The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1894-01-12

! About two miles from where the enemy s
| pickets were driven in the Confederates
barlicaded the road to stop us. The colonel
knew what they would do, SO before we got
| there he went across lots and gave them the
| slip. The pilot knew every foot of the
| ground in Mary land, and the scout knew
| how Longstreet,s corps was situated, hay
| ing come from there about IN hour before
we started from the Ferry. The colonel
| had his route mapped out before we start
| ed. He WAS bound to go through or die il
| the attempt. He managed to ttyOH L.
| Confederates until he reached Sharrsburg
10 miles from Uarpcr's Ferry, where the
advance had brush with them. 1t did not
! last long, as the colonel ordered n charge
and drove the enemy back. They retreated
to camp, giving the alarm that the whole
Yankee army v'As upon them We learne.
afterward from some prisoners taken that
the whole of longstrcct's corps stood in
line the rest OF the night, expecting to be
attacked.
"As was riding along trying TO keep
up to ry file Leader my horse kept shy
ing every little while. Come 20 tiad out,
there Were cavalry horses lying in the road
They had been ridden 50 fast that they had
dropped down dead by the wayside.
"About two miles out we began TO 60
through the fields We woull 90 in the
fields for awhile and then back in the road
again. At one time we were 50 close he
enemy's camps that we could see the Con
federates plalnly by their cqmpfi.cs. On
we went at full speed did not think at
first that they We're Confederatcs. said
to my file leader, William T.. Guile: Bill,
u :
ther' Here are oGr troops Bill said.
They are not our troops. They aye Con
federatea' said to Bill, We are goners,
for we will all be captured.
When the advance reached ;Sharpsburg,
10 miles from Harper's Ferry, they made u
halt, so that we could close up and let our
horses get their wind, for we had been ON Il
keen scoot ever since we left the river We
did not stay there long, perhaps half an
hour. Then we went on again across fats,
over fences, through creeks, as usual. We
had to travel Oh byroads, for the enemy
had pickets on all main roads. We had
gone through i.ongstreets corps 4 great
many would say that 1t was an impossible
ty for i force Of 1000 cavalry to do that
Had it not been in the night, and had the
colonel not managed just as hc did, we
could not have done it. The ColYfederatcs
were taken by surprise, for they thought
we had a large force, SO they waited for
Ls to attac. them. But we had other bust
ness about that time. All we wanted was
to get out cf there If they would let US
alone, we would them
After we left Sharpsburg we did not
come across any more Contederates natil
we struck the pike running from Isagers-
! town, Nd, west to Williamsport on the
| Potomac Just before we reached che pik q
we halted in a piece in the woods. Weeould
hear wagons rumbling along the road ahead
] Of Us. The colonel went forward 10 recoi
noiter, and when be got to tie road he scotl
| found that 1t was a Confederate WACO
train As soon as he saw them it came int .
/ his head to capture that train. The train
was guarded by 81 or 601 cavalry and some
! infantry. The cavalry was in the rear of
the train, the infantry in front.
when the advance Of the wagon train
came along to the crossroad, the colonel il
sisted that they should turn to the II ght on
the pike that ran north into Pennsy lvania
After he got the train started on that road
he sent for the Eighth New York This
was just before daylight. We went ahea I
and took possession of the train. I'll !.
Twelfth Illinois cavalry kept the Confea-
crate cavalry in check while we were pass
/ ing by the teams to take our places. One Of
the Confederate teamsters said To me, TO
what regiment do you belongs'
1.-THE Eighth New y ora, replied.
1.-The hell you say
/ "Only the drivers of few of the head
teams knew then that they were prisoners.
The rest did not know it until after day