The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1902-11-27

back, and saw the 2O0th Ind. pressing for.
ward in column over the hill behind him
in support, and closing his squad up, with
the admOnition to have their carbines
ready for instant use, he trotted forward to
the hill which the rebels had left.
| There, he could see some distance to the
right, and on every road leading to the
bridge in front were squads of foragers,
like his own, pressing back to the rebel
pickets, who were collecting at the bridge
to resist the crossing.
| Beyond the bridge rose the steeples and
roofs of Fayetteville. 81 halted to search
the country for signs of the rebel line-of-
battle.
mo infantry or artillery over there that
l can see," said Shorty. "Only lot of
Wade Hampton's rascally cavalry. If
| they had any artillery our guns would've
walked 'em up before this"
artillery lying very low for surprise party
to us. Hardee's whole army was around
here last night. They can't have got
away SO soon. They're not going to give
up as fine a town as that looks without a
big fight, and if they're going to fight
they've got to do it right away, or we'll be
in the town. Something's got to happen
before we go a mile farther, and it's our
business to start it to happening. We
Cdu Icl luc UElbdue Iuu Ou " Il uuC-OL~
battle without any warning"
You're mighty right. We'd better hit
them fellers gathering there at the bridge
mighty quick and hard, before any more
come up, and before them Oshkosh fel-
lers do it. think those rebels are schem-
ing to stand us all off until they can get
the bridge ready to burn, and then run
across it, and burn it in our faces" This
was Shorty's contribution to the swift re-
cOnnaissance.
81 took another quick survey of the
ground. The road on which he stood led
down from the northwest. Other roads,
leading in from the west, southwest, south
and southeast, c0nyerged at the bridge, and
OH each Of these was a squad of rebels,
resisting the advance of a squad of Union
bummers.
The LIST Oshkosh squad, next to the
right, on the road leading from the west,
over to the right, on the south road, was
squad led by a dashing officer, making
desperate efforts to get first to the bridge.
The officer had long hair, brOad-brimmed
hat, gray coat, blue pantalOons, and high
boots, and rode a horse that jumped like
deer. 81 and Shorty recognized him as
a Chief Scout at Corps Headquarters.
The 1st Oshkosh squad dismounted, had
been diminishing from behind fences with
deep, sluggish branch that flowed through
the fields at the foot of the ridge on which
81 stood. 1t was crossed by a staging of
puncheons supported on logs and posts.
Seeing help coming, the Oshkosh boys
were now running to their horses to make
a bold dash across the little bridge over the
branch into the midst of their enemies, and
reach the main bridge before anybody else.
In front of 81 the stream, which was
crossed by a similar structure, curved
backward for 100 yards or more behind the
line of that on the road on which the Wis
consin boys were advancing. The rebels |
there greatly outnumbered Sis squad, more
were coming up, and they had the advan-
tage of u shelter of logs and fences from
which to fire effectively upon mounted men
coming down the road.
Eager to be even with, and if possible
ahead of the Wisconsin boys, 81 and his
squad started ON q trot down the hill, to
break into gallop as they came nearer the
branch, when the rebel fire would be close
and deadly. They had not reached this
point, however, when there was n crash
over on the right, savage yell of triumph
from the rebels, and a fearful volley. Look
ing in that direction, they saw that the
rebels had made a trap for the Wisconsin
boys, by cutting the timbers of the bridge
across the branch so that they gave way
when the horses were massed upon it, and
ct nearly the whole squad down into the
leep mud and water, where the rebels
we're mercilessly ''potting'' them.
Another glance showed that the bridge
hey were about to cross had been chop
,ed the same way, to prepare a similar
rap for them. I
81 had wondered, as they had swept for
ward, why the rebels had not opened fire, /.
md now lie understood, as by flash of |
lightning. F.;
Halt! Bout face" he yelled at the top
# his voice, and the boys trained to instant c
by thousand emergencies each {
brew his horse back on his Ranches, and |
vhirled him about with suddenness that /
ook the rebels by surprise, preventing q
hem pouring in at once the volley they $
ad calculated. The next instant they .
we're dashing back toward the ridge, fol- a
owed by the derisive yells and long-dis- /!
ance shots from the disappointed enemy, '
tho began moving over to help complete Il
he destruction of the Wisconsin boys. In
Turn off to the left into the TIMBER i