto the ambuEances and saw them
mSve of toward the Courthouse; that what
few men | eonld see were all that were left
anywhere IN sight, and they Were going away
as soon rs IL come dark.
When | got hack that night to Headquarters
it was quite Ozark, and Henry and tie other
cantrzhzuds had not returned and nearly all
of orr party were stiIl Out. correspondent of
Tie New York T5aes was sitting modify by
one of the fires that the boys had lighted. he
eagerly inquired if We had anything TO eat
knowing that he did not mean army ratiorz
] told hTm Not thing; but my man went out
foragins this morning early, aud If he has not
get intOtroubIe will he back before long Your
best chance is right here; you had better hang
Oh wbTle-"
Just then ose Of our boys said to me: They
are anxFs=s to see you at Headquarters. They
have seat over two or three times TO see If you
had got III. Ii / we're in your place Id 90 right
oxer"
As il was about half 4 IA lie TO Headquarters
] nsoanfed my horse and rode over. Our re-
ports were always made to Col. Geo. Ii. Sharpe. |
in persoH, if be were present. When reached I
his teBt there was no one in but John c. BAH !
cock. his Private Secretary. He wanted to /
know how things were GA the right. Ny an 1
sver WIS that there was nothing going on except 4
that they were ev9cuatiHg and moving of to /
our left. lie Immediately seized paper aud /
i
Eat | could see that he commenced thus;
" knight reports the enemy leaving their left" I
Then turning to ne he said:
This IS one o. the most important reports we
have received during the campaign. and it is /
In direct cuEGie with reports received all day
1icss officers along the lines They report the |
enemy messing our right, and the Second I
Corps has been sent out there"
IeS" said /; a. met tiIem as czae in. aud |
there is Of their going, for tell you the |
iast oae af them have lsGt there before this"
Then by series Of eFossguestions As to |
what iEaae me think as did, be learned every
thIEg I hzA to tell l showed him the map the |
coBiEzbzH& had given me-in fact LEFT Il with I
hiH. and tEiiy committed myself TO the report. /
After leaving him beg&u wishing that had |
not bern saite 50 positive / thought 10 my
SELF SsPIsase those people fully realized what
yoUf presence there meant, and took that way
of deriving you. IL they had troops where
VOC could Hot see them, and should make an
attack cut there tonight, what viii be Thought
Of you. Te make the thing short. | viii state
thai no sleep visited my eyes that night.
WbeR ! returned from Headquarters to oar
camp everything was in statu qua No foTagers |
had returned. The Times correspondent was
Respondent hat not more 50 than l. ! really !
liked Henry, and began to fear would never
see BIN again. At last We heard shouting at |
saIBe dis;2scs- which increased in volume an.
depths Of the woods, and drove up into the cir
cie OF llgEt emitted by cur esnpfres- First
eaEe covered spring wagon with fine span
OF horses with silver plated harness. then q
mule aad cart. Both wagon aHd cart were
loaded wifb chickens, ducks, pals OF butter aud
honey, Johns and jugs Of milk, eggs, -four,
cOrBmeal. lard Dutch oven in which biscuit
enid re baked and various other culinary uten-
sis completed the outfit. As foragers the con-
trabaBds bad proved themselves a complete and
glorious success.
he chickens and ducks were all plucke
aud ready tor cooking when they brought them
IB Hastily selecting some Of the fowls honey
and butter. ge seat them 10 Gen. Patrick with
Ger compliments. We Reyer heard Of any COM
plant. although ali hands had many misgivings
whea Ne saw tie PFofuse supply HRloaded.
The Tines correspondent vas a NEST grateful
man, aun when sought our blankets aboat
midnight, all hands very happy. / lay
awake listening for the sound OF cuunonading
on The right. which never came. and in the
morning found the Second Corps had been
bTOaght back. and il. well all the rest of
tie array. were moving - the left
Slettss lyanis Courthouse was the next snag we
struck. In the Fall 81 l-Sf saw John G. Bah
cock, who took my report when / came in from
TIus.ey's Mill. He did not remember any
thing 81 the rep0Ft, bet hgHted up some old
photographed maps OF the vicinity Of Corhin's
B;idge One had TO hold them up 10 the light
asd look IkIo0sh them from the back. While
j make claim To having pat down the rebel
l...rs !. 4