The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1893-12-20

AsSsA.- manaihg n 10 sas,rs tne ,;ne le,s oi
~--:*sS. 'nf Their , being ~ no
road or trail through the woods, travelled
after the sound of firing and delivered the
dispatch to the General. When L returned
and reported to my commanding oilicer, ne
ordered me to take 25 men and deploy as
skirmishers through the woods over which
had Just carried the dispatch and occupy
that position until relieved which order
was carried out, except that l was never
relieved
We held our ground all day and without
any fighting except an occasional shot az
some rebel cavalrymen advancing carefully
through the bushes, who always disappear
ed as soon as we fired on them, But the
infantry TO our right were heavily engaged,
and we could tell by the yelling and cheer
ing that several charges were made during
the day, but when night came all became
still.
We had now been on duty all day. and
the men began to look for detail to relieve
them. Hour after hour passed, but no relief
came and no order to move. The men began
to form conjectures. In riding along the
line could hear them say that our whole
line of battle must have fallen back, and
that we were simply left there to be gobbled
up or get out the best we could. 1 argued
that relief would now soon come; but L
really doubted my own argument. because
1t was so unusual to leave skirmish line
on duty so long at the time when 1t was
possible TO relieve it; and, besides, we had
bad no chance to get anything to eat the
whole day. The men got more and more
persisting as the time passed, and argued
that we ought to find out how things really
stood before it was too late to extricate our
selves.
1t was now near 10, and l concluded, al
though reluctantly, to gather up the skin
mishers and move to the mills where the
4th y. :. Cav. had been standing during
the day. The moon was shining brightly, and
we moved without any trouble to the open
clearing by the mills. Here halted ana
listened. We could nots anybody, but
we could plainly hear men taking ana
horses splashing in the water by the mill,
and turning to the men said There you
see the regiment Is watering horses in the
creek"
But some Of the men suggested that 1t
might not be our men. 1 then told them
to remain quietly in the woods out OF sight,
and would ride to the mill and ascertain
what troops they were.
So started across the clearing, When l
got within few yards OF the mills little
negro come running toward me, hat in hand
and motioned me back halted, and the
boy came up and said: "Fo' COOS sake.
massa go back. Forres' cavalry right hear
nde creek"
asked where our men had gone to, but
he did not know; they had lett the mills
long ago.
saw 1t all now. Our line OF battle had
fallen back, and w. were now in the rebel
lines: pin plain road seemed open tor Hah, ust9
rode back and informed my comrades Of
the situation, concluded that the only way
& .ne Poa.,;ija "a .n uant in ths d;,sc.
ton of that road keepins in the woods. 40
.ss, ~. - q. ho go, &C., ths n;Iia TN ,oaJ
was soon reached and we moved SLOWLY.
Lest We sbonld be seem and susnected
Altar riding n yerv short distance I saw
tance from the ro,d The door and windows
bs;ne on.n the brigbt iisht from within
and the n,non shininy enablsd ma IN ace that
The honsa was fIlsd viii men and ssversi
horses wsre tied To trees around the house.
ha,ted In the road and told the men that
would like to see and know to a certainty
whethsr those men were rebels or Yankee.
90 far we had onlv the little negro bows
word for it, and did not like to rely on
that alone asked IL any one of them would
ride with me to the house Ed. Sweeney at
once volunteered and we started for the
house, leaving the others in the road. When
we got close enough to satisfy ourselves that
us, and there wa. no other way now than
to put on bold face because II we turned
and fed they would have given the alarm
and the consequence can be imagined. For
rests men were at the mills, only few
thousand yards from the house; all of them
had their hor.es yet saddled and few shots
would have brought them down on US like
asWarm of bees.
/ therefore rode right to the house. fol-
lowed by Sweeney. and when at the door
s,.-. AZ. L.,,,. =. Ii, "a
oismo9nteu, snIew the ualoie W ~" .' anu
s.nnppeu ~ ~ anu Pu'fns on @ u
Good evening" IL wasanswered 9y every
pody IN tne mouse, Iaoios inctguea. iney
iooked WIN surprise az my fAnKee uni
iosm, i put tae pe5t "9rSs SPOKEN py me;
were here today" seemed to change their
opinion Of me as to my character, and ev.
erybody volunteered their views on the sub
ject. even the ladies, and It was now plain