St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1895-04-27

HE would let the lieutenant go with
him If he gave his word to return
(which never would do" said
Stocking.
"Yes, you would" said Calicot, .'if
Miss Franklin and | insisted upon it,
and it were to uradvantage He has an
idea that your interest In Miss Frank
lin will close your mouth; that you can
not betray him without betraying her
father-besides, I will remain as a hos
tage for you. When we have got the
women out, the rest is easy, and I will
disclose it to you when you come back.
The moment the issue of the fight is
decided, you must take the women
out at the bayou entrance and get
them across the Mississippi or to Mem
phis. Bear in mind that Hendricks is
making ready to abandon this place
and take the field openly He cares
less for exposure now that his plans
are completed, and you are encum-
branees."
Neither Stocking or Miss Laport
eyinced any enthusiasm at this project,
but they yielded to Calicot's urgency
and, for want Of any other plan, final
" agreed to do as he bade them.
1t was nearly morning before the
noise of preparation and departure
subsided, but Calieot felt sure that,
whatever the issue overhead, Hem
bricks would be at his telegraph wire
and that was the only hope of obtain
ing definite information.
What is now known as the battle of
Laran began just before daybreak.
| Lieut.. Saxton, commanding the two
| companies of the Sixth regiment,
United States infantry, was in camp
on the hill, where there were still
| bloody evidences of Gen. Luscomb's
unfortunate bivouac. The four guns
Of Battery A were on the crest with
q hastily abbatis, and the
| two companies of cavalry, amount
! ing to hundred and fifty men, were
in the woods covering a radius of sew
eral miles as pickets and scouts. Lieut..
| Saxton had taken every military pre-
| caution against a surprise and had
| planted himself as securely as possible
| for defense, but it was not conceivable
| to him that force of four hundred
men would rise out of the ground in
/ the dark under his very nose, and Hem
bricks succeeded in getting that force
through the portal quietly and dispos-
| ing them in solid order under the pro-
| lection of the trees and ruins Of the
| sanitarium before the Heutenant's
scouts discovered them. He had also
4
exit, and they were in the rear Of the
| intrenched party before dawn. One
hundred men had been left in the cave
| as reserve to protect the entrances,
The force at the portal was divided
| into two commands of two hundred
men each, Hendricks leading one and
Gen. Waterson the other. The move
seFsssg s1BesDf these columns to taae.
| right of the hill gnvn the alarm and
the battle began about fifteen min
utes earlier than Hendricks had ar
ranged it. A simultaneous dash was
| made by the two divisions upon the
| hill and desperate fight ensued Gen.
Waterson had the protection of the
woods in his advance, but Hendricks
had to cross an open space and re-
| ceived the murderous fire from the
guns on the crest. His men broke
| twice, but he rallied them with re-
| minders that in ten minutes their
| brothers would come up in the rear.
! He had thirty men killed and disabled
before he got inside the line, and while
! there engaged in hand-to-hand fight
/ Waterson reached the guns and ST.
| lenced them. At the same time the
shouts of the party coming. up in the
rear were heard, and ten minutes later
| the battle was virtually decided. Lieut..
| Saxton, a brave young officer, was
killed. Fifty of his men were either
killed outright or mortally wounded.
The cavalry that was in the woods was
not SO easily dealt with and continued
the slirmishing until well into the
forenoon, by which time Hendricks
began the work of moving the wound
ed into the Laran, and later in the day
he felt sure that the mounted men had
| ridden in all directions for succor and
virtually retired. He then transferred
! his force with the guns to the Laran,
and by nightfa1l had withdrawn into
| the cave and once more masked his
entrance.
The first intelligence received by
Calicot came that night, and Stocking
| was present when the extraordinary
dispatch was read by Miss Endieott.
Here it is:
Every detail is planned; I have
made no mistakes; thirty-two out; have