The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1895-05-31

membered that in the spring of 1868
Grant marched his army down the
Louisiana shore of the Mississippi and
crossed to the east bank at Bruinsboro on
boats that had run the gantlet of the
Vioksburg's batteries. At the mouth of
the Yazoo, Coleman left the Army of the
Mississippi and struck out southeast in
the direction of the Big Black. He was
alone and on foot, and his baggage con-
sisted of a pistol and a set of portable
telegraph instruments and climbing
spurs, which were carried in light
knapsack. He was dressed as civilian,
and he carried ON his person no compro-
missing papers, though in the event of
his capture by the Confederates this fact
would not have worked in his favor.
General Pemberton was at this time
in command of Vicksburg, while to the
east, at Jackson and Brandon and scat
tered along Pearl river, was the army,
under General Joe Johnston, that was to
cooperate with him against Grant,
though the southern generals did not
believe till the truth was forced on them
that General Grants objective point
was Vicksburg. They could not imagine
that the Union general would be SO
audacious as to begin campaign with
out we'll established base of supplies,
and where crushing defeat would
mean the inevitable annihilation of his
army. They believed, up to the very
hour that Grant ferried his men over the
Mississippi and advanced on Port Glib
son, that his purpose was to join Gen
eral' Banks, then advancing on Port
Hudson.
After Coleman had freed himself
from the sWamps of the Yazoo, he
found himself in a country swarming
with southern troopers under General
Adams. Every plantation house was
hospital, and the negroes, more stupid
on these large plantations than in any
other part of the south, had only the
vaguest notion of their own relations to
the war, and SO could not be depended
on for help. But obstacles like these
served only to urge Coleman ON to great
er effort.
1t should be said that, like all per-
sons in the secret service OF the Union
armies whose duties led them within
the Confederate lines, Coleman was
we'll supplied with southern money.
This enabled him to purchase food, as
we'll as to secure the silence of the ne
groes whose cabins he was forced to
visit in the nighttime. He slept in the
jungle depths and always at night. He
pushed on during the day, keeping away
from the roads and trails and taking
care that he was not observed.
One week after leaving Grants army
on the Mississippi, Coleman struck the
railroad, and so the telegraph lines,
not far from Big Black bridge, where a
battle was fought few days afterward
which resulted in the permanent sepa-
ration of Pemberton and Johnston, and
the cooping up of the latter in Vieks-
burg. Coleman reached tie track about
an hour before sunset, and he concealed
himself in the woods near by, and so
close that he could see the men on the
trains that went flying past.
To the west and not more than mile
away Coleman saw, as soon as 1t be.
came dark, the camptires of brigade
of Pemberton's command. This from
the first of his expedition had been his
objective point, and when about 8
O'Clock train had gone eastward along
the single track, ho put on his "olimh-
ers" and assembled pole that was con.
cealed above by the dropping branches of
live oak Perched OH crosspiece, he
had just mado his connections and was
bending over the ticker, when he was
startled by hearing voices that seemed
to come from the foot Of the pole. ! say
"he was startled, but perhaps that is
too strong a term to apply to the feel.
ings of man who never permitted him
self to be elated or frightened The sit
uation was alarming, but think it can
be stated with certainty that the mans
heart did not beat faster fof tha dangeE,
and that he did not lose his head for
the fraction of a second.
Quicker than the most fluent tongue
could describe it Coleman detached his
instrument and bent to listen.
''Thar, it's stopped, said one of the
men, whose dim figure on the track be-
.ow was revealed by this half moon.
sit amt never begun, 1t was one of
them thar locusts, said another man.
"Locusts be hanged' responded the
first speaker. "Ain't got ears?''
"Yes, and so hez mule" was the
reply.
After waiting foF q long five minutes
for repetition of the sound the two
men went down the track, and immedi-
ately after them came party on a hand
car.
Coleman again attached his instru-
ment and was not surprised 10 find that
both jackson and Vicksburg were de-
manding to know what was up. Com
munication having been restored, he
read for fully two hours the messages
fhaE Nept back and forth. He learned
that Grand gulf had been abandoned,
and that the Yankees were certainly adj
vancing on jackson. He further discoy-
eled what subsequently became we'll
known in both armies, and that is that
Johnston and Pemberton were not work
ing in harmony. The former was strong
in the belief that &iQkshurg should be
abandoned and the two armies united 10
operate against Grant, and the latter
was equally determined to cling to the
defenses that were then spoken of in the
south as ''tbe Gibraltar Of the Missis-
sippi."
1t was simply impossible for Coleman
to write down the messages that went