The National tribune., 1893-02-09


| dertakipg even for the bravest of the sternel
| sex much less two deliCatcly reared females
! Fourteen or fifteen miles by the turnpike read
| lay between Lancaster aud Hickman Bridge
| In the zigzag course they were compelled to
| pursue to avoid tie public highways and the
| enemy, ii is uncertain what distance they tray
| eled in the two days spent in reaching our
! lines The cnemys lines, scouting parties, and
| pickets. too. interviewed between them and the
| objective point. But the most formidable
| object to overcome, perhaps. was the Kentucky
| River itself; its high stage, from recent rains,
| its rugged banks. rising i'll some places 300 feet
| high perpendicularly, with only here and there
| a place OF descent from bench to bench, along
narrow pasSways with overhsnging rocks on
the one side and yawning precipices on the
! other, the trip contemplated was periious in
| the extreme. But TO return to Mrs. Jackman's
| narrative.
| They left Lancaster at 10 o'clock the Same
| day March 2Gl, and went through farms to
eyade the enemy scouts and pickcts, for several
miles. They then Travelled byways and mud
! reads. which were almost impasSahe from pre-
| yious rains, until they fell in with iittlo
coiored boy who was trying to make his escape
from the rebel soldiers They took him under
the wing Of their protection, and induced him
TO undertake 10 pilot them To the nearest point
on the Kentucky River below the crossing Of
the turnpike road, thinking that they might
get below the enemys pickets. They came TO
a place where their horses mired in the mud.
aud were compelled to dismount so that their
hurScs could Struggle out. Just they re-
mounted and started again, they went right
into The encmy's pickers, Were hailed closely
questioned. and turned back. Our meek man
ncred heroiues now asked permission, which
WIS granted, to reach the pike and go 10
BryautSville which place they arrived at about
night. and went to loyal friend S in the vicin
K ny fhp rl.r af Iapk Inhp and stQid All
night. Still indomtable and determined to
get the information 10 tho Union army, they
returned to BrrantSville 10 Mr.. Merriulan
,iohnson's, and consulted him and his wife and
several other loyal friends, among whom were
Mrs. Doctor Mullins and Mr. Beriah NJ. Jones'
Their friends gavo them the best directions
they could, and they started again. After going
about two miles they met the rebel Col Nor
rison, who halted them and turned them back
again. lie rode with them some distance, and
after leaving them, still persistent In carry
ing out their purpose, they took through farms
until they came ont Il road where they met
4 man, and after consulting him and finding
him ali right they got the information from
him that the enemys picsets were near by,
and that If they would follow the creek they
would soon get below them and have no more
trouble They surrounded the pickets and
came ont or the road again, where they met
another man, who, after cOnvcrsng little,
informed them that he had started to get the
news. Upon inquiring his name he was found
to be tho to whom they had been recon-
mended III the morning.
He accom- panied them to his house and gave
them their dinners. On descending TO the
river to see if there were any way for them to
cross lie found that all the boats and RATS had
been destroyed that morning by the tnion
forces except one frai raft not three feet wide.
From there to the river was so rugged that
their hcrses were useless, and were left III care
of their new found friends. With the aid of
William and Jefferson 0verstreet, Mrs. jack
man and MIS-. Vaughn descended the danger
GUS cliffs of The Kentucky River, in what was
called Polie's Bend, some miles below the
Hickman Bridge. A Mr. Alsop brought over
his little raft. and The two went aboard. The
river had swelled from the late rains. and the
current ran strong the raft sinking so low
that the water across their feet. Those OH
the bank held their breath in awe, expecting
to see the precious load go down: but they
landed safely, and were ioyfuily received by
the Union pickeis. A Lieutenant and two
soldiers escorted them to the house OF Dir.
Phillips. half mile from the river. where
they procured a topless buggy to convey them
to Headquarters. Mr.. phiilipss sou accom-
panied the military escort. and it soon became
as dark as Egypt, the rain pouring down III
torrents.
II WIS . v GtOCA Hneii tHcA TIC camp
of the LIST KY. Cav, and found that Col. VOL
ford was at Mr. Moss, distance from
camp. Mai. w. y. Owens however, guided
them to Col. Woford's stoppiug-plaee. Here
they were refused sdmittance by Mrs. Moss,
until she found out their business and respect
able standing, when she was profuse in her
apologies, which were readily accepted.
When the two ladies' had given to Col. VOL
ford all the information they had in store Of
ffta ~ mud .uuur;fr he
surprised and astounded. Many OF the officers
and men OF Go. G. of his regiment lived
around Lancaster; Capt. I. K. Hackley was
closely related TO Mrs. .jackman, and the
racity and high standing of the two heroines
were too well known to he even doubted. He
Immediately teleSrapbed TO Gen. Gilmore the
substance of the information received. Gill
more replied. giving orders TO Col. Woif0rd TO
have the aoor of the Hickman Bridge laid
Immediately. see that his men had three days
rations prepared, and take the advance in the
pursuit Of the enemy the next morning tthe
23th).
On starting out, Col. Wolford requested the
two patriotic women to remain at Moss until
they heard from him. About 10 o'clock lie
sent messenger to let them know that the way
was clear Mr.. Phillips conveyed them to Bry-
autsville, five miles distant, from which place
they were sent by their loyal friends to their
home, family and friends at Lancaster, who
received them with great rejoicings.
The information given resulted in the rapid
pursuit of the enemy, the battle OF Dutton Hilj
near Somerset the complete victory of the
Union forces, and the taking of many prisoners
and much property for the Government, be-
sides many citizens recovered horses aud cattle
belonging to them.
After their heroic deed they became the
target of the rebel sympathizers in and around
Lancaster; their lives were threatened but
they had personal friends among them who
kept them warned of danger.
When SCOTS rebel cavalry entered Lancas-
ter ia the last days of July, following the Pc.
gram raid in March. rebel friend came to Mrs.
Jackman and begged her to accompany her
home. and told her that she was sure that they
would have her hung. The brave woman de-
clined the kind invitation, and assured her
! friend that if they wanted her, they would
! find her at home, and if they were simple
| enough to hang her. Wolford's men would
pay them back in their own coin. and would
| not stop at hanging one. but would clean out
/ the town. Soon Sanders's Union force at the
] head OF which was the daring Capt. Geo. w.
! Drye, of the LIST KY. Cav, came dashing into
| town. capturing and shooting the raiders when
the terrorists became at once the terror stricken.
When Williams, Van Wart and Panlding
! captured Mai Andre in the Revolutionary War
! and refused TO sell their patriotic souls for his
gold they met with the reward of having
! their names handed down by the historian
/ from generation TO generation and a grateful
| Government, as weak as it was then financially,
| granted them a pension for life. But now,