Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-07-14


their hats and checred.
am not an officer, and I therefore
nave no sword to surrender" said Ken
Ton us General Custer rode to the head
OF the short line and seemed somewhat
astonished to find only private soldiers.
But who commanded in there?''
asked the general.
Il gave what orders were given. sir ~
We'll, the southern confederacv made
a miss OF 1t in not making you a captain
long ago. Had the other forts held ont
rs piuckily rs you did we should have
hau hard fight to get at the stores
While a list of the prisoners was be-
ing made ont and the arms collected the
troopers turned their attention to the
stores. The idea was not to remoye Inf
to destroy them. The quickest wav To
10 IL was to apply the torch, and in the
course OF all hour everything was in
haines. The Confederate major had. as
stated. surrendered the fort he occupied
with about so of the men without firing
shot. y court martial would have
promptly eSoneratcd him from the
charge of cOwardice had it been made
Tor the situation was almost homeless.
That one Of the forts should have held
out and that the high private in COM
mand OF 1t should have been compli-
mented for his bravery ranked in the
majors heart. He received permission
TO enter the field where the rank and
file were surrounded by a Federal guard.
and searching out ROYAL Kenton he an
SIi!y demanded: IT,
BY what autho .'ty~ vor presume
to hold that fort att, aly surrender of
the post"
I'VE did not know that your surren-
der included more than the fort you
were holding replied Kenton.
Captain WYE told me something
about you before he left" continued
the major. He regarded you with the
greatest suspicion. 1t would not have
surprised me had you surrendered first
of all. "
i believe that honor was left to you,
sir. quietly replied Kenton.
"Hooray fur the Yank-three cheers
fur kenton,' shouted the excitable
Steve. And they We're given by the
whole force OF Confederates with great
enthusiasm.
Il fully understand your motive,
siI"' exclaimed the major when the
cheering had ceased. You simply
wanted to reap little glory-to stand
well in the estimation of your friends.
You have accomplished 1t, but there will
be hereafter. The minute l am ex-
changed l shall prefer charges and have
you court martialed. If you don't con-
clude to remain among your Yankee
friends. shall"--
Hear he un talk like q fool' inter-
rupted Steve, treading army discipline
under foot in his excitement. IF the
major hadn't surrendered befo' man
was hit. these Yanks couldn't "a got us
in all day.
That's so, That's sou shouted
hundred men. And the entire lot began
cheering for Steve Brayton.
And who are you, sir?' demanded
the major. now pale with passion.
Private Steve Brayton, sir. of Cap
tain Wyle's critter company, and was
loft behind here because | was friend
of Kcnton's.'
"Oh. l see. Well. I'll see to your
case at the same time"
Yes. and tell 'om thar's T. dead and
wounded men to show what we uns did
befo' we surrendered. - replied Steve.
"Iush him. Rush him," shouted
tho crowd. overcome by excitement and
forgetting the respect due an officer.
The major backed away. but in an
instant ne was carried off his feet and
rushed to the sentry line, and when he
picked himself up off the grass he was
bruised and battered and his uniform
in n very dilapidated condition. Groans
and misses followed him as he walked
away. and tine laughter of the Federal
troopers was in no sense balm tor his
ruitied pride.
II was noon before the stores were
DESTROYED and the list of prisoners COM
Melted. Then came an alarm. Colonel
Mostly. who has been dubbed The
Bandit of the Potomac, hut who was
rs regularly commissioned as any officer
in the Confederate army. appeared IN
,ho neighborhood with about 600 men.
and before he was driven off and the
prisoners were ready to start down the
valley under guard it was midatter-
noon.
..yauk. I've been thinkin this thing
over. F." said Steve Brayton to kcnton as
tbov moved off. land jest tell yo' we
mr. in a fix. We hain't neither federala
nor Confeds any mo
..How do you mean?"
why. if we uns stay yere, we II DO
held urisoners fur goodness knows how
Iouc. and if we git back to the Conied-
eracv the major will make 1t hot iur
ms. say. yo', l don't know what yo re-
th;nkin of Jest this very mint, out
want TO ask yo' straight question.
500 ahead. y
"Yo' won't git mad'"
mo"
"Waal. then, don't yo' come purity
MICH helm soft in the head: we uns
don't want yo' on our side, and the lanks
banker to shoot at yo' every show they
cit IF we uns don't want 20, what DO
Yo' want to stay fur? If yo' don want
to fight agin us. why don't 20 sorter