The National tribune., 1898-12-22

rison made inquiries for his wife. and was
told that likely she was with other women
at the hospice of the old man at the mill.
He then asked, or rather demanded, where
was g Deck, - her husband. In much agita-
ton she replied that she did not know, but
supposed him to be ont with his company
But she anxiously asked serg't Garrison.
" What do you want of Declk?"
| Look at the condition of my family and
my home: look at this scar; look at the
| waste OF my property and that of my neigh
bors You know who helped do the work;
you know who drove me from my home and
my family, and hunted me like beast OF
prey through mountain and wood; you know
at whose hands / received this scar, all be-
cause l stood by the flag of my country.
And now, as there is God in Israel, mean
to cancel some of these accounts"
| Harsh as it seemed, there was something
pathetically grand in this brief and savage
outburst. Deck was not to be found, how
ever and we left his wife in terror and in
| tears, retracing our course and arriving i'll
camp III the afternoon, completely played
out" from hunger and nervous strain.
As some of his comrades had suffered like
| himself. the Sergeant easily inspired their
zeal, and the next day company of cavalry
the same ground we had gone over the day
before. They found and engaged the COM
pany of guerrilias, killed a few, captured
| more. and routed the balance. Garrison s
brother-in-law made his escape
From the prisoners brought in we learned
that some OF them were in the cave on the
| night of our adventure: that after we lett
the blockhouse some of their women friends
had fastened to them, anticipating us, and
reported that the woods Were full OF Yankees,
and that Garrison was with them. They
fled to u safer retreat. We never told them
how few We were who visited their cave that
night.
AS part of our pastime while at Fort Ran
dom we made gum-tree canoe. 1T was
convenient for those who could manage ii,
and furnished much amusement when the
unshilled tried to run it. 1t would carry
two persons. if they could keep we'll balanced
Otherwise they We're sure OF getting a duck
ing, and by such ones it was christened the
= Dob Chick" Or He'll Diver In my
boyhOod. on the Lemonweir River in Wiscon-
sin, where Indians and their canoes were
numerous, | had learned to manage the canoe,
and | could manage this one quite cleverly
and, as | was q fair swimmer, | had. little to
fear IN case OF a tip-Oyer, ii the water was
not too cold. So when it was brought into
use, l WAS usually selected to use the paddle,
the other occupant sitting fat in the bottom,
and keeping his hanus oil the SUES. But
this pl ecaution would not always insure q
safe passage.
One day while the Black Hawk was lying at
anchor in the stream, the doctor who came
up with her was on shore, aud wished to go
on board. His demands were imperative.
Inst nor ha fI,a 10 email ho1t
| available; and though the doctor not only
had a mortal feaI of this craft, but also could
not swim, his desire to go on board immedi-
ately overcame his prudence, and he asked
me to paddle him over.
/ consented, after exacting promise not
TO tip us over for the wafer was icy cold.
he thought he could keep level for SO short
distance; SO with warning and precaution
placed him in the bow with folded arms,
wnich position he promised to keep. How
ever, his first act, alter / pushed oil, was TO
grasp each side of the Dob Chick in his
frantic effort to keep it balanced; bat, of
course, that set it to rocking AMI dipping
water, which made our seat o triiie damp.
The doctor said lie was taking cold, and
tried TO rise to his feet, which caused more
dipping This 80 frightened him that he
would listen TO nothing, and in less time than
it can be told he rolled the canoe over aud
emplied us out. He was short aud stout, and
resemDled fat toad making an awkward
dive
lie made desperate struggle, but was
helpless. l swan TO him, but was thoroughly
chilled and in poor condition to grappie with
a drowning man. However, L ciinched one
hand into MS heavy beard and held his face
above water, and with great effort and risk
to myself | landed him hundred rods
below. lie was nearly dead, and | was ex-
hausted When he recovered his Senses he
paid me for my risk in his behalf by Wishing
had been drowned in the Lemonweir.
The cavalry rested several days at Fort
Random. Meantime, every opportunity was
give to the comrades whose families were
near to get them together, that they might
60 with US to Il place of safety and compare
tive comfort during the oncoming Winter.
Seven or light such women and two or three
children went with us down to Lewisburg.
The day before we left, the people at the
hospice AID the mill, because OF the kindly
feeling existing between them and Us, in
vited us over there to a party and Christmas
dinner The day was most enjoyaby spent,
although we listened to many grewsome
tales of persecution by bushwhackers of
loyal people.
Early next morning after the Christmas
party the women came from the mill to 20
with u.s. We were so eager to leave this
memorable place that, soon as the women
arrived, we boarded the Black Hawk before
she was steamed mp. She was moored by a
small anchor sunk in the sandy shore, and
when she was thus loaded, the ancnor,was
Insufficient to hold her, and away we went
downstream. stern first, trailing the anchor
from the bow. A large anchor, to which
the llawser was attached, lay in front on the
lower deck, and TINS was cast over. But the
boat had gaiuei such momentum with the
swift current that they could not pull the
hawser from the coil last enough to get any
slack with which TO snub, and when it was
all paid out one faithful roustabout held 10
the end and was pulled overheard, and that
was the last ever seen Of him. Tne boat ran
crashing into the rocky shore and demolished
her wheel, winch caused us another days
delay. After rebuilding the wheel, the
anchor aud the cable were recovered.
The old man Of the mill came to bid us
Godspcel, and we presented him with
g..odiy supply Of provisions, and also the
Dob Chick, which he wished TO present to his
grandson. The cook of the Black Hawk
bought our surplus stock OF chickens, paying
an extra price Tor some of the lighters.
All went well on our downward trip. We
touched at Lewsburg, where the women
LETT us We parted with them in real sorrow