The National tribune., 1898-12-15
THE LOST DETACHMENT.
perious Situation Of Union Soldiers in the Enemys
Country
IyF. F, FRENCH. Goth Wis.
Enemy's
Country.

their houses sacked and burned, their chat
tells confscated and they lie destitute OF
| food raiment and shelter-turned out into
the woods to perish or exc out miserable
existence as best they could.
/ Pitiiul, even heart-rending, were the tales
| they told. and their every appearance SO
| tailed with their stories that we came to
| know they had told the truth. From them
| we learned many facts regarding the condi-
| ton of the country and its people-the per-
secutions and suiferings of tbs Union men
| and their families. But it is to the honor
and credit of regularly enlisted Confederate
soldiers that this dastarlly destruction Of
people and property was not committed by
them. but by class of villainous towards
| whose prime object was booty, while pre-
| tending to act as regular soldiers. AS we
learned the facts regarding our two classes of
customers, we became somewhat partial in
our dealings; for those who had not where
witbal to buy We turned not empty away.
A SUSPICIOUS CHARACTER.
As we learned more and mere OF our en-
viroment our soiicitude for our safety also
increased. We determined to allow no
stranger within our gates, whether friend or
fee lest in some way we should be betrayed.
However, we were Obliged to except a few
prisoners-of-Har that we subsequently
captured.
The first prisoner taken was man past
middle age, yet full of vigor and activity.
We discovered him near our camp, in the
dusk OF day, looking around in the fashion
OF spy. He was the first man We had thus
far seen. As he came sneaking and under
cover of darkness, tried to escape when he
was discovered, and was embarrassed and
unable to satisfactorily answer oar questions
when taken. altogether such suspicion was
cast UPON him that We thought 1t dangerous
to let him 90. He bitterly protested, and
claimed to be a good Unionist; but every
fact connected with him disputed his word
Besides we had learned too much of the
people and conditions thereabouts to believe
that an able-bodied, active Union man
would be lying around loose in that locality;
so we told him that if he were a friend of
ours he could afford to share with us our
hospitality for while, but if he was an
enemy we could not afford to let him go,
and that he must stay. This proved to be
the wise course for US.
Late the next night after his capture we
saw light cross the riter some distance below,
which we anxiously watched. Soon it COM
menced to return and 50 did ourapprehensions.
We felt that safety depended upon activity.
We knew that the better part OF yalor Is
discretion, 4" but we now thought that discre-
ton meant valor, and that we must act accord
ingly, though we were not in quest Of ad-
venture OF thirsting for glory.
CAPTURING GUERRILLAs.
1t was decided that the larger part OF Us,
well armed, should meet the light on It's re-
turn aud learn the mission of its bearers,
while few remained TO guard the camp and
our prisoner.
Il took brisk walking to meet the light on
It's return. We found live or six men on the
bank in waiting 10 be ferried across the river
small hatboat was being used TO carry
men and material across How many bad
already gone over we did not know, bat the
two who came bacl. with the boat and the
six ia waiting we took as Prisoners but not
without all effort to escape on their part. Tor
as soon as they saw tnat We were Union
soldiers they boarded their boat and pushed
oil but a command 10 return, emphasized
by a few musket-shots, resulted III an unc3n-
ditional Surrender, and men and boat were
taken 10 Fort Random.
The men captured with the aatboat were
part OF an organized company OF gucTrilla5
whose headquarters were Ia the moantdin'
south of the river. They had been north
carrying on their wicked WORK. at first we
thought their capture great achlevment,
but we soon learned that we had sIouldered
heavy burden, for il materially increased
our guard and camp duties aud response
bilitIes.
One night the enemy gathered on the oppo-
site side OF the river, inIending To open ire
on Us in the morning; but they Disco cred,
as they supposed, cannon in our camp staring
them in tie face, which caused them to
withdraw as silently as they had appeared.
But. in reality, the cannon was one OF the
large eam-pipes taken from the Doan, to
be used as q iue for fireplace on one OF our
log cabins it had been fonnd to be too small
for such use. and was Laid outside, one end
resting across the root OF fallen tree ana
pointing across the river.