The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1902-07-03
Good country, suh." ;IGs> ;

Il think wei have II TO 90, sun, unless
we make n light and stop the leaks
Are you not afraid to risk that!' l
asked.
Il don't think theah would be much
dangeh, sub. We are undeh the riveh
bank, and nobody could see us, sub, unless
from the otheh side"
But the rebels may be on the other
side now"
I'VE must make light. We must lose
no more time
Yes, sub; had some matches, but they
ali ruined
Il have some in my case. Get some dry
wood"
The negro soon had a small heap of
sticks and leaves. We knelt on the
| ground our backs toward the river, i'll
order to shut off the light from the eyes
of any scout or picket on the opposite
shore.
My case contained but two matches.
Yet they We're good ones, to all seeming,
and there was no wind. l took out one
and drew it deliberately across the rough
| surface of the match-case.
The match lighted. The leaves kindled,
and soon the boat could be seen, lying half
sunk in the rivers edge. York began to
| bail, while L kept up the fire. No sound
came from beyond the river-there was no
sound anywhere except those made by the
from York's hat; in my anxious eyes he
seemed to make slow progress.
/ stepped to him, and ordered him to
| get out. Then we both seized the chain
and dragged the boat out upon the shelly
ing bank.
Even at the instant of pulling, a flash
| broke the darkness south of the river, a
rap was heard on a tree behind US, and the
report of rifle rang out.
[ SDrang to the fire and stamped on the
| flame. For an instant the night was
pitchy black, except in one small spot
where the embers yet glOwed.
Wed betteh wait little, sun, SAID
York
He knelt again before the fire, his back
to the river; he added little fuel to the
| heap. His conduct amazed me.
why don't you let that fire go out! L
whispered; you will draw another shot.
NO, sub; we must save yo last match,
suh.''
| But we can't hope for anything now,
York. What are you going to doE
| III show you direckly, sub; we must
wait till the boat is 'ticenty dry; then
wen put it on the tiah.
Put it on the fire.
Eyes, subj if we put it on the fab now,
| sub, it would put out the fiah.'
What in the world are you driving at,
York;"
I'll show you, sub; that man oveh
theah will think we've run away; then we
can patch up the boat very easily, subj
BY putting it on the fire."
Yes, sub; upside down, sub; then we
| can see the cracks"
York, you're Il genius.
| There was no other shot. We waited.
Half an hour later we turned the boat,
| which had ceased to drip water, upside
down over q low flame and then thrust
more fuel under. The holes were now
distinct. York sacrificed his shirt sleeve,
and soon pronounced the craft workable.
| When the moon rose we abandoned the
river, and took it afoot down the left
handsome 200 yards from the shore.
| We went slowly and cautiously.
At sunrise we crossed the Nicatawan
| Creek, and again approached the river,
| which here was a wider stream flowing
eastward for long distance. York said
that just beyond the next bend, which
| seemed three miles away, was the rail-
road bridge at White House Station. J
had expected that by this time we should
see signs of the Federal fleet in the water
| below us, but no smoke from steamers was
| visible. | was encouraged, however, to
| believe that Gen. Smith was even now
landing beyond my vision, around the bend
| below.
AT last we could see the railroad bridge
around the bend. There were no boats on
| the river What had become of Gen.
Smiths corps! Was it possible that Gen.
Grants orders had been cOuntermanded,
and that my labor had been in vain! Was
it possible that the corps had landed and
marched away to the lines of Meade's
army
| We were afraid to go near the bridge.
| | knew that it could be crossed on foot,
| for, although after the I'D, Sheridan
| cavalry had destroyed the flooring, yet the
sleepers remained. But if Smiths Corps
mad not yet landed, the Confederate pick
| It's held the station, and 1t would have
been folly for me to venture across the
| river.
| York was lying in the sun, gloomy, and
| seemingly asleep. All at once he rose to
a sitting posture, looking toward the north.
| Now in the distance l could see troop of
cavalry, so far away, however, that it was
impossible for me to tell their uniforms.
they were going northwest on the road
which York said led to King William
| Court House. | believed they were our
men, but they rode rapidly, and were soon
out of sight, so that even if l had wished
| to communicate with them | could not
| have done 500 L asked York if there was
| any way to procure food. lie shook his
head, and said that he did not think it
| possible without returning on our tracks
| for several miles. 1t would not do, |
| thought, to decide to return. l must wait
here until | should become sure that Gen.
| Smiths command had outstripped me and
| gone on, or else had been delayed and was
| still coming. How | was to arrive at def
mite knowledge in this respect l could not
| know, but it was clear to me that l must
wait.
At about 2 o'clock we went forward
| again, and on reaching a bend from which
we could see the wide river below the
bridge to my great joy the stream far be
| yond was crowded with vessels.
| York fell heir to all the money in my
| pockets, and l wrote note to ShOwalter,
thanking him for his kindness, and giving
| due credit to his servants loyalty.
| think that York was very sorry to leave
| me, for we had been together nearly two
| days and nights, sharing tolls and dangers.
| The landing of the troops on the south
| side took many hours, and it was night
| before | had succeeded in crossing the
bridge and almost midnight before l could
deliver my message.
| This time good fortune had befriendsd
| me; of the three messengers | had been
the first to reach White House, though
had not much to boast Of Capt. Hudson
reporting only two hours later.f
| On the next day Gen. Smith had me
called before him.
do you know the road to Newcastle
Ferry" he asked.
mo. sir; I've been near it; I've been at
Old Church, but reached it from Cold
Harbor.'
You know Cold Harbor?''
| "NpS SIR