The National tribune., 1901-01-31

track, and replied: f"A friend and col
ored man." l said, sSt,f1ld still where you
are,r and advanced toward him, and when
close to him l discovered that he was a
white man. l told him that / had good
notion to shoot him, as he had lied TO me,
and 1 believed him to be spy. He
begged of me not TO shoot him, and L
called the Corporal of the guard. The
guard came quickly from the cedar Shanty
and took the man inEchirge.
Half an hour later there came freight
train from Huntsville. going up the road.
The engineers, all had Iorders to stop at
all bridges and find nut from the guards
if everything was ali right, and when the
engine came through to the east end where
l was the engineer asked me If every
thing was all right l told him that /
had taken fellow in, little while be-
fore, and just then SerG't Nelson same up
and told the engineer that he had better
not go any farther, as the man Just cap
tured had weakened and Acknowledged
that he belonged to Il company OF bush
whackers, and that they had dragged lot
of big stones on top of railroad cut TINS
side of Woodville, and were going to throw
them down on the train as 1t passed
through and try to capture IT.
The engineer and Serg't Nelson, after
talking the situation over, concluded not
to have the train proceed any farther up
the road, as it was loaded with supplies
for Gen. Mitchell, who was at or near
Bridgeport, preparing to attack with the
two regiments which he had taken up the
road that morning, Il rebel force In that
vicinity.
The man we had captured was then
placed on board the train with n guard,
and If was backed down to Huntsville,
coming back the next day with sufficient
men on board to guard it safely through.
Monday, April %, every man was at
the bridge, and about 4 or o'clock that
evening negro came running toward the
bridge. almost out of breath, and shouting
to us that we were going to be attacked
that night by a large body of rebel cav
airy, which he said had been lying all that
day at his masters, seven miles up the
river He was the blacksmith on the
place, and while working at shoeing their
horses had overheard them talking of how
they were going to take i'm the few Yam
KEGS at the bridge below and burn the
bridge. He said that the first chance he
got that afternoon he had started to
where we were to warn us, and that when
the rebs found out that he was gone they
had chased him for some distance.
We at first thought the darby was lying
TO us, but when he said that he would
stay with us that night, and if the rebels
did not attack us we could shoot him, We
talked the matter over and concluded to
get ready to receive our promised VS.
itors.
knowing that there were 90 men of our
regiment, under Lieut.. Ford, at Woodville,
five miles east. Serg't Nelson sent two
men up to inform them of the expected
attack, and asked the Lieutenant to send
some renfOrccmentS. He complied by
sending Serg't Makimson, with six men.
The bridge, being covered structure,
and not having any loopholes at the sides,
we concluded to take the hand-car and go
| for some lumber that we knew of at 4
| little saw mill about three-quarters of a
mile west of the bridge. We made the
| trip and got enough to make platform
/ at each end of the bridge, on top of the
track, and then, everything being i'll readi-
ness, we all fell into line. A part of the
men the Sergeant placed at the west end
of the bridge and three men, Of whom |
was one, were stationed on the middle pier
under the bridge. The rest of the men
were placed at the east end, where they
were soon Joined by Serg't Makimson and
his six men from WoOdyille.
About 10 o'clock, or little after, we
at the pier heard the sentinel on the track
outside of the bridge at the west end sing
out Halt, Who goes there? twice, but
receiving no answer he fired his gun, say
ing as he fell back to the bridge: Oh
You, you can't crawl up on me-"
Soon after that we heard the sentinel
on the east side fire hisigun also, and then
we could hear some noise up the road
which led to our pier, and soon after could
plainly distinguish the sound of footsteps
and hear the clink of sabers, and a few
minutes later a line Of men came out of
the woods directly in front of US, filed
to the right and formed in line. They