The National tribune., 1900-04-19

road at ffs top of the hill and masked by
thick underbrush, aud clatter went grape
shot all about us. The bulk of the charge
went slightly TO the left of us, mostly strik-
ing the ground close TO the feet of my horse,
a nervous, excitable beast and fast runner,
throwing dirt all over us.
No command was given, for lack of time,
| suppose, but before | could think | was
going the other way without any one telling
me to- and the rest of the party with me in a
with wonderful unanimity, assumed COM
mand and turned tail for shelter below
its banks from the grapeshot.
TO THE REAR, MARCH!
Just as we tumbled into the old water
course another charge of grape whistled
over our heads and ripped up the road
rod beyond us. Bless those horses! How
fortunate for all concerned they thought
of that shelter before we did! A moments
delay would have been fatal. for the second
discharge of grape demonstrated that the
rebel gunner had perfect range and sent
his, missiles so true TO it that in all proba-
bility we would have been swept from The
face of the earth but for the quick thought
and action of our horses.
Now this was not exactly mill tary for the
General commanding and his staff to act
as. advance guard but it was character
istic of Gen. McNeil'S efforts to find out
what was ahead and be early in any scrim-
mage developed. This inquisitivcness had
now gotten himself and staff in a pretty
pickle and bottled them in this rayine
a mile ahead of the command.
got orders to go back and hurry up the
troops. Ny, but didn't hate to start up
| that hill with that terrible gun pointed at
me? But having emerged all right from
similar scrapes, lost no time in getting
| away to the rear, expecting at every Jump
| of my horse to hear shell or solid shot
| coming after me. | presume the gunner
! thought he had made pot shot, us only
one of the party appeared to be alive, and
concluded he would not waste Il shot on me-
About half way back | saw men on foot
ut double-quick, huIrying TO the front on
| either side of the road, rs though to give the
cavalry clear sailing, and knew it was the
| 1st Neb. At the first report of the rehcl
| gun they broke for the front, Scenting
| business ahead, and did not wait for orders
| The troopers were soon Gathering up the
road and forming on each side of it, with the
Nebraska boys in Skirmish line in ad-
vance
At the top of the hill and beyond there
was sharp fight. lasting nearly two
hours. resulting in Marmaduke's men
taking flight for the st. Francis at Chalk
| Bluff During the fight the Iowa boys had
position to the right of the road They
wounded began to come back, after Il time.
| in quite a stream. They said they had
come up against a fore" Of ParsOnS's Texas
| Rangers, armed with Colts revolving
| rifles: that every man Of them vas standing
up in his saddle and shooting like q demon.
| ] don't know rs this place vas ever
dignificd with name, but it was in the
rough country about a days march from
| Chalk Bluff. The fight would probably
not be cal,el n battle, but the casualties in
proportion 10 the number of mon engaged
in the light Of preaent-day battles would
called skirmishes what would now be
| hcralded as tremendous battles.
While on this trip, in Il little grassy
| hollow q few acres in extent, | saw dead
rebels GOV ring half al acre 50 thickIy that
a man could walk all over it on their dead
bodies. ! noticed something peculiar
about their faces, and was told By a pris-
| Oncr that gunpowdcr and whisky had
! been issued to them that morning; il dis
colored them.
Dead and wounded were not lacking
on our part during the pursuit from Cape
Girardcau, and III one place were found
| the bodies Of two OF ours scouts pinned 10
| the ground with bayOnots through their
| bodies. 1t was said they had been cap
! tured and were thus disposed of to avoid
| the guarding of them. At any rate, the
! faces of those who saw their murdered
comrades in such position showed grim
determinatiOn-to amply ayenge such brutal
tunity.
MARMADUKE'S ESCAPE.
The stand have just told of was evident
ly made by Marmaduke TO allow his force
to cross the river at Chalk Bluff, and it
accomplished the end desired. for though
we pushed them vigorously, all had crossed
except a small portion of the rear guard
when our advance reached the river
Back somewhat from the ST. Francis at
this point is a high, rocky bluff on the
Missouri side. running parallel with the
river, down which the road to the erstwhie
ferry led across a bottom 20 or 80 rods wide
through fine growth of heavy timber,
10 the river. Close to the stream, every
man behind tree, was the 1st Neb and a
portion of the 1st Wis, dismounted. On
the bluff Gen. Nandever had parked his
artillery and was shelling the Arkansas
woods with every available piece. 1t was
not long before the entire bluff appeared
alive with rattlers and all kinds of Snakes,
brought out by the noise and jar of the
bombardment.
While the cannon We're beiching shot and
shell an Interesting duel was taking place
in the bottoms below. 1t happened that
was again with Gen. Mcneil at the front
None of his staff was with him, and we
sat our horses about 10 rods from the water
and watched proceedings. Across the
river the trees We're manned by the enemy
both sides watching for something to
shoot at.
For time it looked as though we fur
nished target, as we remained mounted,
for bullets were flying around us thick and
fast, but as they had to expose their persons
more or less to deliver their fire, our boys
had something to shoot at, and returned
the compliment vigorously. After while
the General told me to get behind a big
tree, and he followed suit.
Close down by the water we saw young
Nebraskan intently watching a big reb
across the river. After considerable ma
nouvering for an advantage the boy dared
the rebel to step out from behind his tree
and fight in the open. He stepped out,
quickly followed by the boy, but before
either could fire some one further down
the river dropped the brave Johnny, and
quite a volley was sent at the Nebraskan,
but he regained his tree in safety. Both
sides were getting cautious and shots few
and far between. i noticed the Nebraska
boys holding their guns on one side of tie
tree and exposing a part of the fleshy
portions OF their bodies on the other side,
hoping thereby to draw the fire of an oppo-
nent and get a shot a. him. The most of
the wounds of the Nebraskans. in this re-