The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1896-03-14
A RIDE BY NIGHT.
0Y EDWARD w. THOMSON.

y
have served in the civil war. Indeed,
he wac in the army less than year.
How he went out of it he told me in
some such words as these:
An orderly from the direction of
Mead's headquarters galloped into our
parade ground, and straight for the
men on guard before the colonel's tent.
That was pretty late in the afternoon
of bright March day in 1865, but the
parade ground was all red mud with
shallow pools. l remember well how
the hind hoofs of the orderly's galloper
threw away great chunks of earth
as he splashed diagonally across the
open.
His rider never slowed till he brought
his horse to it's launches before the sem
try. There he flung himself off in
stantly, caught up his saber, and ran
through the middle opening of the high
screen of sapling pines stuck on end,
side by side, all around the acre or so
occupied by the officers quarters.
The day, though sunny, was not
warm, and all the men of my regiment
were in their huts when the galloping
was heard. Then they hurried out
like bees from rows of hives, ran up
the lanes between the lines of huts,
and collected, each company separate
ly, on the parade ground opposite the
officers quarters.
You see, we had notion that the
orderly had brought the word to break
camp. For five months the army of
the Potomac had been in winter quar-
tiers, and for weeks nothing more ex
citing than vidette duty had broken
the monotony of our brigade. We I'M
derstood that Sheridan had received
command ofall Grants cavalry, but did
not know but the orderly had rushed
from Sheridan himself. Yet we await
ed the mans temperance with in
tense curiosity.
Soon, instead of the orderly, out
ran our first lieutenant, small, wiry,
long-haired man, named Miller. He
was in undress uniform-just blouse
and trousers-and bareheaded. Though
he wore low shoes, he dashed through
the mud and water toward us in
great hurry.
Sergeant Kennedy. want ten men
at once-mounted," Miller said. Choose
the ten best able for long ride, and
give them the best horses in the COM
pany. You UNDERSTANDING matter
whose the ten best horses are, give 'em
to the ten best riders"
~
Halt, boysl" he cried. Sergeant,
I'll pick out four myself. Come your
self, and bring Corporal Crowfoot, Pri-
vate Badger and Private Absalom
Gray"
1 remained near Kennedy. for was
so young and green soldier that l
supposed l had no chance to go.
Hurry up! Parade as soon as pos
sible. One days rations; light march
ing order-no blankets-fetch over
coats and pouches" said Miller, turn
ing; 'and, in choosing your men, IA
vor light-weights.'
That was, no doubt, the remark
which brought me in. l was lanky,
light, bred among horses, and one of
the best in the regiment had fallen
to my lot. Kennedy wheeled, and his
eye caught on me.
Saddle up, Adam, boy; I guess you'll
do"
Away we went, not man Jack of us
knew for where or what. The colonel
and officers, standing grouped before
regimenta1 headquarters, volleyed
cheer at us. 1t was taken up by the
whole regiment; it was taken up by
the brigade; it was repeated by regi-
ment after regiment of infantry as we
galloped through the great camp to-
ward the left front of the army.
To this day do not know precisely
where we went, nor precisely what for.
Soldiers are seldom informed of the
meaning of their movements.
What do know is what we did while
l was in the ride. As we approached
the dense pine woods the lieutenant
turned in his saddle, slackened pace a
little, and shouted: Boys, bunch up
near mel"
he screwed round in his saddle so
FAR that we could all see and hear. and
said:
Boys, the order is to follow this
road as fast as we can till our horses
drop, or else the Johnnies drop us, or
else we drop upon three brigades of
our own infantry. guess they've got
astray. somehow; but don't know my
self what the trouble is. Our orders
are plain. The brigades are supposed |
to be somewhere on this road. | guess |
we shall do a big thing if we reach
those men tonight. All we've got to do |
is to ride and deliver this dispatch to
the general. You all understand?"
"Yes, sir! Yes, sir! Yes, sir!"
1T is necessary you all should.
Hark. now! We are not likely to strike
the enemy in force, but we are likely to
run up against small parties. Now.
If they down me, you are to
stop just long enough to grab the dis
patch from my breast; then away Won