The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-12-05

lofHi, put tnaC ala not wish to 20 as
a spy. lie then said: "I want you to
carry an order to detachment of cav
airy which has been sent around the
right Of the cnemys lines, and which
should be by this time in their rear
and about opposite our present posi-
ton. They have been ordered to
attack at daylight, and 1 want the
order countermandcd without fail, and
the command directed 20 return. 20
this column by the route which they
have already Travelled. In order to
reach them he added, "you will pro-
cccd upon road which should bring
you in contact with their pickets be-
tween one and two miles from this
point, and you will probably have to
pass through portion of the cnemy's
camps. You must ride hard to meet
them my daylight, before they can
attack" answered., "All right"
and told Jack good-by. AS I started,
Col. liambrick, commanding the regi-
ment at that time, and whose voice l
recognized, said to me: "This is an
important matter; and if you succeed,
you can have furlough for as long as
you desire" a guide from headouar-
tcrs rode with me few hundred yards
on the road was to travel, and then
turned back BY this time it must
have been between four and five
O clock.
TO the normal human being the love
OF life is SO natural and so strong that
it is difficult to appreciate, until one
has passed into and through it, that
strange and unusual mental condition
in which the value Of existence be-
comes minor consideration. Hence
our admiration at the calm courage of
Cranmcr is scarcely as great as our
surprise at it's exhibition, or our won
der at the coolncss Of the crim;nal
who with unfaltcring step asccnds the
scaffold to be strarglcd. l would not
have the reader infer that l felt that
there was any such hopclcssness in
my own situation, for I realized that,
no matter how heavy G picket force 1
might encounter, with good horse
and the cover Of darkness | had fair
chance of running through them with
safety, and yet was equally sure that
| was going to run very great risk of
being shot. Although it transpired
that the danger 1 had voluntarily in
Cured was greatly ovcrcstimated, us
was the Importance Of the mission
upon which 1 had been sent, still
look back upon this occasion as the
one moment when came nearest to
the elimination Of every selfish consid-
Grafton from the motive with which l
was then actuatcd. l sincerely be-
licvcd death was preferable to life
with failure in accomplishing m r.
rand.
AS to the course I should pursue,
my mind was clear. 1t was to ap-
proach the picket as closely as posi-
BILE before being halted, and then
make my rush. Should they hail me
at a distance. the outpost would be
aroused and the danger thus enhanced.
( Gid not intend even to FIRE my pistol,
unless in dire extremity, although
had taken it from my belt and had it
ready for quick use. I was riding a
splendid horse, strong, swift and met
tlesome, and so alert that nothing es-
capped his quick observation. He was
so graceful and smooth Of action that
as he cantered swiftly along the soft
roadway, fetlock deep in the sand,
scarcely sound was pcrccptiblc. AS
we'll as could estimate, in my excited
condition of mind, 1 had proceeded
about one mile and half, when sud
denly / felt my horse check himself
up slightly, as if he were about TO
change his gait. 1t told me that he
had seen something moro than the or
dinary inanimate object. Attic same
instant he lifted his head so high, and
In such knowing way, that l was
convinced the moment had come and
We were on the Federal outposts.
Without waiting to be halted, 1 tight
! encd the reins, and, crouching down
on Russell's back, touched him with
the spurs, and he bounded forward
like the wind. The clear vision of
, the horse was not at fault, for as ]
few by l saw two men leap up from
} the edge of the roadway and jump into
the shadows of the woods and under
growth to my left. Twas so intensely
, excited, expecting every moment th,