The National tribune., 1900-04-26

small creek or some other depression
would be encountered and horses and riders
SOuSed head and ears into the Shiny water.
So far as We were concerned, and within
the scope Of our vision, land was about the
scarccst commodity in those parts. and We
were beginning 10 think we would have to
ride al night or camp on horseback.
The sun had long since disappeared, and
We were making the best progress we could
with our jadcd horses, hunting in the dark
ueSS for Land, when we caught the glimm"r
Jf light OIL to our right, headed toward it
and reached u small clearing with q log
house and stable Oh little knoll and about
an acre OF land sticking up from the waste
II water. We filed that house 10 over
lowing that night, and our horses, also.
III the barn, and lost 10 time in dispoSing
ourselves about the floor and going to sleep.
Pickets were not needed that night.
In the morning we went back to pick
up our watcry trail and hoped to reach land
before night. Away ahead of us was a
gap III the woods and We knew there was
piece Of Gen. POpc's road. To get there
was not so easy, as we soon discovered
cypress knees strongly in evidence in water
five feet deep, and took two headers in cross
ing rs many submerged creeks before
reaching the embaukmcnt. AS il WAS in
the vicinity of the Whitewater, 80 here all
the soil we could find was mixed in the
water
AS We moved away from the river the
road We were inspecting grew less per
ccp;ibl"; the water shaliowcr and clearer
but covered with Il thick. green scum
0ne OF the boyS thought he would take a
drink, rs that kind Of water had been
pretty scarce the past three days. Dis
mounting. ne scraped off the scum ard be-
gan drinking, but when he got enough he
had 10 bite it off. The wafer WAS so slmy
and ropv that he was afraid If lie mounted
and rode Oh il would hang and pull all he
had drunk out Of him.
E Shortly after noon we completely lost
trace of our road, but kept on stumbling
through knees and water in the direction
We Thought the end of our journey Law
| About O'Clock wc reached Il piece OF high
ground. several acres in extent with Il
good growth of grass, and Capt. Paine
dccHc1 To camp here and let the horses
Craze us this might be the only camping
place We were likely to find for miles. Turn
ing the horses out TO grass, we feastcd, slept
ard rested till morning. AS fuel was
plenty, we had a chance 10 cook something
VIZ, coffee and hardtack stew.
About noon the next day we emerged
from the swamp, found a pretty good road
running our way, and began to see the end
OF our journey through the wilderness near
at hand. An hours march brought us to
something new in the experience OF most
OF us. 1hlS was a large tract of land that
looked as If the bottom had fallen out and
let it down about 10 feet, the bank from
winch II mad broken being grassy and
looking like the embankment of huge earth
works.
Then we remembered reading about the
New Madrid earthquake. years before, that
nearly annihilated the Mississippi River,
and concluded this was it. Looking
ahead we saw little TO the right the town
Of New Madrid, and beyond on higher
flagstaff Of one Of the forts, and all around
IT the white tents OF the garrison.
IN GARRISON AT LAST.
Just as the sunset gun was fired we rode
up 10 the commanding officers quarters.
the escort was dismissed, and in charge of
an Orderly, taken TO some nice, clean tents
we We're 20 occupy during our stay there
/ ddfcSaY Thai garrison never before had an
opportunity OF entertaining such a dirty,
bearaggled, woebegone set of cavaIrymen,
Dut they played the host admirably.
As we rode up through the town we
attracted no little attention and injuries
as TO where we came from were plenty,
No wonder, for that sticky. red mud of
what the map terms Whitewater River was
all over us and our horses, and made ms
look about the same color The com
mandant was greatly surprised when he
learned whence we came and how we did if.
for never in the memory of man had cav
airy, or, for that, men of any other branch,
crossed NiggerwOol Swamp in the high
water season.
For three days we Jared like lords, then.
our escort duty having terminated when
lile captain dismissed us, took my men
and horses aboard the first steamer upward
bound and returned to Cape Girardeau.
have often thought would like 10 know
the glSt of Capt. Paine's report on that road
Dut as he was Killed In 1854, while Major