Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-01-29
CHRISTMAS on THE wARPATH.

CHRISTMAS on THE WARPATH.
A Tale Of johnny Rebs and Cunning
Yankees.
CDR Lanerty I'm the Christian Advocated
The Dashers' house was struck near the
root of a mountain ridge, like dirt
dauber's mud hut In front sped n erik
CreeH whose channel was the highway
half the distance. for the valley was not
a hundred yards wide. our cavalrymcn
of a few hundred had chosen this narrow
defle as safe from surprise, and strategic
i'm fighting a superior force. We had,
however, no thought Of an attack in mid
winter. our scouts reported no enemy IN
forty miles. Tho officers occupied a de-
serted sugar camp iu grove of
naples that give a saccharine milk In
the spring. reduced by boiling 10 a syrup
and sugar The rude shelter was the
headquarters. l went down the road a
mile TO Mrs. Dasher's for the night. Ma
jOr Locke and one or two officers Tisked
themselves five miles nearer the enemy
by visiting the handsome little city of
MOoretield, perhaps invited TO a merry
making The winter night was LONG
was up before light. and while sitting i'm
front of a roaring log fire a soldier i'm
hOmcspuu clothes loafed i'm for "a break
fast. lie reported bis own condition as
nightly pestered with rheumatic" I'm
his legs. He also reported thar war q
tale iu camp that they war gWiue 90
jump into u.s." as every soldier knows
such rum0rs We're common and of no CON
sequence. yet # occurred 10 me it would
Dee healthy and wise 90 go out 0u the
front porch for the morning air and
glance down the gorge. The porch was
above the road. as 90 We're. on stills. for
the house chung 90 the hin. so steep that
you might look up the chimney and see
the COWS come homo. / had barely
"stretchcG' and looked Ont, when the
mounted picket darted by. laying level
with the back Of his horse. When
cavalryman leaves his post a best speed,
showing as little of his anatomy rs pos
sible. you may Doc sure 'the party Of the
second part" is I'M hot pursuit, and pro-
posing 10 use firearms He gave me
hasty eve and remarked: "Tm the last
man down below and YOU had better get
out Of there As he hurried towards
our camp the Rheumatic" warrior and
myself were the "l1sf mon.
A HEROIC GIRL
Tt seems chat General Kelly. command
ing the Federal forces along the Balti-
more and Ohio railroad thinking we
would boz spending Christmas in a care
less way. planned dash boy hOrsemen
and infantry. carried iu ambulauces and
light wagons He expected 10 find MS
as the maraudiug Danites did Lash. "a
people that were at quiet and secure in
tending go smite them with the edge or
the sword"
II was "A bold expedition. and would have
been a success bur for a heroic girl. She
had gone. with other women. forty miles
20 a village on that railway and inside
tho onamrs lines 20 sell butter and eggs
for rs. Bodies of troops We're sta
tiore. ar an these depot towns She got
hint of the expedition. She hurried
back, arriving at home after dark. She
knew by daylight the attack would be
made She induced her little brother OF
u or u 10 cross "a mountain. ugly enough
in sunlight 90 the Confederate camp. He
got there after midnight. The men were
quietly aroused. There was mo- chance 20
warn Major Locke at Mooredeld. I had
told no one where ] was going; didn't
know myself as ] rode down the valley
on the search for n decent place to pass
Christmas Eve i found this good family.
OrTRUN a RACE-HORSE.
Ny rheumatic comrade had heard
through the half-open door the fearful
words Of the picket. There may be virtue
in oils and embrocatIons for stiff joints
The voice OF the h0rscman was a magic
ointment IL "c0njered' every rusty
hinge into the suppleness Of rubber. He
was drawn up in a chair when the eXhila-
rating news was given out. Tie leaped
onto the floor fairly bounding IKE "a bali
70 the door on the high porch De sprang.
and with the agility Of am antelope he
cleared the palings. He was gone before
I could get from the porch % the house.
SA1ASH-UP
/ knew there was no time for civil
farewells. ! rushed up the stairs for my
great-COat and saddle-hags. Mrs. Dash
er had caught the Omiuous tidings With
these troops always came back ne:ghbors
who had been banished by our officers
thrsting 10 wreak vengeance on the
homes friendly 10 the South. destroying
clOhing queensWare furniture Mrs.
Dasher yelled to her daughter: Jane
where's my silk dress?' upstairs. in
the big chist. nanny" There was hurry
ing and s,urrying. She stout and short.
scrambled up the narrow. steep. dark
staircase. ] had secured my belongings
and came plungng down two stems ar a
Time. j ne NAI lEuA ana lNr contracted
space forbade siding for either I had
advantage ~ position. momentum and
the energy from fear Of capture. Before
they discovered the universal ether and
the Rocntgen rays. b. was an axiom Of
physics that 1.-TWO bodies could not occu-
pv the same space az the same time"
We demonstrated IL. when I pulled my
self together and sprang from the hoor.
her, "I-or.' I "rulei rapidly
saw a party prone and painting Parting
words are polite but not polite or possi-
bl, in such predicamen
CAME OFT AHEAD
I darted for the stable My mare. "B'rd
Eve" nervous always. now dancing with
excitement for the mounted enemy were
~ the valley with clangor and loud COM
mands The margin of time was 80
narrow that H. IN Ringing my saddle
over my horse a stirrup had caught.
would have been captured. l clinched
the girth with one jerk. swung into the
seat. and let her 60. The morning was
slow lighting up. In this trough, be-
tween tail crcsts. there was a deep dim
ness. The ear found out more than the
eve. The mare seemed 10 know what
was expected ~ her. Into the road she
bounded. Not TO 30 into particulars.