The National tribune., 1900-05-10

had gone into camp about Bells Tavern,
and still thinking our division ahead, we
kept on toward Bowling Green for five
miles, when we learned that none of the
Yankee soldiers had gone that way. Be
ing pretty tired, We thought we would leave
the railroad and try to find a place where
we could stop over night, and thought Of
course our troops would be along in the
morning.
We went about half-mile back, and saw
a cabin that looked like it might be the
home of some colored folks, and thought we
went to the door and knocked, and were
surprised TO see a good-looking young
white woman open the door. We could
not see inside the house, and did not know
whether there were any men about or not;
But we asked the woman if we could stop
were. We told her we were Yankee soldiers.
Yes" she said, 'you can stay"
She took us into another room across
an open passage that ran between the two
rooms. This room seemed to be the place
for everything, at least about everything
was there generally used about a planta-
ton, except negroes. There was fire
place in the room, but no fire, and we were
thinking about trying to get one, when a
man made his appearance at the door and
asked who we were. We told him, as we
told the woman, that we were Yankee sol
diers. He asked us how we come to be
there, and we told how we thought our
command had gone on and we had come
along the railroad that far, when night over
took us, and we had found out that no
Yankees had passed that way.
No" he said, there are none closer than
Bells Tavern; you are really inside the
.ebel lines. Their cavalry was around
this evening and was picketing all the
roads"
Well, to say we were scared would not
begin to tell it, and we came to the con-
clusion that we were not tired, and five
miles was not far to go to camp, and We
would go while we could get back, as we
did not want to be escorted into Bowling
Green too much in advance of our army.
We were not hunting notoriety in this
line. When we told our intentions to our
friend 6or such he proved to be), he said
as we were there he thought it best for us
to stay. After we thought it over, we
thought we could trust him, and concluded
to stay. He went to work and made us a
good fire, by which we were soon made
comfortable. Our host left us, but soon
came back to ask us to come in the other
room, that supper was ready. We thanked
him and told him we had plenty with us,
but we had to go with him, and of course
had learned to obey orders, and went.
We had one Of the best meals / ever sat
down to.
After supper we retired to our room,
where in a short time we were joined by
our friends, bringing with them a violin,
on which he played many old negro melo-
dies, among them one which seemed his
fayorite, which he sang and played to-
gether. A line or two / still remember
that ran thus:
Jennie, put the kettle on and I'll blow the
dinner horn,
Jennie put the kettle on and We'll all take
tea"
us, they bid us goodnight, saying that if
anything went wrong in the night he
would let us know.
We were soon rolled up in our blankets
in front of the fire, with our guns loaded
by our sides, ready for whatever might
come. We were aroused early in the
morning by the fierce barking of the dog,
which also awakened our friend, who came
Immediately TO our door and warned us
that we had better get up and be ready, as
there were hOrSemen out at the fence.
There was small window, or rather the
place for one, in the back of the room, but it
was boarded up. We thought we might
look out OF it and see what was going on.
By little work we pried the board out so we
could have pretty good view of that side
of the house next 10 lane that ran close
to the house. And imagine our feelings in
looking out and there seeing four men in
butternut clothes armed (as we say to the
teeth, talking IN great earnest to our
friend, who had gone out to meet them
They seemed TO be very anxious about
something, and we feared very much that
something was ourselves.
AS we looked out through the crack we
had opened, it seemed as though they were
looking right at us, and we drew back
out of range, in the darkness. Finally,
off in a hurry. When our friend came to
us he told us they were Union scouts, and
they were looking out for the rebels to
send out their cavalry that morning to
reconnoiter our lines, and advised us to get
back as soon as possible.
We commenced TO pack our kit to move
out, but by the time we were ready our
hostess said breakfast was ready too,
and would not hear to our going until we
had eaten. Our appetite had been some
what appeased at what we had seen and
heard, and We soon left the table filled,
seemingly, clear up to the throat. We
gave all our coffee to Our friends (although
they fatty refused anything) for the trouble
we had given them.
We thanked them kindly, and bidding
them goOdby, were soon on the back
track for Bells Tavern, where we found
our troops as we had left them, but found
out that it was yet three miles back to
where our division was camped. We
were not long in finding them, however,
reporting to our company, where they were
all surprised TO see us, and We were glad
once more to be safe inside our lines.
While the names Of our good friends have
long since gone from my memory, their
deeds Of kindness ever remain, and / often
think how Jennie put the kettle on for us,
and how welcome they made uS feel
hope that God has blessed them in all these
years since that February night in 1892
CHARLES BANKS, Co. II, 1st Ohio, Sea
brook, Kan. ~
Saw the Finish.