The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-05-18
FIGHTING THEM OVER
What Our Veterans Have TO Say About
Their Old Campaigns
HOW SCOUTS WORKED.
Serg't Knight Tells How They Went About
Getting Information.

than myself would Judge He looked as
though he had more sprawl" Ito use Nova
Scotia EXPRESSION in him than any man in the
gang Following him mp until he dropped his
sack Of oats called him 10 one side and asked
ifhe knew a man named Moodey, over the river
in Charles City County, about six miles from
Hexall's LENDING.
yes" said he; al cut hoop-poles for him
last Spring"
DO You think you could find his place in
the night?"
al reckon So"
"Will you 90 over there tonight with an
other man and l. and show us bis hOuse?"
"You don't catch me over thar, Boss, to-
night or any other night; toe many rebels over
thar"
DO you know Joe Slater?"
ayes; he's in the rebel army"
1.-Two of US were at his house last night. and
Mrs Slater told us that we would be unable to
find Moodey's house in the night look for it as
we might"
why. Boss you was nigh about thar when
You was at SlNier's But reckon she told you
nigh about the truth. lt's rather a blind place
to find. that's fact"
well, LightfoOt. two of us are going over
there tonight and We want you TO go along.
We can 90 to Skaters all right but afraid
after what Mrs. Slater and you say about it.
could not find the place if we go alone. Will
you go?"
]
"Sce here Li=htfoot. there is no more dam
ger in going over there than there is in walk
ing down the dock"
I'D rather walk down the dock"
In answer To an inquiry he told me what his
pay was. ! offered him So more better rations,
and only one. at most two horses TO take
care OF. aud again told him there was not the
slightest danger in going over there and told
him had been doing that kind of thing ever
since the war broke out. The moment you
show rs Moodey's house we will never ask you
to put your foot on the north side of the river
again, and will give you SO extra beside. We
will give you Just as good arms as we will have
ourselves. and the man Carney, who will go
with us is not afraid Of anything on the face
of the earth"
also learned from him that be was born
free. As with Powers. he was safe ia our lines,
and il began TO look very doubtful if any in
ducement that be could be offered would tempt
him to risk himself the north side OF the
river. Finally called the old man who had
pointed him out 20 me and told him the offers
/ had made. He said
''Why, Lightfoot. if ! knew where Moodey
lived ] would 90 myself. Show yourself
man and 60 with him"
His next excuse was that the Quartermaster
would not pay him If he left.
"Come right with me and sec him. l will
get your money for YOU" | said.
Then we went to the Quartermaster together,
and upon my explanation Of tho matter he paid
him in full and allowed him full days pay
for that day, shook hands with and compli-
Dented him very highly or his bravery. aud |
got him off 10 City Point. There the boys all
told him there was not the slightest danger of
being either shot or captured.
About p. m, Carney and myself, with
Lightfoot, started away from City Point on a
steamer, ran up to the wharf at HexalPs and
went ashore, after the people who lived near
in hid and nioitl vc
asleep. We let our guide follow US until we
came TO Joe SlstoT's. whose house we reached
by pursuing the same tactics that we did the
previous night. Then. TO reassure Lightfoot
we stopped and had chat in whispers. We
pointed out the direction Miss Slater had said
was the way to Moodey's, which he said was
right. We then told him to take the lead, as
we knew nothing about the country any fur
Their. be started ahead and We followed.
About a halEmile from Slater's we struck into
q dense forest of small pines, none of them
ever 20 feet in hight. We soon found small
path just wide enough for us to get through in
Indian file. Every little way it was intersccted
byssother small paths about the same size.
After some time, during which was certain
we had walked more than a mile, which Mrs.
Slater had declared 10 be the distance to
Moodey's. / asked Lightfoot if he was sure of
bis direction. Carney grumbled a good deal
20 me, and swore he did not believe the niger
knew the way at all. Lightfoot said be was
al right, and We went on again until / became
positive that our guide was completely beWil-
dered, and was really scared very much. and
said TO him, "Lightfoot. we will give it up to-
night and have another try at il tomorrow
night" Carney declared he would fool around
no more with that niger.
If there was anything on which / prided
myself more than another, Ii was what Col.
Sharpe termed my Typographical instinct,
which friend Of mine, by the name of Harry
Seibert in New York City. declared meant that
] was ike mule-could find my way to the
place where was fed last At ali events, we
got back 10 Hcxal's all right.
Soon after making my report of q total fail
ure TO Col. Sharpe Of tie trip of the night be-
fore, three men were brought on shore at City
Point aud turned over to Col Sharpe. Myers
had brought them through from Richmond
We had not seen or heard thing from them.
Two more Disguised men than Carney and N.Y.
self probably could not have been found In the
armies operating against Richmond" When
night came ] took LiRhtfoot and went alone
with him, Carney absolutely declining to 20.
Our English ancestors took delight in what
they called maze; thought il was very
cunning 70 build place that, when you once
entered il, il would be tedious work TO find
your way out. Lightfoot declared the narrow
paths which led to nearly every point of the
compass were made by hogs. no reflections on
our English ancestors intended We travelled
miles. when ! became certain In my own mind
that were simply travelling over and over
the same paths AT last, every time we turned
from one path into another, ] would stoop
down. pick up a small dead limb that can
always be found under thick growth of pines.
and break piece about eight inches long and
set il up against the tree nearest the intersec-
ton Of two paths. j could Go this without
LightfOot knowing anything about it, as was
following him. After pursuing this course for
about an hour. began finding the sticks that
had already set up When this happened l
said 10 Lightfoot: +" 1t is getting late. and we
must get hack to HeIalrs without being seen
by anyone. so will give il up now, and try
it again tomorrow night"
After following him short distance ] asked
him where he was going. His answer was
"To HexalPs Landing" "You are going as
straight as you can toward Richmond. You
follow me now; and trrned in the opposite
direction and soon CROSSE the road that passed
Skaters house. got into the field, and passed
the house where Carney and ] had the inter
view with Mrs. Slater and her sister Light
foot then acknowledged that he had been per-
fectly lost. Before we reached Hexall's
found that the first house Carney and saw
was owned by an Englishman named Hill (;
and from what / heard from Lightfoot, / came
20 the conclusion he could not be much of a
rebel sympathiZer.
Soon after reporting to Col. Sharpe next