The National tribune., 1902-09-11

SOhN, sioux PEAS AND hANGx CATTLE "
TO EAT"
| Hello, more laws Of war;" CALCULATED
81.
you'll fire the volley we'll do it. It'll make
| the boys believe that we didn't give up
without fight, and it'll save them time
and ammunition waiting for us"
The carbines were fired, Pete and Sandy
adding a shot or two from their own, to
| make good measure. The Union cavalry
men looked around to see where the help
| was coming from. The rebels ran back
to their horses, mounted, and rode leisure
ly back to the next hill.
81 and Shorty took away the cartridge
boxes from the prisoners, and the Lieuten-
| ants revolver, and satisfied themselves
that they had no more cartridges about
them, when they handed the carbines back,
and started for camp.
81 rode with the Lieutenant, Shorty
with the Sergeant and the rest of the
| boys paired off as far as the prisoners
| would reach.
The rebels were all fine, manly young
! fellows, sons Of all-farmers in the up
lands of Tennessee-Southern coun-
| terparts of 81 and his companions, and the
farthest remove from the ''po' white
trash which formed So large a part Of the
rebel army. They had been in the war
from the very first, and done their full
share Of the heavy fighting and campaign.
ing, from the far-away Ohio River clear
back to the banks Of the Catawba
As they rode along together and talked,
| it developed that they had been pretty
close to the 200th Ind. in quite number
of affairs, and there was an interesting
comparison Of incidents and memories
which made the road seem short, and all
| to feel as if they had known each other
for years.
Arriving in camp they found Otterbein
them, which the prisoners enjoyed far
more than those for whom it was cooked,
for they got, for the first time in years, an
abundance of coffee.
After supper 81 came back from head
quarters with the pleasant information:
The Colonel says We may keep you
with us tonight and need not report you
till morning. Wen try to make you COM
for Portable, AND siys you good breakfast in
'.That's bully. Injianny," responded the
Lieutenant. ''Gewhillikins, why amt all
the Yanks like you fellows? This war
wouldn't last no time"
''Twon't last much longer, from the
looks Of things" said 81, as he sorted out
some dry tobacco to give his guests to fill
their pipes. '.And then we'll come back
uOWh ucLc anu ucip Sucu DOyS as you
straighten up the country and set things
to rights"
Everybody filled his pipe, and sat down
about the fire to resume his "reminiscences
Of the campaigns in which they had con-
frOnted one another.
The Adjutant came up, with agitation
visible on his usually debonair counten-
ance, and called 81 to one side,
Sergeant, there's merry Sheol to pay,
md no mitch hot - ho CosI sv,
tones. "You know what temper old jeff.
C''s been in over the failure to get the
corps over the riverY
Yes. know he's been biting the head
off ten-penny nail every minute or two,"
answered 81. Il don't wonder much. It's
enough to rile a Eastwood man, and Gen.
Davis isn't made Of basswood, by q long
shot"
Il should say not. II there is a man on
earth that is fuller of birthstone ready for
touching off than Gen. jeff. G. Davis. i
don't want to meet him. The water In
the river has hardly dropped foot today,
where he had been calculating on three
feet, and to put the climax on everything.
word has come in that q Lieutenant and
seven men Of our foragers We're murdered
out on the Camp Greek road. Then some
fool has reported to headquarters that
men of this regiment had just brought in
q rebel Lieutenant and seven men. / hear
that Davis is preparing an order to have
them shot in the morning."
Great God" gasped 81.
I've come from headquarters" con-
tinued the Adjutant, to be away when the
order came, il it does, and get time to
think. You said these men you got are
regular soldiers, and very decent fellows
none Of these South Carolina scalawagsY"
"As white fellows as you can find in the |
rebel army" asserted 81. "Tennesseans, |
and soldiers from way back. They tell me |
they rsmember picking up some Of our |
fellows back there on the Perryville cam
paign and just turning them loose. You