The National tribune., 1900-11-15
After Some More Exciting Experiences the
Boys Get Up the River as Far as Muscle
Shoals.

After Some More Exciting Experiences the
Boys Get Up the River as Far as Muscle
Shoals.
The Colonel now had the additional in
tellectual labor imposed upon him of pre-
pairing a report of the affair."" the only
battle he had been engaged in during the
Wharf.-The only action in which he had
commanded. This was something il
which he was going down to history, and
he could not be too careful in preparing
the record. He became so engrossed il
this that he was only visible at meal-time
and when taking his constitutional, and
then wore a preoccupied air, that for.
babe the intrusion upon him of any such
unimportant matters as the conduct of the
boat, and Shad and the boys were left
more entirely to their own devices than
| ever.
The Major was also deeply absorbed
in making his report of the matter, which
would show up creditabiy the Ordnance
| Bureaus share of the exploit.
Lieutenant" said the Colonel, when
Shad had made his appearance, in re-
| Spouse to summons through Shorty;
you followed my directions, to gather
up the arms left upon the ground of the
engagement
Yes, sir. We brought them aboard, to
| look over. We shall soon have them ready
! for your inspection, sir, and an order from
| you to throw overheard such as are not
serviceable to u.s.
Quite right, Lieutenant. But you will
| not destroy any of them. l desire to re-
tain all of them as trophies of the vic
tory. You Will carefully count all OF
them, and specify each kind, for incor-
poration IN my report. How many men
do you estimate there were of the enemy!
20, 100 or such a matter" said Shad
indifferently. Il guessed that probably
two or three of these guerrilla bands hau
come together, to raid the boat. There
are usually from % to 80 men in those
bands. Just whatever the leaders cali
gather up at the time, in hopes of plum
der. They didn't expect to find more than
70 men on the boat, and them GONZALES
cents and Quartermaster'S men. 1hey
thought two or three to one would cel-
lainiy be enough"
The Colonel brow darkened Lieu
tenant" he said, severely, your estimate
IS entirely too low, and you will have t.
modify it. L surveyed them cOolly ana
carefully, as they stood on the bank, witt
dll their guns pointing at me-the com
handing officer. They plainly identified
ne as the commanding officer, and expect
ID to get the boat by intimidatlng or kin
ing me. But l would have died right
there rather than to have yielded. There
was certainly 500 of them, but | defieu
them all. Yes, sir, | deiied them to pou.
he concentrated fire of their 800 guns ana
their cannon into my breast. l deheC
hem, sir"
You certainly did, SIR replied Shau
automatically, land probably there wero
more than l said. You certainly acteC
very CALAMITY, and your tirmness sayeG
The boat and us. You were OF the very
'front.' when the first shot was fired, anu
the last. / remember that you went III
he bank ahead of me. And you directed
The last shot fired, which brought down
morse on which one of them was trying
10 escape"
You saw that, did you? l am very
glad you did," said the Colonel, much
tlated. Il am very glad, indeed, that yo
we're witness. And it was only the in
stantaneous and impetuous rush of ny
men that disorganized their aim, and sayeC
ny life. 1t was Il very well-planned anu
Executed fight. Nothing better i'll the his
cory Of the war. And yet they say thai
engineers have no talent for commanding
troops under fire. And that Ordnance Ot
lcer, he had to come up, too, after it was
all over. What business had he there
His place was back on the boat, witt
ais beloved ammunition. He should hav,
aldytu DdCh On inc DOdI anu IOOhtu Oul
Tor it, while the rest of us were fighting.
That was his place as second in commnnt
and Ordnance officer. I've a notion to pu.
aim under arrest for misconduct. AnG
hat cannon? That proves that ther,
must have been at least a regiment there
No small party would have had a piec,
If artillery with them. You brought il
hoard, i presume"
Yes, sir. But L was expecting you
jrders to throw it overheard. l don't
hink it is any account. It's q condemned
iece that the guerrillas have picked VI
Omewhere, and have been hauling around
or bluff. You notice there was no Timber
hest with it. Best things to pitch it
overheard, in some deep part of the river
Not under any circumstances, sir,
aid the Colonel, severely. "On the con
trary, you will take the best care of it.
want to send it and these arms to Wash
ngton as trophies for the Engineer Corps.
t is not every day that the Engineer
Corps captures cannon and small arms
rom the enemy in regular engagement.
I am going to send them all to Wash
libiton."
Very good, sir" said Shad, saluting
md retiring.
''Sergt Dye" said the Major, emerging
from his state-room, a little later, pen in
1and, Il want you to take particular care
# that six-pounder, and those small-arms
they belong to the Ordnance Bureau. 1t
$ not often that the Ordnance can Show
'annon and muskets captured by it from
he enemy in battle. i want to send them
o Washington, properly labeled, to be put
IN exhibition as trophies of the Ordnance
Bureau"
Very good, sir" said Jake Dye, salut
ing.
BLAST the old trumpery," said the boys,
consulting together on the deck. what
10 we want it around here cluttering up
everything for? 1t ought to be all in the
bottom of the river"
As they were approaching Johnsonville,
Tenn, a man rose up on a point and
waved a red and then white handker-
chief.
That's Union scout" said the pilot
Hes got something very important to
communicate, and wants to be taken
aboard"
Sure of that?" inquired shad. "Aint
one of your friends, is hep
Yes, he's likely one of my friends and
Union scout, too" answered the pilot
angrily. you'd better take him aboard"
"All right" said Shad. Put her in,
Harry; tell 81 and jake to fall the men
in and have them ready"
The scout, who was worn and weary
with hard travel, remarked sententiously:
"Git me over to Jacksonville quick as
you kin. Then you'd better turn around
and skip back as fast as your injines'll
push you. The whole country down
there's full o. Forests men, and they're
booming up here this way as fast as their
hosses'll bring 'em. There'll be a circus