The National tribune., 1901-03-28
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On the March 10 the Sea
Copyrighted, 1893, by the publishers of THE NATIONAL
TRfpUSF.
OUT ON THE FLANKS AGAIN.
The Partners Think That They Will Go Out
and Help the Boys Escaping From Millen.
Foragers From the Fifteenth Corps-Cap-
ture of q Railroad Train.
ted, 1909, by the publishers OF THE
TRIBUNE.

The Partners Think That They Will Go Out
and Help the Boys Escaping From millen.
Foragers From the Fifteenth Corps-Cap-
ture of a Railroad Train.
Our next station is Sandersville, and
all the army will concentrate there" re-
ported Capt. Buxton, coming back TO the
company from regimental headquarters,
after they had left Millcdgeville-
"Sandersville?" commented 81, study
ing the map of Georgia from MitcheFs At
las. which Alf Russell providently car
ried with him; that means South Caro-
lima, as sure's you're born, and we'll soon
be making the Palmetto aristocrats howl
for firing on Fort Sumter. First, we'll
go right down there to Millen, and re-
lease the prisoners, then turn back on
Augusta, where the rebels have their
biggest arsenals, armories aud factories OF
guns, cannOns and powders. Wen wipe
them off the face of the earth, and then
cross over into South Carolina, where
Uncle Billy II simply turn us loose, and
after we've gone over the ground they'll
have to grub deep to even find the roots
of anything
Suits me-" agreed Shorty. I'm for
South Carolina as soon as you please, but
l was in hopes that we'd take in An
dersonviile on the way. We're pointing
away from it now. I'd heap rather
go down and help the boys out there, and
then tend to South Carolina later. But
in the army it's not what you want, but
what you can"
They say" said 81, ''that all the pris-
cners who were able TO walk have been
taken away from Andersonville, and that
| there's quite bunch of them over here
at Milen. l think I'll go up to the
Colonel, and ask him to let us piroute out
toward Aiillen, as the army advances,
and see il we can't help out the boys
who are trying to get away from there
and through to us. There's likely to be
n lot of them, and we'll know a heap
more about where to look for them, and
how to help them out, than fellows who
haven't had our experience"
That's the scheme that's been cook
ing in my mind ever since we mentioned
Millen," agreed Shorty. "Your tongues
got hair-trigger, 81, and always goes
off quicker'n mine"
Excellent idea; 90 ahead" said the
Colonel, when the idea was broached to
him. You will do much better service.
generally, out on the fianks than you will
i'll the ranks, until we strike something
solder than we have been running up
against lately, or is in sight at present.
There's nothing in front but n mOsketo
cloud of Wheeler's cavalry and Georgia
militia. guess you can take care Of
yourselves with them
Taking one days rations of hardtack,
could get, 81, with his squad increased
by Uncle Ephraim and Tom Brainard and
Bill Grimshaw, who insisted on going
along, worked his way out through the
army and toward the right, in the direc-
ton of MiIlen. They carried their blan-
kets and shelter tents, and full supply
of 40 rounds of ammunition, so as to be
prepared for any contingency in two or
three days absence from the column. AS
they passed out they met droves of cat
tie and hogs, and long lines of farm wag-
Ons, carriages, buggies, carry-alls. and ey-
cry kind of a vehicle that could be found
on the plantations, and made to carry to
camp load of provisions for man. and
| beast. N'-'
Every man seemed in keen rivalry to
get the biggest possible load and hurry
it into camp. And besides his contribu-
tion to the general fund, he invariably
carried some lixuries for the special de-
location of his mess-chickens, turkeys.
a jar of honey, jug of molasses, bucket
of milk, etc, etc.
"If man wanted to make mOosyum
of all the rOad-rackers in use since the
| food" remarked ST. studying the parade
of wheeled antiquities strung along the
read, ''all he'd have to do would be to
gather up the collection he'd find in camp
tomorrow morning. l declare, Columbus
must We come over in some of them when
hard use ever since. / used to think that
a Posey County campmeeting could rake
the four corners of the earth for tough
things on wheels, but POsey County isn't
to be mentioned in the same day with
this layout"
Looks like wagonshop yard with de-
lirium tremens," remarked Shorty. Some
of those things look so old that they'd
blUe-mold the grub the boys are carrying
in them, before they get to camp. Why,
jeff Davis ought to be ashamed to be
found dead near one of them"
AS they approached the crossing Of the
Little Ogeechee River they heard a sharp
little volley, followed by some deliberate
shots in reply. They hurried forward,
and presently came to house, where
they found five or six soldiers wearing
Fifteenth Corps badges, deliberately
wringing the necks of some chickens
which they had driven into a tobacco shed.
In an old carryall, hitched up and stand
ing in the road, were some sacks of flour,
sweet potatoes, collards, jugs and small
bee-gum.
The firing was going on pretty lively,
and bullets sang over their heads, but
the men were devoting themselves to their
work without paying the least attention.
whats up, boysY asked ST, as he
I came up on the double-quick, and speak
ing to soldier who came out to the carry
di anu luIeH III u IOdu VI utuultSS CLICK
ems.
20, nothing in particular" answered
the soldier, wiping his forehead with his
sleeve. There's % or 80 of Joe Wheel
er's cavalry acrost the river there want
ing to come over and mix up with us.
Four or five of the boys are down there
at the ford holding them back till we get
through. Say, boys, you'll have to go on
further. We aint going to leave nothing
here worth while. This is the anniver-
sary of our fight at Lookout Mountain
our company was the first one above the
clouds-and we're going to celebrate it by
a big chicken potpie, with batter cakes
and honey on the side"
He spoke deliberately, and paid as lit
tie attention to the firing and the bullets
that occasionally sang overhead as if they
were miles away.
why don't you go over there and run
that cavalry Off inquired 81, gathering
himself up, as if he would do it.
80, what the devils the use?' said the
others scornfully. ''rhey aint doing no
harm, so longs you keep 'em back, and
the boys that's down there at the ford
can do that, and not try hard. Aint got
no shoe-leather to wear out chasing rebel
cavalry. And if you run 'em back 10
miles they'd turn and foller you again.
Nah; got better use for our time than
looping around the country after Joe
Wheeler's long-distance runners"
A bullet clipped through the leather top
of the carryall.