Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-01-26
VI

With the going down of that even
ing's sun Lieut.. Newton Lambert had
finished his first day of company duty
in the sunny south, and found himself
commanding the temporary post of
Tugaloo. The responsibility now de-
volving upon him was the only thing
thut enabled him to resist an almost
overwhelming sensation of depression
and disgust. Marching at route step
back to camp, he had held brief and
,low-toned conference with Sergt. Burns
and learned something of the circum-
stances that led up to the events Of the
FAY. "Old man Potts." said the ser-
gent, was n character. lie owned a
place halfway over towards Quitn,an
and so near the county line thatnobody
knew whether he rightfully belonged
to Quitn,an or to Chittomingo. When
he was +'wanted" i'll one he lodged to
the other Two of his sons had been
killed during the war, and the two
younger were prominent both as citi-
zens and "sllylarkers," for there was
no mischief OF frolic going on they
weren't mixed up in." sergt. Burns
didn't believe in kuliluk thereabouts.
but the colored folks and the deputy
mar shaIs did, and so the soldiers were
kept con the jump" Old man Potts
had ",.nsseI" parmelee off his place two
weeks prcvious. but had ridden in to
Quitma.1 and reported himself to
Brevet Lieut.. Col. Sweet, commanding
the two-ce>mpany garrison there, and
said any time he or his boys were
wanted" just to say so and he would
come in and account for himself and
them to an cncer and a gentleman, but
he'd be damned if he'd allow that sneak
Parmelee on his premises. Then he
had had high words with the marshal
of the district himself. His boys had
harmed no one, hesaid. They were full
of fun. and perhaps of fight-hc
wouldn't own 'em if they weren't; but
they did not belong to the kukiuN-if
there were anything of the sort around
there at all-aud they only fought
when interefered with. They might
have expressed contempt for Parmelee,
but that wasn't Undertaking. The
marshal told him that very serious al
legations had been laid both against
him and his boys, as we'll as against
friends will, whom they forgath cred,
and warned him that arrest would fol-
low if more "outrages" occurred; and
the result was that only the interior
ence of Col. Sweet prevented shoot
ing scrape on the spot. Ever since
tben Parmelee had had some one
watching the movements of Potts and
his i,oys. There was young lady over
at Caayton's plantation to whom one
of the. boys was devoted, and Parmelee's
spies reported there was to be dance
there. That's how he came to go over
to Buccntubbee with the squad, but
they only got Harry Potts and two of
the Scroggs boys; Barton Potts wasn't
there. They We're riding home to
Quitman county after the dance and
making some racket, as young fellers
will, and Parmelee laid for 'em on the
road" They were brought into the
Jail by Sergt. Quinn and the squad and
there left to Parmelee and his people
AS for the rest, the lieutenant knew as
much as the sergeant. except that "old
rnan Potts" with his boy Hal suddenly
rode into camp just after Mr. Lambert
had walked away, and the old man had
given Capt. Close piece of his mind
after which he and Hal with couple
of friends rode back townwards. All
the shooting that took place was prob
ably feu de joie to the accompani
ment of triumphant wells.
It waS a fact that when old Potts
with his friends. not more than half {
dozen all toid. came riding in to Offer
bail for the !,oys, armed only with the
customary reyciYer. they were followed
towards the Jail by a party of inqusitiv'
and interested townapeople. at sight o
which array Par!nelec's posse on duty
at the Jail had fired one voiiey from tina
building and then rushed for the shell
ter of the cellar under the meeting
house. They had killed Potts mule
and wounded another, in exchange TO
which the Pottsites had ridden OF
with the first two animals and all thu
prisoners they saw. There was no on
to claim the latt'er. and old Potts hat
coolly offered the CORNER to the inspec
ton of Capt. Close; one proved to b
government property, the other Parme
lees. "I'll just bawrNM these two t.
take us back home. am then you gentle
men can have 'em us soon as ,you'll sent
for 'em; but you'll hardly expect us t.
call again. after thereceptionaccawdes
us law-abiding and peaceable citlzen
Today" This was the majestic con
cIsusion of Potts remarks to the str
prised but stolid captain. Then the!
rode away, and, crossing probably a
the ford, made a circuit back through
toven, where they doubtless had lug
alcp jubilee with their friends and fel
loW-citHens, to the continued alarm ant
dis,nay of the bell-ringers in the meet
ing housesuntil warned that the troop
were coming, when they deliHeratel.
Withdrew across the railway track
firing off a. parting salute and wolfe.
of the characteristic southern vocal
Tsms known to fame as the rebel yells
This was ihjudicious. 1t was wei
enough to ride away in company witt
prisoners whom nobody claimed or ap
peared to care to hold, but they shoul,
not have rejoiced thereat with riot ant
ungodly glee. 1twas human and by u
means divine. 1t gave the Opposition
too much to tell about in the startling
reports that went broadcast over tn
north that very night and appeare
| with lurid headlines in the mornin
| papers on the morrow.
Parmelee had not been seen from TIL