Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-06-30

men, posted them to cover the town,
and for an hour they held jackson at
bay. 1t was only when they were al
most surrounded that they gave way
and sought shelter in the passes of the
mountain. Jackson paused only long
enough to burn such Federal stores as
he could not handily carry away and
then swept down the Luray, bent to the
left, and next DAY was before Winches-
ter. He attacked and recaptured the
town and drove every Federal to the
Potomac and across it before he halted
again.
Then the Federal government grasped
the situation, and three different armies
were dispatched to close in on jackson
and destroy him. The battles of Cross
Keys ana Port Republic followed. and
jackson fell back to Join Lee and take
part in the battle which was to sweep
Mcclellan from the peninsula. The
Shenandoah and the Luray were now in
possession of the Federals, to be held
till the close of the war, but only with
desperate fighting at intervals.
And now the gallant Custer, with his
the army of occupation-a young man,
fresh from West Point, on whom the
volunteer officers looked with distrust,
but only waiting to prove his worth.
Custer belonged to Michigan. His first
command was the First, Fifth. Sixth
and Seventh cavalry regiments of that
state, known as the Michigan cavalry
brigade. While his fame was national,
while his sad death years after the war
in that terrible massacre touched the
heart of every American, it is in Michi-
gan more than anywhere else that his
memory is reverenced. 1t will live
there until every soldier and soldiers
son and grandson sleeps beneath the
sod. Tho plains of northern Virginia
| were given up to fierce battles between
| infantry the valleys to desperate charges
| and bloody conflicts between the oppos-
ing cavalry forces.
Jackson had looked his last upon the
| Shenandoah. He was TO become Lees
right arm and fight elsewhere until his
fall IN the darkness on the bush lined
highway at Charlottesville. Another
took his place. and the dead Ashby was
replaced by Stuart to lead the cavalry.
: Let US go back 10 Royal Kenton. We
| left him Just as Reube Parker had been
made prisoner by Federal scouting
! party. Reube basely sought to betray
him, but he failed of his purpose. The
Federal captain beat up the neighbor-
hood as thoroughly as possible, but Ken
| ton slipped through his fingers and re-
fn-nCI Il 70 Ia
It was his information, seconded no
! doubt by that of others, which decided
Jackson S move to Front Royal. While
the general seemed pleased at Kenton's
! success. the latter could not fail to per-
| ceive that something was yet amiss. In
| his own mind he felt sure that he was
| mistrusted. and it was easy to conclude
! why. Not that he had failed in any one
| particular to do his duty, but that the
| officers and men of his own company.
for reasons already given, were seeking
his downfall. When he had finished
| his report, he was ordered to his COM
pany, and again he found only one man
| to give him greeting. Steve Brayton
chUckled with satisfaction as he extend
ed his hand and asked for particulars.
The others only gave him looks of dis
trust. When kenton was asked regard
ing Reube Parker and had made his ex-
| plantations. Steve grew thoughtful and
serious and finally replied:
1t S good joke on the captain. but
I'm troubled as to how it will end ND.
| l jest reckon they ar mean huff to
charge yo' with KILN Reube. They
can't prove it, but it will get the gin
eral down on yo' and make things wuss.
bod blast the fules anyway! Why can't
they give yo' a far show even if yo' be
a Yank?''
The crisis came next day. Reube
Parker had been carried into the Fed
eral camps as prisoner, but owing to
the confusion and excitement was not
strictly guarded and managed to make
his escape and arrive at Confederate
headquarters less than "a hours after
kenton. After brief interview with
Captain Wyle the pair proceeded to
General Jackson's headquarters, and
when they left it Royal kenton was
| sent for. General jackson was a plain,
blunt spoken man. Even while plan
| ming the great campaign on which he
was to enter within three or four DAYS
he had determined to give this matter
| attention. Reube Parker had charged
Kenton with bringing about his capture
for revenge. Captain WyIe had stated
that he and all his company distrusted
his loyalty. The general asked the scout
| for statement of facts, and Kentor