The National tribune., 1901-08-29

as guides Here are letters from Gen.
Howard and Col. McGillicuddy."
VERY good" the General answered,
after CHANGING over the letters. Quite
thoughtful in Gen. Howard. You'll be of
great assistance. Had your breakfastsY
YES, sir"
Very well. For the present you'll fall
in behind my escort there, SOS to be
handy when you are wanted. | suppose
that road out there leads straight to the
fort"
Straight to it, General"
Very good. Orderly, tell the bugler
to sound the advance
The siIyer-throatcd headquarters bugle
ut once sang out the glad signal. and was
Immediately answered by the eagerly-wait-
ing brigade and regimental buglers and the
enthusiastic cheers of the men.
Mail! Mail, Go get your letters"
Letters from your girls! Letters from
your girls"
go to the Chaplain's tent and get your
letters" they sang. trying to fit the words
to the trumpet notes.
At once the various diScordant move
mcnts in the camps linked themselves into
harmonious motions. Squads of men
formed into companies, companies took
their places in the regimental lines, and
the regiments became brigades. The First
brigade moved ont upon the broad white
road OF Sdnu ana SnelIS, IKE sunni eHOI-
nous deep-hlue serpent with scales and
bristIes of shining steel.
The day carried out its promise of be-
ing clear and bright, and the men were
full CT enthusiasm as to ending the cam
pagn with one great stroke.
The General had placed himself at the
head of the long column, and would Occa-
siOnally turn around in his saddle and view
the imposing spectacle with pride and
l.,,t. II 10 nd
squad ahead as scouts, but they saw no
sign of rebel until they were within
couple of miles of the fort. Then Pete,
who had found 4 side road to the right,
and had ridden down it, came slipping
back with the information that there was
a mounted picket standing in the road,
with no reserves near. 81 sent him, Sandy,
Monty and Harry back the same way, to
try to cut him off, while 81 and Shorty
would make a rush straight at him.
ST and Shorty rode forward cautiously,
keeping as well as possible under the
cover of the great festoons of Spanish
moss swinging slowly in the light breeze
from the ocean.
Presently they saw the picket clearly
outlined against the sky. Apparently
Pete and the rest, in their eagerness, had
gaze was turned in their direction. He
swerved his horse around and raised his
gun.
81 and Shorty set their spurs home and
made Il rush. He heard the clatter of the
hoofs on the hard shell road, and looked
about, to see the two horsemen almost
on him. He tried to fire and whirl his
horse at the same moment, but succeeded
only in the latter, and almost before he
started ST and Shorty were on either side
of him.
Give up, Johnny" said 81. TITS No
use. We've got you"
II reckon you have, Yanks," replied the
rebel, lowering his gun, and slackening
his bridle-rein. You were coming too
many ways at once for me-"
He took the matter so good humoredly
that they fell into conversation with him.
While I'd We shot you if I'd got a
chance" he said, I'm not heart broken
that you got me with no more trouble.
think the jig's up for the Southern Con-
federacy. I've been telling the boys in
the fort that l didn't believe 1t worth
while to put up much of fight for this
little patch of the State, when you folks d
got all the rest. They might as well let
the tail go with the hide. I've made my
self rather unpopular with them on that
account"
'They want to fight. do theyT'
80, yes; they've never had any of 1t,
while I've had all / really want. / went
into the war dead hungry for fight, and
to just wade through the blood of the
Yankees. But Shiloh gave me all the
fight / wanted for the rest of my life. l
never hankered for any more, / tell you,
and the two battles of Corinth overloaded
my stomach. Then my father, who's &
lot of influence, got me transferred to the
garrison at Fort McAllister, where I'd be
near home and out of danger, and I've
been there ever since. All the boys down
there are sons OF prominent citizens OF
Savannah, who got up the organization
to save them. Maj. Anderson, who COM
mands the Fort, is a son of the Mayor
of Savannah. None of them have ever
seen any fighting, and they've been jeered
at SO much as .feather-beds' and bomb
proofs that they're anxious for a fight.
Let them have il. I think it's rank nom
sense. It's worse than that. It's muir
der. With all their big guns, and their
entanglements. and bitches and stockades