The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1899-04-18
'What a Drizep' he 1r,uttered

w UUG u HTtZ6!' H6 UCuttETGQ.
document were written in q hand az
fine and legible as copperplate minute
directions for Lieutenant Oakman him.
self, directions which if followed would
carry him into the Union lines before
Sherman reached Savannah.
$50 the old man is going to Savan-
nahl' muttered the delighted officer.
"He wouldn't let us know, and we
guessed all sorts of places. take some
pride to myself that stuck to Savan-
nah'-
AS softly as the moving figure over
the screen the door leading from the
hall was showed inward and two men
in the ragged uniform of Confederate
cavalrymen stepped into the room.
Each held revolver, and the foremost,
with deftness born of long practice,
leveled his weapon at the astounded
Union officer.
Cup with your hands, Yankl We
hain't time for any fooling"
Never was the lieutenant caught so
completely at fault These horsemen,
turning back on their own trail, had
followed him to the house, tied their
animals and entered the building with
out attracting notice. By what possible
means could they have gained their in
formation2
Oakman did daredevil thing. Dear
er to him than his life was the safety
of that document in his hand, for its
capture meant death to others besides
himself.
He would have flung il into the
flames had he not known that his cap
tors would snatch it forth before it was
more than scorched. He attempted q
piece of strategy whose audacity could
not have been surpassed.
81 surrender under protest, " he said,
rising from his chair, but instead OF
elevating his hands he coolly folded the
paper and showed it into his inner
pocket.
"What are you doingf" thundered
the man with leveled weapon.
''Merely putting away letter. That
being done, up go my handsl"
i With which he laughed and reached
toward the ceiling.
"What is in that letter."
"Would you like to see itf"
'Trot it out
The lieutenant showed his hand under
his shoulder and brought forth the let
ter written by Captain Wager Tren
holm.
cat your service. 1t will interest
you.
Had the other document been the
) | hi fhro
him of this trick, he would have whip
ped out his revolver and fought the bat
tie then and there to the end.
The cavalryman gingerly unfoldei
the letter.
} "Here, Bill, he said gruffly to hi.
companion, 81 never could read writ
} ing. Out with it while keep the Yanl
covered
Oakman wondered that they did moi
disarEl him, but when three more griz
zled troopers tramped through the hal
and entered the apartment he saw th'
little need Of doing go.
The one who held the letter leaned
sideways to the candle for minute o.
two and then picked up the light tn
better to read the writing. His compan
ions looked on attentively while wait
ing for him to speak. Finally he emit
3 ted an oath after glancing at the sigma
ture
''I'm blowedl" he exclaimed. ''D'
3 you know who wrote that, boys3"
"How should we know ~ was tn,
appropriate question that followed.
! "Why, Captain Wage Trenholm.
"Read it out"
The man complied, while the other
l stood gaping and wondering. The let
ter, it will be recalled, was declara
; tion that Lieutenant Ledyard Oakmal
was Union officer for whom Captain
Q Trenholm had been exchanged and tina
9 he was entitled to courteous treatmen
! and a safe conduct to the Union lines.
. When the group had somewhat re
1 covered from their shock, the one VIII
still held the document in his han
Q looked at it again.
. 81 wonder if the captain did writ
that. Miss Hartman, you know hi
4 writing"
every well indeed"
- Lo, directly behind Lieutenant Oal