The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1895-02-18
A MOUNTAIN DRIGANb.
Bv ALFRED I. CALHOUN.

lisco and the gap when he met Colonel
Jordan with some 400 men Of the First
Kentucky anS Ninth Pennsylvania on
their way 10 break up the mountain
gangs
The larger the force sent against these
outlaws the less chance there was of
catching them. AS soldier put it at
the time, it.was like going fox hunt.
ing with a brass band " Colonel Jor-
dan. an excellent soldier was quick to
see the importance Of Collins informa-
ton, and, with some slight modifica-
tons, he was willing to act on the
scouts advice.
Don't send q man in that can
march afoot and amt willing to fight
! till he dies. Surround the valley, then
dash down on them and wipe them out. 1"
Collins was placed in a wagon and
told to go to sleep. and he did so while
the troops moved forward. About mid.
night a halt was made ut point where
the colonel had decided in advance to
establish camp, from which nc could
carry on ,.is raids against the outlaws
BY this time the scout was sufficiently
rested to 90 on. He pointed out OH the
colonel's maps the location of MoGee's
gang ard urged the necessity Of push
ing ol so rs to strike them by daylight,
for they were from this point only %
miles, but it was ) miles Of the rough
est country in the whole Cumberland
range.
Leaving IC0 men back to care for the
/ wagons and the horses, Colonel Jordan
| supplied the rest Of his men with two
! days cooked rations and soon after 2
o'clock Saturday night he pushed into
the hills on foct. Eager as bloodhound
on the scent, Collins kept in the ad-
vance and forgot all his fatigue in the
| excitement OF the occasion.
Although the men were veterans and
Us fine troopers as ever sat horse, they
were not accustomed to this lightning
| like marching on foot In the darkness
! scores of them who were anxious enough
! to be i'll the expected fight dropped be
| hind. Even many Of the officers cursed
Collins under their breaths and proph-
esiod that no good would come OF this
wolf hunt on foot in such internal
hills. "
Just as day was breaking behind
them Collins and the few gallant fell
lows who had pushed far i'll advance Tor
this very purpose succeeded i'll surpris-
ing two of the pickets, who few min
utes afterward were left hanging by
their own belts to saplings tpat had
been bent down for that purpose and
then released. Colonel Jordan's men, as
i H. 4, y,
| from fatigue" when they reached the
rim of TIE hill tLat commanded a view
| of the McGee rendezvous, but the sight
that met their gaze filled them with de-
| light and new strength.
| The outlaws had evidently been made
| aware of the coming of the soldiers, for
when Collins looked into the valley,
just as the sun was rising, he saw that
great change had taken place. The
tents We're struck, and the absence of
smoke told that the fires had died out or
been extinguished. At the lower end Of
the valley there was a long line of cat
/ tie and pack animals, seemingly in
| charge Of the women and children,
while as guard between the retreating
animals and the late camp there was a
, band of 90 or more men i'll butteruuts
prepared to fight
Colonel Jordan took in the situation
and its necessities in an instant. Fifty
/ Of the freshest men, Collins accompany
/ ing them, were sent to head OF the pco
| pie carrying off the stock, and with the
I rest of the force he dashed into the val
ley
Young Kit MCGEE was not present,
having gone off the day before on the
raid into Kentucky. hut he would ha .
been valuable to the extent of his e.ngle
rifle only had he been present, for his
father had entire comm and, and his men
obeyed like veterans.
They were evidently surprised-that
Is, they did not expect al attack that
morning, nor were they falling back by
tho route that had the promise of great
est security in front. As il was, with
an hour to spare they could have thrown
up defenses along the valley that might
have enabled them to hold at bay lar
ger force. But then. outside a certain
savage reckless daring and the ability
to shoot, they were not soldiers, and, as
we know, valOr is not substitute for
experience and discipline. Jordan $ men
halted to fire their sponcors when with
In less than 200 yards of the utlaws
McGee-l have spoken Of him as 'the
old man" to distinguish him from his
ION, though he was not more than DO
thowed himself the bravest of his gang.
He swore at them ana called to them "a
stand when the soldiers again dashed
forward, but us to stand meant "a ballet
or halter many of the wrotches bro.n
away and fled into the hills,
When our men closed in, they shout,
ed to MCGEE TO surrender, but he an
swercd by calling them dogs and yell
ing for them to take him if they could
In such circumstances quick work wa'
made of the fellow, and he was shot
down with the last of his men who ha6
the pluck to remain with him.
An hour after this the horses and cat
tie, with the women, children and dogs
came pouring back into the valley. They
had been headed Oh by the party which
Collins accompanied. AS soon as the!
saw their dead they sent up their pecul
lar deathcry, which resembles very mucl
the keening Of the western Irish 20 thi
day, and they forgot that they wcr
prisoners in realizing that so many o
them were widows and orphans.
Collins dreaded to meet Molly McGe
even more than he did to fight all III
: men under her father, but he did no
see her then or at any time aftorward
Her companions said she had fed int
the hills when the fighting began, bu
this certainly did not seem iu accor
with her character.
These women and children were kcI
in the same place under guard till al
their outlaw kinsmen who had not fall
en- in the first fight were either shot @
hanged. The gangs of Champ Forguso
/. and Tinker Dave Beatty were of th
eaua clearwater tbnprh NJ first rho Cor