Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1902-08-23

This was just after the hSht ON the
Weldon Railroad. General Bartlett OF
the Fifth Corps, Army of the Potomac,
sent me forward alone to see what the
enemy was up to. While he formed
his line of battle rode forward easily
until | came to the woods, and there
I found a well-formed rebel line wait
ing in ambush to pour hot fire into
General Bartlett's regiments.
"The rebs were so we'll concealed
that l was within a few feet Of them
before | saw man, and then l saw
a good many all ready to fire. They
ordered me to surrender, but wheeled
my horse quickly and lying fiat to the
saddle dashed away and gained a ra-
vine by following which | reached our
lines without a scratch. Not a reb
fired at me, because a vOlley would
have betrayed their position to Bart
let's men forming attack.
"When l rode up to General Bartlett
and saluted he inquired if l had seen
any rebels in front. | replied in con-
siderable excitement, 'the JOhnnies are
massed in the edge of the wood and
are thicker than suffers in hell The
General looked me over for a minute
and then said slowly, Captain, your
report is satisfactory and gives me the
information / wanted, but duty COM
pels me to say that your language as
to suffers, while possibly not eXtrava
CANT is, from the standpoint Of mill
tary etiquette, out of order. Thank
you, sir l never came nearer repri-
mand than that
II had a narrow escape myself" said
TwentyfOurth New York man, "and
all through being outwitted by a wom-
an. After our battles in Virginia IN
der Pope we had retreated as far as
WarrentOn, when | undertook to dis
cover the enemy. l came upon large
brick mansion and q brick barn. I
moved on the latter and found an old
negro guarding Extra Billy Smiths
horses, carriages and other property.
| knew enough about EXtna Billy to
put myself on friendly terms with the
old negro and in ten minutes he was
confding in me.
among other things, he asked my
advice as to how to proceed to save
the valuables in his masters house. I
gave him directions how to bury them,
and in this l had no Interior motives.
But in the course of the conversation
l asked, in a casual way, about the
poultry. The negro said the chickens
roasted in large tree in the garden in
the rear of the house Taking advan-
tage of the coming darkness, l recon
nOitered in that direction, making a
circuit to locate the tree. l found Mrs.
Extra Billy Smith standing under the
tree and a servant in the tree catching
the fowls.
''There was only an Usage orange
hedge between us. 1 heard Mrs. Smith
inquire: Have you got them all, Man
dy? A voice from the tree replied
'Ebery one 'cept the ole dominic roos-
ter. He done roost so high I can't
cotch him. Mrs. Smith said, Never
mind, Mandy, come down. and down
climbed the negro girl and they re-
turned to the house. I made up nv
AAAA1IA W NdpIulC Illdt ClllChcIl, anu llnCl-
ing an opening in the hedge, got inside
the garden, climbed the tree and To-
Gated the rooster.
Gust as l reached out FIR him. how
ever, he flew and landed al the feet of
Mrs. Smith and Mandy, who held a
lighted candle. Mrs Smith had heard
me in the tree and returned. cutting
off my retreat by standing at the foot
of the tree. She stood her ground
while Mandy under her Instructions
Fan to the house to bring our Ma
jor. The Major soon reported, and in
Wrathtul state of mind ordered me
to come down. He promptly put me
under arrest, inquired what | was do
Ing away from my command, and T
told him frankly that l was irving TO
confiscate that rooster
''The Major looked me over and in
CURED if L didn't know was violating
General Pope's orders as to forapin
L said | did, but as 1 had failed to can
ture the rooster, and as the fowl was
now safe with the other chickens in
the custody of the worthy lady. his
hostess, | insisted that [ had not VIC
lated the order. This argument had
its effect on Mrs. Smith, and she Of
once appealed to the Major to LET tbo
little fellow GO The Major saw which
way the wind was blowing. and or
dered me to report to my captain at
once. ct
Later in the season, when the ARMY
OF the Potomac was making one of its
on-to-R1chmond tours, we nassad
through Warrenton again. I fell ont
or the line and called at the brick man
sion OF Extra Billy Smith. When Mrs
nnllth asked my business, I explained
that called to thank her for GETTING
me out OF trouble on the occasion of
my attempting to steal her rooster
1nereupon she exclaimed, is it DOS
slple: and called back into the bouse