The Red Cloud chief., 1895-03-22

W. H''stS @<a
ment from the, terrible depression upon
him. 9IIo asked the quosxfoi for the
pufpose OF keeping Maynard's attention
iixed Ia. a time on war rather than for
Information.
"Whip en-? Why, Jakey, we're scat
tered all over creation" He dipped his
finger in a tin cup full OF water and be.
gan to draw u rude map on tho top of
an extomporizod table, consisting Of q
square board nailed ON u stake driven
in tho ground.
Here's tho Chickamauga flowing
between these two ridges, Missionary
and the Pigeon mountains, from south
TO north into the Tennessee. Critten.
drfS corpe isshere Mt Leo and Gordon's
uill. ThJmaA' corps has just passed
through Stevens gap down here, ten or
. dozen milesNfrom Crittenden, while
Mctook Is ut Alpine, 20 miles away
froplSThomns. We are OFF here near
Rcod's bridge, the tip of the left wing,
20 miles from -McCook, the tip of the
right wing. , .
Bragg IL here mt Lafayette, ON tho
east slice Of the Pigeon mountains, and
opposite u center ut Crawilsh Springs,
where no can strike any one Of our corps
separately. He can ride up on to tho
Pigeon mountains. and, looking down
ION the valley of the Chickamauga, see
just where we are located. l was up
there myself tho other day with o rec.
onnoitering party and came upon one Of
his scouts, looking mt us very much as
one would survey q barnyard Of fat
turkeys before Christmas"
He paused and seemed lost in some
attendant problem. Presently no added
absently:
"All I'd be afraid of would be de.
lay"
What d'y' mean by theft" asked ia.
key.
Maynard started. II was thinking
that ], was OH the other side, " he said.
lyon see, Jakey, in q military point Of
view the beauty Of the situation is all
with the Confederates."
How" %
They can cut us up in detail"
"Wha'd y do Of y wor him uns?"
II? I'd drive u wedge right in here
between Thomas and Crittenden's
corps. I'd destroy first one and then
the other. After that I'd eat my rations
and have plenty Of time to take care Of
McCook's, which Is too far away even
TO hear the guns"
"Thet'ud he hunky," said Jakey,
pretending to catch his friends enthu-
siasm. PITY 'twasn't t'other way n
we had 'em ~ they got we uns. Mebbe
Of you uns wor in command Of our ar.
my y mought do somep'n TO- ter change
tn siteration."
ZIP"
eyes. what'd y do?"
That's a poser, Jakey."
Maynard studied his ~improvised map
Tor awhile without speaking, as II it
were "A chessboard. At last he said:
General Rosocrans, l learn, has or.
dered his scattered columns concentrate.
ed at Crawiish Springs, the center of
his line. Perhaps this is as good q plan
rs any. al least if Bragg gives him time
enough 10 close up. To me- two plans
'seem to 10 open. One is to demonstrate
along tho Chickamauga, principally
with cavalry, while
What's demonstrates" interrupted
The listener. D
Make a feint, fuss; pretend to have
a big force and only have u little one.
! would Leave the campiires burning ut
night, to make them think ! was still
there; ana draw my army away to Mis-.
sion ridge. Moving backward Oh con.
verging lines
WHATS theni?" '''
'Linrs coming to'a focus"A 90
WHATS q fbous?" D. orr - -
"Coufound it, Jakey, we'll be attack
ed and whipped before 4 can make YOU
understand. These roads you sec coue
together at Chattanooga. From Chatta-
nooga. II necessary, the army could DO
crossed
II thought we 'uns was 'aifollerin
them uns!' observed Jakey, surprised
ut the.turn the campaign had taken. ,
- "Jakey, did You ever hear of the man
who held his adversary down by placing
his nose between that adversary's
,teeth?"
NO"
well. that's the way we're holding
our enemy, but your remark leads to
the other side Of the problem. Desper.
ate diseases require desperate remedies.
II l were a general, I'd never be ON the
defensive II ] could help it, cost what
II might. 1t sets q man to wondering
what bis enemy is going to do, instead
OF doing something himself. Now, Jul
southerimost column might DO pushed
out here''-putting his finger on the
line denoting the Georgia Central rail.
road-"to cut the Confederates' avenue
for supplies. Bragg might turn and
crush'if, but he can do that now. The
trouble is, Jakey, we need troops for
quick marches; flying columns to move
without camp equipage, Such a column
down there could strike, retreat, strike
at another point, and so confuse an enc.
my that he wouldn't know what was >
happen next"
Jakey was too youIg to underst I'd
the phases Of the war problem in WI IN
Maynard's mind had become engrossed