The National tribune., 1893-05-04

What0 Veterans Have TO Say About
Their Old Campaigns
HOW SCOUTS WORKED.
Serg't knight Tells How They Went About
Getting Information.

harI work il seemed 70 me that it
was time something tangible should result from
our service Both armies were extending Their
lines 10 the left There WAS no reaSon that all
of Us should stay in camp every night, and
concluded TO make night-trip and see If l
could learn anything Of Importance / left
Uesdonarters IN time to cross the Jerusalem
Plank road before dark, saying nothing IN any
one of nv intention. and not even asking Tor
lass ta get out of our own lines 1t piac' d me
;n exarrly the same position rebei scout
would have been in had he been Inside cur
lines ani wanted 10 get out.
striking OUT to the left and rear from Head
onarirrs. where knew | would find 40 troops
i I,lac.d such distance between myself aah
our lines that | felt safe in changing my ronr~e
Ia the west and crossed the Jerusalem Plank
road 10, re dark the farm oi Mr.. James. AS
/ crossed one IF his fields SAW nunier Of
tapn and q forge belonging 10 Ciark's % y. }.
battery. | kept on through he woods, after
lasvipu ,Janes's farnr until ] quite sure
that I WAS beyond our left faux, aud then
turned directly north toward Petersburg. until
I conld SIRE that hat 4 short distsnre ahfii was
cleared grnund: then / lookPd for pine
thi. kct and crawled under The lower brsHrhes
and silent till daylight. As soon a. coHd had
a good PLACE to stow myself AWAY where |
cor3d get = get a good view did 81. aud the
Confederate works already nilt and Those IN
the n.orpss Of nsirurtian south anu west from
Petersburg were ia plain sight
As soon rs they had finished breakfast large
woI king parties consisting. much 10 my sur
r.,iSr. Of VI iite men, came ont aud went 10 wurk
with will that aston shed nr"- T'II'. pissed
very moHotouousIy. aft"r watching them for a't
hour on iyse Abait II a. n 'atno slight
change ia the uroyr1tn. Qalte large holy ot
frpotrs came cut under arms. ard h-gan 10
Think ] Wss geins TO wines bri#aie 8Ttii
More seiliers came, until felt certain was
To witness the evoluiioRs OF a dlvlslon- Slli
more soldiers came, and after i very few
tasuuyers arms were stacked ard they settle
down with apparently nothing 10 40 but lie on
the GROUND and kick up their heels. IS plenty
Of them were dsing.
They were auet so long that bcrame con-
gnred they were not there for aEy purpose OF
drill. Il finally 6awHed on my beItIghteu
brain that it WIS just pos sihle they might con-
template making an attack on our lett flank
The longer thought OF il the more 1t seemed
probable that this was just what they were
massed out there for and began 10 get uneasy.
/ knew could not begin 10 reach Hcadquar-
fers III time il the attack was 10 come oil iAat
evening.
had also an experience of reporting to pca-
PIE who did not know me; besi9eS. / had no
credentials with me- and had always been rare
fui to make as few aequsintanees rs possible
felt certain that II ] was TO 20 3Hd repaTt 10
the first troops came across WAS SIRE 10 fe
insgited if not arrested as a possible spy for
the rel els. for / had ju=t that kind of ex
pericnce many times. There was hat one way
for nae 10 do 10 make what ! parity kEcw and
partly sGrn.ised Of use. and that was 10 Eiakc
Iay way 10 Cark's battery aud let thea, know.
They about four miles away. and first ]
had to make my way to The rear by a PROFESS
William Gilmore Sims called sHakeiHg.
dared rot t. raise MY feet until had gotten
some distance TO the rear. After ] rose M
-
nmtii felt crrtain l could set through 10
Clark's iatipry xilinut seeing any other iTuo5 $.
When | reached Clark's quarters isr ssIrl 10
me. " hats the nrws?" His brother. Lieut.
Clark had previously extended 40 invitation
TO parlake of some li9nid refreshments. As
soon rs That had been attended to j told tEe
Cartain that atisek WAS going 10 be made
that alters early the next morning. The
woods we're uttered lhaa ! WAS
politely informed F mar. who were lie eagle
Of Colonel on his shoulder straps. that | was
B8ch mere scaTed tEan hart. sE,i he DID il ~
SO oaes.siye uua:.ner that ] Immediately left
tie tea! without making sny reply.
When reached the Jerusalem Plank road.
which was hut a few PAGES from Clark's tent, i
turned down toward JOnes's house. Some #
the pielzcts honored nae with few bullets
soon heard some one running behind me, aud
s~on Lieut. Edward Clark sang cat To me:
8 Wait. Jud want to sneak 10 you"
Nhel. he came up he said:
- Ihe Captain sent NE after you 10 see II you
meant what you said while ia The tent jest
now?"
"Ceriainly I meant IT, You are sure to be
attacked either this evening oT early in the
morning. and when it dos GENE Il Rill Ire from
the WRIST. You ought 10 have strong breast.
work thrown Up facing that Way insieaA Of
The oEe yOaT guns IA How facing Peters
burg"
4
aronHd Tor lood having eaten nothing in -
hours After the food question was settled
cantinted on nay way 10 Army Headquarters.
Loag before reaching there beard gBiie a rsfy
ia the direction from which l had come. hat
too laT swsy 10 tell exactly WHIST it was so J
said nothing about whcie had been ar shat
had seen. bat concluded TO let them hear
through tlte regular channels. Twenty years
after goi The following letter in answer to a
query:
NEwsRK, n. J., april q. 1884
Capt JUDsoS KNIGHT
Ny DEAR CAPTAIN: You ak me IL I re-
call yoUF being at the Jerusalem Plank
read IN Jaue, 1864. ] certainly do. You
csme to where ] WIS stationed. Just to
tie iest of the road as il crosses the TayIne
close 10 Fort HELL and where Fort Davis
Was afteFwaFd placed, and told us that we
soiid HaYe lively work sOon. "a the eI.emy
were going TO attack. and sllhuu gb soa,e of the
infantry oisrers did not put much faith
Ia What you said. hos knowing vino y0E we're
]. who Gii k;sSw you. WAS satisfied should
have WARM wsIk AID prepared for il 10 the best
81 Hiy ability. ] told the officers Wien you left
i8at ycR were scout 81 Army Headq uartcrs.
Gnd tnai your information conld be fully relied
ca. aad aui satisfied that the attack. which was
inzde lis rpry short time thereafter would
have prDEed mach more disastrous than IL id
hui FOR yGHT kindly warning Cordially yours
A. J. CLARK. iale.C2pt2n, commanding Bat
tery B. \. J. Ant"
Tie Captains modesiy is only eqnaled by
lis brewery. When Lent Clark went bach;
and told him What had said. he not only set
has n~ii men n work bat obtained detail OF
infantry ard set np strong work facing west
WAR. sHd nnly had time to get his guns ina IL
before he enemy came down the line from the
iefi fiaik and had things their own way until
they oanle 10 Clark. lie had Napole0n guns
ard used them with such effect that tie John
nes stopped in tLeiT wild career. Mcknight
who vas west OF Clark, lost his battery. aud q
portion of another was also captured
fsave been told since that had ii not been f0I
Caiks battery that day the Army OF the
Potomac would mcSt likely have met one OF il
wsTsf fptersfs.
have 10 own. with deep humiliation, that
was ratacF pleased 10 hear that The Teeimeni
coRIiDatacd By the Colonel who said was more
scared nan hurt was tern all TO pieces. The
ieeiiAg was entirely wrong. bat | eoald 30
help u. The Colonel Was from New York City
Ae.aNf H.