The weekly picket. (Canton, Miss.) 1894-19??, 1894-09-21

i
of our leader, who kept the m wei
IN hand and with them tough
con tinually, being often under fir,
many times in a single day.
| General Claiborne. in his pre-
served sheets Of the Second Volum.
OF the History of Mississippi
speaking Of Captain Harvey says
HE moved very rapidly, and would
often strike large command front
flank and rear in less than "a hours
and be able to report to our neares
Brigade or Division Commander
the strength OF the encmy's cavalry
and infantry, supply wagons
ambulances, artillery, name OF com
handing officer. objective point &o. !
Haryey's Scouts were we'll pre-
pared for lighting. They wer,
ar med with spencer rifles that sho
eight times. Nearly every mar
carried two pistols, and nine out o1
ten ofall our arms we had captured
The service performed was cx-
ceedingIy dangerous and perilous
attended with great risk OF capture
and loss of life. This command had
81 men killed, wounded and
captured; IL killed, l6 wounded
and 20 captured; OF the captured
l6 escaped, Of the wounded four
were wounded twice, one being cut
with a sabre IN a fight with cavalry,
another was wounded In close
fight with lufantry, shot and
bayonetted near Natchez, Mics
issippi.
In this fight Of Harvey's Scouts
our daring Chief, with less than so
men, routed Regiment Of Colored
Infantry. A wagon train thus
guarded start from Natchez about
sunrise for the country, to forage,
to rob, to piliage and 70 plunder,
Under cover OF night we had
ambushed for them hort distance
out. BY a special scout it was
learned that they were leaving
Natchez by another road. rhe
dauntless Harvey determines, come
what may, he would teach these
marauders a lesson. Mounting his
men he burries to meet them. Soon
the Scouts are put to gallop.
Fa ter and faster we 60. The
enemy are in sight. We prepare
to fight at close quarters. Every
gun is loosened aad nsw hangs fross
from the sling. Pistols are drawn.
Our Commander glances back, each
man is in bis place. Nothing is
heard but the rumble Of our horses
feet, until the Voice OF tine man we
follow rings out, sGharge, imy
brave men, charge, come on at once
boys" Then the shout is raised,
the charge is made, the fight IS on.
For yard we press, shooting right
and left. The infantry form
platoons but to be broken; they
wheel into line hut scarcely fire
volley before they become dis
ordersd. They cannot, or will lot
stand. They break, they flee IN
utter route. We follow them to the
verge Of Natchez; then rally, re-
form and retire; leaving of the
enemy mum ber equal to our own
dead upon the 6eid of battle.
General Claiborne, speaking again
of Harvey's Scouts, says: "Our
own people here at home knew them
best and loved them most. Phey
knew that when Harvey and his
men were about they had little to
from the raids of the
enemy" These words are we'll
and he might have truly
added that the torch itself was often
stayed by this handful of men, led
by one ever active, vigiant and
brave. Many times did our daring
chief risk his own life and that of
his men to protect and defend the |
lives and the homes of our people,
and at times from pending perils !
worse than death.
We had encounters in almost ev-
cry section of the State. During |
,herman's Meridian campaign |
sione, Harvey's Scouts killed and |
,aptured 1873 OF the enemy. |
To recite the many conflicts, the |
iaring dee DIS Of this command, even
IN Mississippi, would fill volume; !
yet as often as the Muse OF History |
,t of Poetry dips her pen, OF tunes
Ter Tyre, to tell of heroic deeds
lone on Mississippi soil. that history !
will be incomplete, that song will
ack charm, unlsss justice be- done
% Harvey and his men. - !
At the surrender Harvey's Scouts
we're IN Columbus, Georgia, having
ollowed the Wilson raid to that
point. We did not surrender in
Georgia, but marched hack to our
Jaakson's Cavalry Divis-
on; this we found stationed al
Alabama. We did not
surrender there. The night before
be cavalry surrendered Haryey's
scouts held a meeting and resolved
o join the Trans Mississippi-D
,artment. The next morning the
aim ost to man, marched
,,,t ~ "a mn and tu~nod their horace