The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-01-19
FIGHTING THEM OVER.
What Our Veterans Have to Say About
Their Old Campaigns
WITH THE SCOUTS.
Seret knights Adventures in the s"amps
Of the PamCnkey.

ENG in fear OF some KIND OF an am
D best thing to do WAS to keep quiet
until dark had lain still all day, so
rs not TO move the tops of the bushes. and came
10 fine conclusion TO still continue the same
tactics, although if would have been great
relief to me to change nay position, for II seemed
to me as though every bone and muscle IN my
person WAS aching. so that 1t appeared AS II i
never would get over it, Added TO this was
HUNGER and thirst tried 10 dip up some water
with nv hands bet could not qnite resch IT.
and would not move FOR fear they were watch
ing and would SEQ the tops of the bushes shake
and give me volley.
1t was a terribly long afternoon, hat at last
the sun went Down, and very soon afterward
emerged from my hiding place and very care
fully made my way ont 10 the solid land, COM
ing to IL with my head held as low as possible,
and swccniug the circumference OF lai;-circle
10 see if could discover anything that looked
like nv Confederate friends or horses between
myself and the sky. After looking and listen
ing for sometime, | could neither nor hear
ANYTHING suspicious, and SO emerged from the
swami. As soon as reached the solid ground
/ took off my boots and emptIed them oil the
water that had been in them all day. think-
ing what should do myself If the position was
reversed. aud / the hunter instead OF the
hunted / concluded not go to PamunkeytoWn
by the road but make my way to the river, ana,
in case no boat could be confscated swim TO the
other side and make my way down TO the White
House as best could
I soon found the river. and it was much
nearer the road than where had crossed the
night before. owing to a bend Iii the stream at
the place where ! came 20 it, On reaching the
river discovered three men doing something
on the shore and leaving my dispatches hidden
in safe place fetched a traverse and spaked
nv way up TO where ] could hear what they
were saying and see what they were doing.
short observation showed me they were negroes
hanging un a seine on stakes along the shore
soon satisfied myself there were no white men
among them and walked right up to them,
saying: GOOD evening. boys; what luck
They showed me two sturgeon they had
caught one of which the largest l ever
saw After speaking of the size as being some
thing uncommon, said: Boys, have you seen
any of our soldiers around today"
tall mulatto who appeared to have charge
OF things. said: Eyes; Lieut. Rodgers and
three men SWAN their horses across here three
times this evening; they went over first, then
came back again, and just before dark went
over again."
"Csn you tell me where they are now?"
"Just at dark they were over there, point
ing with his hand, by the old mill"
80 ] wish had been here before they crossed
the last time; should have been glad to have
met them. Do you know of any more OF our
men on this side of the river?"
LOOK we're, NAUSEA, You dlDL Oi4S Vi Jul
men. you amt"
"a 1 amt? Well, tell me what am, if / amt"
"You's Yankee, you is.
"What makes You think so"
"0h you don't talk like our folks does"
Up to this time had imagined was playing
the part of Confederate rather successfully,
and TO be detected bv this fellow easily
made me ashamed. had played the part of a
Confederate Surgeon only the previous Winter,
and knew that there was suspicion on the
part Of several families of white people of my
being anything than what | represented my
self TO be. 1t lowered me several pegs IN my
own estimation The thought instantly came
to me, You had better up; these people
viii tell you more if they see you trust them.
So said:
"suppose / were Yankee, would you be-
tray me?"
"No sah."
"Well. boys. you arc right; j am Yankee,
and very hungry one, too. Can you get me
something to eat? / have got plenty of money
and will pay you well for anything you do for
me-"
Don't want no pay, NAUSEA. / will go right
away and get you something, SAID the mu-
latto
When he left walked into the bushes, from
which / had listened TO their conversation,
and the two who were left began asking all
kinds of questions one Of which / remember
well. They wanted TO know IT, when we got
hold of any negroes, we cut off one OF their
arms. / told them no. OF course, and asked
why they asked such question as that They
said the white folks told them go.
Much sooner than / expected the mulatto
came back. bringing with him two pones OF
hot corn bread, q large pitcher of buttermilk,
and some Of the fattest, rankest bacon | ever
cav. Buttermilk | always detested bacon,
even the best Of il, never was farorite; but
j got away with erything-buttermilk and
snH 4 zs-.s- S,.
turn, and found that ] was about eight miles
above the White House; that no Yankees had
come there that day. they felt certain, as they
would have heard the steamers whistles; FOL
they had been on the river all day. In looking
at their boats, ] found one about 10 feet long
made OF five pieces OF boards. The bow was
about four inches wide; stern, il inches; side:
and bottom made of half-inch stuff bow and
stern pieces of inch boards. IN the center, tho
boat was about 20 inches wide. When ] found
the mulatto knew the channel Of the river
] offered him SO to take me down and land
me AT Pamunkeytown. Before getting through
j offered so, but soon discovered that money
was no inducement TO him. While friendly
to me personally, and Yankees in general
and he hoped they would be successful, hC
thought more of himself than anything else
He also knew that Lieut.. Rodgers and his
three men were on the south side of the
river; how many more might be there h'
could not tell. He also knew that IN rowinJ
he would make considerable unavoidable noise
and that pistol-shot even, fired from TIN
shore, would kill, provided it hit and hi
belief was that be would be killed If h
went. He would sell the small boat and throw
IN paddle for So He also had somethin,
that be had fonnd the south side OF thl
river in 1862. after Mcclellan had gone from
there. There was glass in both ends ant
there was two OF them fastened together. sid
by side" he said, and that If ] would wait b.
would 90 TO the house and get it." He went
and brought back fcldgiass, that,
eould judge after dark was a tolerably goot
one. aud gave him s. for that / then mad
him the offer of $50 again to go down the rive
with INC, and told him that l had lost al
of that day. and that was the reason why
would give him that amount
Said he: +" You is the man that Lieut.. Rodg
ers run in the swamp this morning soon afte
up Well, sir. Lieut.. Rodgers cussed lik
the debil for bein' a id fool for 10 holler q
you. Shore you carry dispatches and he sa
he have you shore beioh you git two mile
from dis place"
When i saw there was no further use in CT
deavoring TO overcome the timidity of the mu
]atto stepped into The boat, and seating my
self in the stern. j began using the paddle, an
soon discovered the tide was against mo, an
that my progress was altogether too slow
reach PamunkeytOwn or the White House j
any reasonable time. The idea came to N
mind 10 run in close 10 shore and use the pad
die as setting pole" When put it in prat
tice ii worked to q charm. By using the bIad