Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-09-06
copyright. 1893. by J. p. Lippineott Col

upward. / did not hear. but knew what
he said:
MY God, thank thee"
Never was there clearer case of
playing at corners in the game of war
We had gained the very road by which
the confederates We're marching to cap
ture us, and as we entered it thei,
last files were but a few hundred yards
around bend to our left. Dashing
off to the right, we lost no time in
putting distance between them and
us.
The night was coming on, and the
general, who took his place at the
head of the column, and whose horse
and whose Impotence outstripped the
rest of us, soon placed hundred PAGES
between himself and us, his figure
forming silhouette against strip of
twilight on the horizon. The brim of
his hat tapped with the trot of his
horse, and the skirts of his overcoat
fiuttered, while the animal was con-
tinually throwing up his head to catch
at his bit, or lowering it to give that
sputter peculiar to horse trotting
along good road.
The stars came out; the air was dry,
and the spangled heavens seemed more
than usually thick with bright points
of varying magnitude, from the fam
ing Sirius to the faintest glimmer of
light. The general had way of look
ing, as he rode, up at the heavens, often
at a bright star IN the zenith, Alphu
Lyra, and had noticed that when on
one of his night forays and in dan
gerous position he was sure to cast
his eyes heavenward, as If invoking the
aid Of presiding diety. Tonight /
saw him throw back his head for his
accustomed glance, and / knew that
our position was critical.
General" said Wilton, who was
vainly endeavoring to catch up with
him, "my horse is nearly done for, and
the same is true of every mount in the
command. We must halt for rest"
ut can't be done. colonel We must
put more miles between us and the
enemy"
"As you like, general. The men are
dropping out so fast that you will soor
ride alone.s
The general made no reply. saw
him look up again at the star, as on,
seeming danger will nervously finger
the handle OF weapon. At last, sud
denly coming to thick wood besid,
the road, he gave an order to turn into
it, and, after gaining sufficient distanc,
from the road not to be readily seeI
from II, we went into bivouac. Ven
dettes were posted, and the men or
dered to preserve silence, in the hop
that our enemy, who was doubtless a
our heels, might pass without observ
ing us.
Worn with fatiguing days cam
paign, rolled myself in my blanke,
and, with dirt pile for pillow, wa
asleep almost before / had stretche,
my legs.
How long slept never knew. 1
seemed to me that had but just los
myself when was awakened by shot.
yells, every conceivable noise tina
could be heard in fight. Iknew tn
confederates were on us. Through tn
gloom I caught a glimpse of the gen
eral already in the saddle riding amon
our men, inspiring them with his pres
ence and gathering them together 1
the best formation practicable unde
surprise. Walter was with him, sticl
ing to him like wax, though there wa
no opportunity to use staff office
while was separated from them b
some Of our own men who were try
ing to get into line. Ipushed forward
but just then q troop Of confederate
came galloping down, firing their r,
volvers as they came-they had no S,
bers-and before could cover til
space which separated me from til
general they rode through 1t, seattle
ing the half-formed platoons befol
them, making wedge that divided IL
and number of others from the re.
of the command. Seeing a numberst
us cut off from our comrades, they SUI
rounded us, and at the point of a hui
dred pistols our hands went up as
we had been as many images worked /
wire springs.
Hurried to the rear, we waited IL
result of the attack. The fight Ike
shifting, and I fancied that the ge
efhl had gathered what men he cou
and was cutting his way out. My ir1
tation at finding myself hors de comb
at a moment of greatest necessity w;
intense. Whenever the firing won
rise to pandemonium pitch, wou
emit volley of responsive raspir
words for which l sincerely hope
have been forgiven. AS the combn
ants kept receding, the noise gre
fainter and fainter, and at last die
away entirely. l had gone to sleep
o midnight, surrounded by union sc
diers; at four in the morning turnt
i in once more, on the bare groun
? watched by confederate troopers. Nv
: too tired to be long awake, and, thong
e had before me the prospect of a sout
e ern prison. soon fell into profou,
slumber.