The Portland daily press., 1895-08-17

and made memoranda from time to time
at his suggestion. 1t was about 8 o'clock
when General Bragg, with the officers
OF his staff, who accompanied him,
started back for his headquarters. The
night wat intensely dark Here anc
there campfire had tried to live IL
the face of the downpour of rain that
froze as 1t fell, giving tire overcoats Of
the shlverlng men who stood in the din
red light the appearance of armor. OF
the pike the roads were in such a state
that the horses sunk half way to theii
knees at every step. and any speed
greater than a walk was out of the
question.
AS usual when he accompanied the
general, Snow rode to the rear among
the orderlies. This night be was alone,
the orderlies having been dispatched tc
different points along the lines, where
in the course of the day there had beer
many collisions. No heed was paid tc
the young man. twas his duty to KEEP
up with the staff, and if he failed to dc
80 he must make his way back as best
he could. His mount was not the best,
SO that in any event he would have beer
left to the rear.
Laverne was Shows objective point.
He believed that at that place were the
nearest Union troops. In this, as ii
turned out. the youna man was mis-
taken. He held back in the miry road
till the explosive breathing and soggy
tramping of the horses in front died out,
then he turned to the left, in which di-
reotion lay Stone river and his destina.
tion.
The fields were nearly as miry as the
roads, and when he reached stretch
of cedar jungle the branches were SO
stiff with ice and the trunks of the trees
SO close together that he was forced to
dismount. AS he could travel better on
foot he took the saddle and bride off
his horse and left the jaded creature to
shift for himself.
After this Snow lost all sense of d.
rection, and after passing the scrub ce-
dars he waited, hoping to hear the grand
rounds challenged, for although uncer-
tain as to his whereabouts he was salts
fed that he was not far from the Con-
federate picket line, beyond which and
not more than 100 yards away at some
points he was sure the Union piokets
would be found. A
Wet to the skin and with the rain
freezing on his clothes, he waited for
what to him seemed hours. At length
his anxiety was relieved by hearing the
command, not 30 yards away:
Haiti Who goes thar?'
"Grand rounds!' was the response.
"Dismount, grand rounds, advance
and give the countersign.
Snow heard the splash of the officers
| feet as he leaped to the ground, then
the murmur of voices, followed by the
tramping of horses. They came so close
that he had to step back to the timber
to avoid being trampled on. AS soon as
they had gone on he heard another chal-
| lenge in the far distance and in the
direction, as he believed, of the Union
lines.
He moved on again, this time with
the greatest caution. The roar of the
wind and the rattle Of the rain on the
icy ground favored his purpose. Now
and then he halted with his hand on the
stock of his pistol, but beyond the re-
ceding challenges on the Confederate
side, that seemed to be echoed on that
OF the Union, he heard nothing to ex-
cite alarm. He passed SO close to the
picket who was the first to challenge
that ne could hear his smothered oaths
as he hugged his musket and paced back
and forth on his post to keep his blood
from freezing.
At length Snow found himself to be
in what was neutral ground, but he still
kept on, hoping every minute to be
halted by Union picket. Itwas an in
describably black night, the rain had
beaten out the oampfires along both
lines, but he kept moving. At length,
in his blundering, he came upon barn
that argued the proximity of dwelling
house. He felt very sure that he was
now within the Union lines, and SO he
decided to remain under shelter till day
light.
He found the door of the building
open and walked in. He could tell by
the rustling sound that there was a lot
of dry fodder scattered over the floor
Intending to make bed and lie down,
he began gathering up the fodder, when
he stumbled against man. Then he
felt himself seized, and hoarse voice
demanded:
care you Union or rebel?"
The information as well as the word
"rebel'' convinced Snow that he was
in the presence of a friend, SO he re-
piled:
II was in the rebel service, but am
now trying to make my way through to
my friends. What is your regiment?''
"The Seventy seventh Pennsylya-
MIA, =" was the response.
"Thank God, have reached my
friendsl" said Snow.
The Pennsylvania was not satisfied
till Snow had handed over his pistol;
then he accounted for his own presence
there by saying that he had been wound
ed in the head and stunned near this
barn shortly before dark, and that as
soon as he rAoovarad copcoioue,,,, -