The National tribune., 1899-07-13
A CAVALRY EPISODE.
Brush With Texas Rangers That Ended Fortunately for
Some Of the ID Iii. Cav.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: / think
it was some time in 1862 that our cavalry
had been out in Arkansas to the Red River
scouting, and were returning to the com
mand. On our way back one of our boys
was taken so sick we had to leave him at q
farm house. He was too sick to haul in oul
ambulance, and our Captain promised that
if he got well enough to be with us we would
come out after him. 1t was not many days
before we got word to come after him, as the
rebels had found him. and had come there
abused him, and made him believe that as
soon as he got well enough they were going
to make him prisoner.
When word came to US the Captain went
TO our Colonel and asked permission to &C
out after him. The Colonel gave Capt
ID. r. Sparks, Co. l., permission to take his
company and part of Co. b and an ambu-
lance and go after him. So one morning
we started, with our detachment, ambu-
lance and a forage wagon.
We had been riding until in the afternoon,
when Just within a few miles of where our
man was We ran upon some rebels, who, we
found out later, were the advance-guard of
a body of Confederates coming our way
We soon ran them back, and went on our
way rejoicing, as it were, until We came TO
where the road forked, and at that fork was
a small field. We rode on up the left-hand
fork along the fence to about 300 yards.
a.,
up the other fork, where we observed the
rebels coming en- maSse.
Our ambulance and wagon had not kept
nd very close to us, but when they heard us
firing at the "dvance-guard they whipped
I'D, and of course made considerable noise.
The rebels supposed that it was our army
coming back and what they heard was
artillery, so they formed in line-of-battle to
meet u.s.
Surely the whole country was alive with
them We could see column after column Of
cavalry moving toward us and coming
down toward the forks Of the road behind
us. The Captain formed us in line-of-
battle and gave them few welcoming
shots, which checked them, and if the Cap
tain had not shown his bravery by so doing
they would have captured every last one of
us. They were the Texas Rangers as brave
a set of men as the Confederacy possessed
Well, they took it into their heads 10
charge us before we got back to the forks.
All we could do was 10 go through the field
behind us. We rallied several times to
check them, and we got through without
losing man. In the meantime the ambu-
lance and wagon turned back, making con-
siderable noise over the rocky road, causing
the rebs to think that we were only drawing
them into trap. They only came to the
first fence and stopped. After We got
through the last fence we were indeed some
what scattered, but the Captain rallied
when we got back to the main road. There
we're great many saplings back of the
field, and after had got out my horse was
on gallop, but under my control. When
getting among the SaplingS my Saber flying
out, the straps wound around a small sap
ling, and the strap being rather tough, it
assisted me to alight from the saddle with
cut orders. But it took but moment to
be in the saddle and going again.
We diSmounted some of the Rangers. We
Rnow, as there were some of their riderless
horses running around, and one of them
came to us and we brought him TO camp.
We named him Texas Ranger. He was a
fine horse Is hands high.
On account of the unexpected reception
we had received we did not reach our man.
Eut he came in himself shortly after. But for
the timely action and bravery of our Cap,
tain, d. r. Sparks, Cos. l. and B, Sd Ill.
Cav, would have been in some of the reb
prisons. NJ. WAGNER, Tyler, Tex.