Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1894-08-09

-1ea That your interest Ia Miss Frank
lin Will close your mouth; that you cam
not betray him without betxaying her
father-besides. ] will remain as q hos
tage for you When we have got the
women out, the rest is easy, and ! will
disclose 1t to you when you come back.
The moment the issue Of the fight Is
decided, you must take the women
ont at the bayou entrance and get
them across the Mississippi or to Mem
phis. Bear In mind hat Hendricks Is
making ready to abandon this place
and take the field openly. He cares
less for exposure now that his plans
are completed, and you are encum-
b~rances."
Neither Stocking or Miss Laport
evinced any enthusiasm at this project,
but they yielded to Calicot's urgency
and, for want Of any other plan, final
1y agreed to do as he babe them.
It was nearly morning before the
noise Of preparation and departure
subsidized, but Calieot felt sure that
whatever the issue overhead, Hen
bricks would be at his telegraph wire
and that was the only hope Of obtain
ing definite information.
What is now known as the battle of
Laran began just before daybreak.
Lieut.. Saxton, commanding the two
companies Of the Sixth regiment,
United States infantry. was in camp
on the hill. where there were still
bloody evidences of Gen. Luscomb's
unfortunate bivouac. The four gums
of Battery A were on the crest with
q hastily-thrown-up abbatis, and the
two companies Of cavalry, amount
ing to a hundred and fifty men, were
In the woods covering a radius of sew
era1 miles as pockets and scouts Lieut..
Saxton had taken every military pre-
caution against q surprise and had
planted himself as securely as possible
for defense, but IL was not conceivable
to him that q force of four hundred
men would rise out OF the ground In
the dark under his verynose, and Hen
bricks succeeded In getting that force
| through the portal quietly and dispos-
ing them IN solid order undsr the pro
lection Of the trees and ruins Of the
sanitarium before the lieutenant's
scouts discovered them. He had also
sent out five hundred men at the bayou
exit, and they were in the real Of the
intrenched party before dawn. One
hundred men had been left in the cave
as a reserve to protect the entrances,
The force at the portal was divided
into two commands of two hundred
men each, Hendricks leading one and
Gen. Waterson the other. The move
ment of one of these columns to the
right of the hill gave the alarm and
tho battle began about fifteen min
utes earlier than Hendricks had ar
ranged 1t. A Simultaneous dash was
made by the two divisions upon the
hill and a desperate fight ensued Gen.
Waterson had the protection of the
woods In his advance, but Hendricks
had to cross an open space and re
ceived the m~urderous fire from the
guns on the crest. His men broke
twice, but he rallied them with re
minders that In ten minutes theil
brothers would come up in the rear
He had thirty men killed and disabled
before he got inside the line, and while
there engaged in Q h~end-to-hand fgh'
Waterson reached the guns and 81
fenced them. At the same time thu
shouts Of the party coming up In thu
rear were heard, and ten minutes late1
the battle was virtually decided. Lieut.
Saxton, 9 brave young officer. wa
killed. Fifty Of his men were eithel
killed outright or mortal1y wounded
The cavalry that was In the woods wa
not so easily dealt with and continued
the skirmishing until we'll into tn,
forenoon, by which time Hendricks
began the work Of moving the wound
ed into the Laran, and later in the da,
he felt sure hat the mounted men ha<
ridden in all directions for succo ant
virtually retired. lie then transferred
his force with the guns to the Laran
end by nightfall had withdrawn int.
the cave and once more masked hi
entrance.
The first intelligence received b.
Caficot came that night, and Stocking
was present when the extraordinar.
dispatch was read by Miss Endicott
Here 1t is:
Every detail L. planned; / hav,
made no mistakes; thirty-two out; hav'
twenty-four hours margin; bayo,
cleared; notify all heads quick AM
come on; all consult here; in the fell
in three days; signal all; will send fore
escort; could not save Saxton."
Good Gody" exclaimed Stocking, I"
wonder if that Is Charley Saxton 0
the Twelfth murdered by these out
laws?"
Calicot begged him to be cool. "W
shall know" he said, 'if Fenninl
sends back the newspaper accounts
But though they waited some time
Miss Endicott communicated nothin,
further. "They are hurrying away
she said, ION horses"
"What do you make out Of it?" aske,
Stocking. ITO me it is u~ninte1li
Rible-"