The National tribune., 1902-01-30

low swamp's edge bent in and out, anC
| how | could make straighter course
than the river. In some places n patti
was found. Our pickets were supposed
to be on the edge of the hills behind me
My course was northwestward.
crossed two roads which ran at right
| angles TO my course and probably entered
Richmond On each of them successively
l advanced until l could see a bridge
upon which | knew it would not be safe
to venture, for it was no doubt held by
| the ConfederateS. continued up the
stream, approaching it at times to see il
| it had narrowed.
About two miles, l supposed, from oul
cavalry videts, l crossed Il railroad. Or
the other side ] turned southward. The
ground was covered with dense under.
growth and immense trees. and was soft
and slippery from recent high water My
progress was soon interrupted by n
stream, flowing sluggishly TO my left.
sought a crossing. The stream was not
deep, but the slippery banks gave me
great difficulty in the darkness. The water
came to my waist the further side
were hollOws filled with standing water
left by the freshet. | had. crossed the
main branch of the Chickahominy.
Within IL mile | expected to find Brook
Kun, behind which it was supposed the
Confederate left extended, and where
must exercise the greatest care lest | run
foul of some yidet How to avoid stun
bling on one of them in the darkness was
Il problem. Very likely they We're placed
from 100 TO 200 yards apart, and near
the bank of the stream. if practicable.
especially at night, for the stream itself
would not only he their protection. hut
also by its difficulty and its splashing,
would betray any force which should at
tempt to cross to the south side
But i found the creek very crooked
and j considered that Il line of vi
diets, 200 yards apart 10y the course of
the stream, would require probably man
to every 30 yards in a direct line, and
such a line of videts could not well be
maintained constantly--ncvcr is main
tanned. ] think, unless an cncmys APP
proach is momcntariIy feared, in which
case you frequently have no videts at ALL
Following mp this thought ] concluded
that the vidcts We're, most likely, watch
ing their front from the inner bends of
the stream, and that, at Il bend which
had its convex side toward the north, was
my opportunity.
| was not long in finding such a bend.
And now my caution became very great,
and my advance very slow. The bank
sloped, but was almost completely hidden
III the darkness. | could not see the edge
of the water.
Lying fiat, thrust the butt Of nv gun
ahead of Inc, and moved it up and down
and right and left, trying the inequalities
Of the ground. To make no sound re-
qured the very greatest care; slip of
an inch might have caused a loud splash
Slowly | gained ground until reached
the water and stood in it to my knees.
| Estened-nOt a sound. / slowly moved
forward, raising my foot not an inch
from the muddy bottom. straning eve
and ear TO note the slightest sign Of dan
ger The water deepcned to my middle.
L crawled up the farther bank Again
lent ear. Nothing. | crawled forward
FOR 90 yards or more hoping. rather than
believing, that | was keeping halfway be-
tween the sides of the bend.
rested a while, for such work is very
hard. Before minute had passed |
heard noise-and another: one at nv
right the other at my left The sounds
were repeated. / knew what they meant
the videt on either side of me was be.
ing relieved. My course had been right
l was midway between two sentines.
How to get through the picket-line
ahead of me? / reasoned that the pickets
were not in the swamp, but on the edge
OF the hills. Lying there between the two
vIdets | imagined a plan. | knew that
picket-line is relieved early in the day
when troops are in position, as the armies
Were now. If / could see the relief COM
ing, | would show myself just Mt the time
1t arrived, hoping that each party would
take me to belong 70 the other.
But suppose ] should not see the rrliev-
ing company, or suppose any one of n
thousand things should mt the last mo-
ment make my plan impracticabIe, what
then?
j saw that / must have some Other. plan
TO fall back on; i would make some other
plan as | crawlcd forward.
AT what moment should ! strike the
line of Confederate pickcts? That the
country outside was in their cavalry lines
| well knew. and | hoped that for this
reason their infantry would be less watch
ful; but this thought did not make me
any the less prudent and slow in my ad-
vance. / had easily succeeded in pass
ing the videts; to avoid the videt reliefs
might not be easy.
When | reached the edge Of the swamp
daylight was just beginning TO show
Could | hope to remain long between vi
diets and pickets? Impossible. But i'm
possible is strong word, | thought Why
not climb? Trees were all around me; |
might easily hide in the thick boughs OF
a cedar near by. But that would do me
10 good; at least, it could do no good
unless in case of sudden necessity.
must get through the picket-line: outside
| could do nothing. Once in rear of the
Confederate pickets ! should have little
or no trouble in remaining for days in
the camps and in the main lines; getting
through was the difficulty. Daylight was
Had il taken me two hours TO crawl
from the line Of videts to this edge of the
swamp The question rose in my mind
from seeing Il relief come down the hill
at my right two men, supposedly & non
officer and IL private, were
going to pass in 30 yards of me- let
them pass. They went into the swamp.
Five minutes later two men returned by
the same route, or almost so, but came
a little nearer 10 me; | saw them coming
and felt for my glass, but dii not find it.
| supposed that DR.. KhayMe had forgot
ten to put it in my haversack. Yet the
men-no doubt the same non-commis-
stoned officer, with the private he had
Just relieved from duty as vidct-passed
so near me that | could distinctly see their
dress, and and could note its worn and
bcdraggled appearance. These men had
seen hard service, evidently.
Five minutes more passed. The east
was aglOw with day. Two men at my
left were now coming down the hill. They
passed into the swamp. These men wore
uniforms fresh and clean.
The thought came upon me at once
that | had passed between two yidets be-
longing to different regiments. / cast
about for some way TO take advantage
of this circumstance, hut racked my brains
to no purpose. Finally. howcver, an odd
idea was born. Could | not 90 back to
the Videt and talk to either the right or