Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1896-01-21
weI,-Earned Liberty.

'The greatest act OF daring that / re-
member to have seen performed by SOL
diers Of the confederate armies" said
Gen. G.. p NJ. Turner to a Chattanooga
News man, was performed by couple
of men who now stand high in official
life in the Lone Star state. One is H.
P. Mabry, the adjutant general Of Tex
as, and the other is John K. Love,
who is now sheriff in one of the Texas
counties near Dallas, the name of which
just now fail to- remember.
"At the time I speak of Springfield
was invested by federal army Of U.s.
900 under Gen. Fremont The coufed-
crate force, comparative handful, was
quartered at Camp Haro'n, not far from
Cassville, under Gen. Mccullough. The
confederates had mo- knowledge of the
strength of the federal forces, and, hav-
ing been approached by some small fed
eral divisions that were evidently in
tended to :zc:te an offensive movement
by the confederate forces, a general at
tack on the federal lines was meditated.
was then serving as private secretary
W uCI. DCihS NcI
stantly at headquarters, was conversant
with all movements in contemplation.
Before making the attack Gen. McCul-
Tough deemed it prudent to have accu-
rate information as to- the strength and
position OF the enemy, and called for a
couple of volunteers to- go through the
enemy's lines intU Springfield and Sc
cure the desired information. There
were plenty of volunteers for this des-
perate undertaking, burt the two who
were selected were Fl. P. Mabry, cap
tain OF company in the 9th Texas reg
iment, and John z. Love, captain of
Gen. McCullougT's escort company.
Maby was OF New York birth. He had
been sent to Texas to manage branch
mercantile establishment, but when the
war broke out he donned the gray,
shouldering a rifle and marched forth
to the music of Dixie Love was a
southern-born man. Both were in the
prime of young manhood, filled with
visions of glory and fame. They &C
CURED both.
Dressed in civilian clothes. they had
no great difficulty in passing into the
invested city, and they found accommo-
dations at the residence of Col Parks,
a man OF wealth and of southern sym
pathies With this hospitable resi-
dence as their headquarters the two
scouts soon accumulated what informa-
ton was needed and at night lay down
for good rest, preparatory to the diff
cult undertaking Of getting back to Nc
Cullough's headquarters the next day.
There were negro servants IN the
house of Col. Parks. who, of course were
sympathizers with the fcde-als, and
these negroes betrayed the scouts, with
the result that as they lay in separate
rooms they were awakened by the sound
OF a martial tread. the clatter of ac-
GOVERNMENTS and words OF command.
Peering out from the windows, the
scouts saw the house surrounded by
soldiers, with the captain OF the con-
pany pounding on the door and de-
handing admittance.
capt. Mabry, already dressed, made
at once to the front door, which he
threw open. He stood face to face with
the federal captain.
Surrender! was the command he
heard.
"'All right he responded coolly.
"He put his hand behind his back, as
though TO hand forth bis weapons TO
| his captor. but instead his arms shot
forth, a revolver in one hand and a
| bowie knife in the other. and with the
nuicknass of m III chit the kntfa Was an n "