The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-10

for the actual as well as traditional rights
Of the letter III" He seldom sent a letter
10 his paper, and when he condescended TO
do SO its contents usually had ceased to be
news
ON A HUNT FOR NEWS.
There was hard fighting at Spottsylvania
Courthouse on the 18th of May, 1864. 1t was
begun by Hancock at early morn and con-
tinued until late at night. Johnstons d.
vision Confederate had been surprised and
the most of it captured. and among other
spoils of battle eighteen pieces of artillery
had fallen into our hands. The writer con-
GUIDED to make an attempt to reach Fred
ericksburg, then our base of supplies, and
get the news of Grants operations through
to the New York Herald. / took to the sad
die at daylight on the morning of May Is
for the hazardous ride was splendidly
mounted. Young Jim Bennett had furnished
me trained running horse, and, in the
language of Falstam, Il cared not who saw
About two miles in the rear of army head
quarters came across +. in a strip of
woodland skirting the road He was sitting
on rail- fence smoking br1arWood pipe
and holding the bride of his horse in one
hand and a canteen in the other. His mount
was an immense Pennsylvania draft horse.
Ello, me lad; were are you hon to so
hearly?' was his greeting.
Fredericksburg to catch transport"
was my reply
wy, you don't mean to tell me that you
ave written hup this bloody scrimmage,
do you? l aven't written line; pom
honor l aven't. / cawn't get down to the
front ye know, me lad tor the front is
right down on the blarsted henemy's lines.
tried it. but before ad got al bo, way
comes one of them beastly shells, and di-
rectly it got habove me cad hit bursted
course, We know, l ad to alt.
but wat the dickens ave We found to
write hup? he continued. Nc one man
can write hup the 'istory of this great
battle-no more e can. / sha'n't try. Ave
some, me lad?' and he proffered the can
teen.
1 declined with thanks, and was moving
away when F. detained me.
Il say, me lad, suppose | mounts me
'orSe and rides to Fredericksburg with
you? l cawn't get hitem of news ere,
hany'ow, and at Fredericksburg l can ind
both hofficers and men 90 were wounded
in the Wilderness, and can get some
points from them. l aven't written a line
habout that haffair yet; couldn't ind out
hanything, We know.
kind, but really | have no time to waste
with you. If you had a dispatch prepared
would f willingly undertake eda 10 Garey
one. and / cannot afford to lose any time
on the road. Mounted on that hlppopota-
mus, you cannot keep in sight of me.
But the bearded Anglican proceeded to
mount, with the remark: you're wrong,
me lad, you're wrong. Es galius nan, nan.
and paid for i'm with han Hi. 0. u, we
know But 'e's fine 'orse, e is, and 'e's
a powerful 'orse, e is, hand Ell carry carry me
ha long way in a day, Will, me laa.
COULDN'T MOUNT "A HORSE.
F. could not mount his horse the act
was usually performed by gentlemen in
the army, because his stirrups were drawn
so high that, although a tall man, he could
not stand on the ground and reach them
with his foot.
why don't you let down those stirrups"
I inquired You certainly cannot ride
with any comfort in such cramped posi-
ton
"Bahy returned he, contemptuously
wat do you fellows hover ere know
habout a 'orse, hany'ow? You're hold
cavalryman, but you cawn't ride. you
know. wy, at 'ome, I've ridden halter the
'Honly yesterday saw cavalry hofficer
trying to ride balky thoroughbred, ana
the 'orse knew more than the rider. The
'orse. YOU see me lad, was hafraid of the
cIanking saber and the gilt fXlngS on the
coat of the hotficer. and e naturally
the riders right eel, and he jumped haWay
from that and struck spur on the LETT
eel; and then. the poor beast kept Jump.
ing from side to side in terror, for e dion
know w at to make of 1t, you know. AND
the 'arder e jumped the arder the bloom
ing fool 90 rode i'm stuck hin is eels.
No incident occurred during the long ride
worthy of recording until we reached Belle
Plain a hamlet a few miles southwest OF
FREDERICKSBURG At that place my friend
declared he was so hungry that ne could
heat a raWr DOG.
He injured of a woman who stood in an
open doorway smoking cob pipe II she
could get him some dinner, and after due
negotiations she promised him some corn
flaDiackS and fried bacon. i pointed out 10
him the danger and folly of stopping De-
tween the lines, and actually begged MN 10
keep on to Fredericksburg with me. had
eaten absolutely nothing that day myself
had started too early, because time, Tor
few hours was of more value tnan Ioou.
Seeing that he was fully determined co 70
halt for dinner ] gave the woman some
coffee and sugar happened to nave, ana
telling F. to ride to the river front and ma
DIR Agnew then in charge of the sanitary
commission if he wished to see me, rode
forward. -. ,, nv, ord he
sv1ent over the road like a greyhound. L
reached Fredericksburg in time to SEND
disnatch by the captain OF steam tug 10
another CORRESPONDENT at Fortress monroe,
and he in turn, forwarded 1t 10 Baltlmore
from which place 1t was transmitted Dy
+elepranh Then | rested and toasted, but
NV friend whom the boys at times play
fuIlv nicknamed THE Per1d1ouS ALBION,
failed to materialize, and l have never seen
his iocund viSage since.
on NV return to the front the next day
called at the house in Belle Plain Wnere r.
had ordered a dinner, and learned tnat
few minutes after my departure lot OF
Mosby's men had sWooped down upon the
place and given my unfortunate companion
du VOYAGE a free trip to Castle thunder
A few DAYS later a copy of the Richmond
Examiner fell into my hands, ana, Wnlle
regrettine his sad predicament was much
amused at a humorous account OF MS cap
ture.