The Portland daily press., 1895-06-08


age born only of contact with shot and
steel
The sprinkle of veterans hindered
rathe. than helped. Good soldiers and
true, they were human, and told about
the mess fires such tales of prowess and
peril as set the new men often all of
a-tremble Their black beast was For
rest, the hardest rider, the stoutest,
most pitiless fighter, that ever drew
sword for the stars and bars. The old
soldiers knew him only too well-had
seen him dash, Bosom of destruction,
sabering, slashing, trampling down,
upon the flank of a wheeling or flying
foe or through the long line of march
ing division.
1t was FORESTS cavalry that would
threaten Bellsboro. The town lay
westerly, where the Cumberland, after
a long dip through the rich midland,
makes again toward it's native Ken
lucky, through which it runs to the
Ohio. Far to eastward Morgan and his
merry men swooped north on lines Of
transportation. From the Cumberland
westward to the Mississippi Forrest
rode and raided, hardly asking or Civ
ing quarter.
A Bellsbero legion rode with him.
What SO natural, then, as that Bells
boro's commander should fear spies in
his camp? Men had eyes to see, women
tongues to tell-how could he doubt
that word would 60 straight to the en-
envy of all he most cared to keep hidden?
Worse still, his own scouts might be so
thwarted, blinded, misled, by this hos
tile populace as to make surprise mat
ter of course. Something must be done.
Colonel Grice wrote to the authorities.
In response there came proclamation.
Old Major Powell sat Oh his porch
deeply Illuminating. The big silver pop
lars flung az his front yard into shad-
ow. A paling fence ran 30 yards away,
with sagging green gate leading over
broken stile to a long front lot, sparse
ly set with white and red oaks. An
abortive gravel walk ran half way from
porch to stile. Guinea fowls were peck
ing amid it's stones; hen turkey, with
her brood, busting themselves in the
dry earth at one side of it. Two huge
mock orange bushes in full flower made
a blossomy arch over the garden gate.
From beyond there camo the smell of
calycanthus, Glove pink and early hon.
eysuckle.
A cock, gorgeous and golden red,
walked out before the door to crow
three times, loud and clear. A voice
from within said: Somebody's comm,
an comm with news. never yet knew
the sign ter fail when the red rooster
crowed three times
"He pears ter have knowed it after
the fact. Yonder's yo' man now," the
major said, nodding toward the outer
gate, through which a horseman had
just ridden.
II wonder, now, who it is! Cousin
Tom Greg'ry, l reckon" Mrs. Powell
said, looking sharply at the advancing
figure from under shading hand
The major nodded. "Yes, it's Tom.
Then, as the rider halted at the stile.
"Nee inter-, hello, Tom. We're at home
AlSuu all IOOh az yfl ohOulO.
Tom got down precipitately. II CANT
stop er minute. I jest wanter tell ye
the news" he said, hopping perspir-
ing brow as he mounted the steps.
"Whut is it? News sho 'nough, er
jest grapevine? You told us las time
Inglum an France had recognized the
Confederaoy an raised the blockade,
but amt heard nothin more about it. "
"Oh, that wus jest grapevine. Reool-
leot I tole. ye SO at the time, I" Mr..
Gregory said, nowise abashed. II reck-
on it wus erbout this way, Unclc jim
MET least that's Their story. They
wanted ter recognize us, but Lincoln
an Seward are mighty sharp, tell ye.
They sent er man ter Queen Victoria ter
say: You jest wait 80 days longer, an
we'll have our little family difference
all settled. Eff ye don't, by jingoi
Thar's Ca;iady layin handy ter make
up ter us fer losin the Confederacy.' An
SO the recognizin is put off, but it's
boun ter come-boun ter come Jest you
wait er bit. Why, they're a-fghtin ag' in
out in Virginyeh, an Gen i Lee an Stone
wall jackson whippin 'em worse'n ev-
er. Have killed an wounded, an took
pris' ners more men than wus in their
own army. an jest doin whut they
please with whutever comes against
'em. Gen'l Lee, ye know, is mighty
pitiful. 1t wus such er slaughter it
turned him right sick, but ole Stonewall
our boys are with him, remember
he jest stood up, with the bullets hailin
round, his chin stuck out, one eye shet,
an all he said was, Shoot low, boys,
shoot IowI"
"Stonewall's er great man-er very
great man. Orter be old Hickery's son
or nephew. How do the Yankees in
town take it-so many er thar men git
tin slaughterd?'
sob, they're jest as sullen as you
please. That's the reason they We put
out that there proclamation. %
"What proclamation?''
''Why, haven t. you heard? It's stickin
up on the courthouse an strowed all
FOUND town.
whats it about?''
ssyN>J -, ao-, Tho al