The National tribune., 1893-04-27

| ing notoriety, and was detained at Taylors
| Vile for short time. We finally started and
travelled on for two days, and on the night
| of the second day we overlook Mag. Los
| sing. and also found him TO be considerably
troubled, for ne had been informed that there
were about ! 200 rebel soldiers some 10 miles
distant. Neither he nor his men had slept q
minute during the whole of the previous night,
as they expected every moment that the rebels
would pounce upon them and gobble them up.
Early on the morning after my arrival at the
encampment, Mai. LOSING came to me and
said: Capt. Ellis, l wish you would go and
see if there are any rebels on Little Holtou
Creek. where rumor says they are stationed,
and yeu may have 30 men to accompany you.
told the Major | would go, and after get
ting my men together, started on the expedi-
tion. Nearly every mile we Travelled we cap
tured rebel soldiers who were Struggling about
through the country. / was very particular to
keep my men in readiness for an engagement.
for every person we met with told US that the
, rebels were just ahead of US.
We travelled on until 1 o'clock in the day,
when we came very near to the place where it
had been reported there was such large force
of rebels stationed. Here the people told US
that we had better go back, for the rebels
would be certain to capture us if we continued
to move forward. But we moved on, capturing
more or less rebel soldiers at every house we
came to, and at length we arrived at Little
Holtou Creek, north of Jefferson, n. C., and
there was not rebel soldier to be found they
had all left on the day before our arrival.
There were several buildings at this place
which belonged to a violent rebel by the name
of Perkins, but he had gone away with tho
rebel soldiers. The rebel enrolling officer who
lived there had also gone away. number of
rebel deserters came to US, who said that they
were tired of fighting for nothing; that they
knew they were already whipped, and now
wished to quit the rebel service.
We captured 20 rebel soldiers on that day ;
took their horses from them, and l paTOed
them and turned them loose, which afforded
them quite an agreeable surprise, for they
doubtless expected to
MEET WITH A MUCH HARDER FATE.
We met with a great many Union men, who
eloquently related To Us their many tales of
severe suffering under the terrible rebel op-
preston.
We started back and arrived at the encamp-
ment little while after sunset. [ at once re-
ported to Maj. LOSING all that we had seen and
done during the day, which seemed to afford
him great satisfaction and relief. and that
night all the soldiers slept soundly enough,
and no terrible visions of armed rebels dis
turbed their quiet and peaceful repOse.
Early the next morning we were all on the
alert, getting something to eat and feeding our
horses. We started forward, and after march
ing about five miles we observed IN the road
what we considered to be an infallible sign Of
rebels both footmen and cavalry. We now
divided the men, the Major taking command
of one portion of them and myself the other
portion. The Major pursued the infantry and
/ started after the cavalry. l followed them
on some four or FIVE miles before l overlook
them. They had left the little valley they
had been travelling in and had gone up the side
of the mountain, and had gone on until they
had come to an indentstion on the side of
ridge, where they had stopped to eat their
breakfast and feed their horses. / was in the
lead and was the first one who observed them.
spoke low to my men, who were near me,
and directed their attention to the rebels.
Their horses were standing between them and
ourselves. which prevented them from seeing
US until we got within 40 steps of them. They
were busily engaged in dividing ham for
their breakfast
We went up to them in a gallop, and sur
rounded them so suddenly that they had no
time to scatter We fred four or five shots
over their heads to frghten them. They
offered no resistance, and all of them sur
rendered at once They were well armed
with carbines and pistols. and had good horses.
They said they were from Lees army at Rich
mond, and said that the rebel army at that
place was
SCATTERING IN EVERY DIRECTION.