The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1902-05-30

ing growled out every subject that le-
ultimately or illegitimately comes un-
der the soldiers province to growl, now
looked anxiously as spring approached
for everything that indicated activity.
Finally it came and eliminated In the
surrender at Appomattox.
General Sheridan, with about 10000
sabers. had been doing little raidng
and good deal OF heavy standing
around up in the Shenandoah valley.
where Early. with a small force. made
feeble attempts to keep house occasion
ally-just enough to be nuisance ard
not enough to keep Phil busy, and that
gentleman was mad accordingly.
1t was, then, with no little pleasure
that Sheridan received an order to
make break up the valley and pounce
on Lynchburg If possible. He was ly-
ing at Winchester when the order came,
and after waiting few days for the
mud to become fordable he started
with two divisions of cavalry. travel.
ing as light as possible. Three days
after he was in Staunton. while Early
stepped back to Waynesboro and be-
gan to dig lntrenchments. Sheridan
rode after him. looked at his new works
and rode over the top Of them without
even the courtesy of u reconnaissance,
which wasn't complimentary to Early's
engineering. He also captured q cOu-
pie Of full batteries, LOGO Confederate
prisoners, 200 wagons and II battle
flags. which made him reel so good that
a w mi ~ vi nj on
"I'll make Mr.. Early get up Early-er
than he ever did in his life before I'm
done with him. or else I'm not intimate
ly acquainted with myself"-whch
atrocious pun is believed to have caused
the Confederate chieftain to toddle pre-
cipitately over TO the James river coun-
try.
On the Sd of March Sheridan was at
Charlottesville, where he organized
railroad strike and tore up the Lynch
burg and Richmond road shamefully.
Then he ciphered around the country
about ScottsviIle. New Market and
Duiquidsville. destroying canal locks,
burning bridges and making himself
generally interesting until the 10th,
when he brought up at Columbia. Flu
wanna county. where he made the dis
covery that the Confederacy had been
so liberal in making bontires out OF
bridges that he couldn't go, chassez-ing
down south TO join Sherman, as he
wanted to, and that his men and
horses didn't have any more-tO eat than
they wanted and that there were only
two things that he could do. One of
these was to go back to Winchester,
whence he came, which he firmly de-
clined TO do. upon the principle that he
would never return upon road he had
spoiled himself, and the other was to
slide around Richmond to the White
House on the Pamunkey. get foraged
and rationcd UP and then so across the
peninsula TO join Grant.
This latter plan was excellent, but
there was nothing to meet him at the
White House but the bleakness of desc
lation.
And yet, singular as it may seem, this
did not shake the soul Of Sheridan to
any serious extent. He simply remark
ed:
ITS Internal cold. amt it? Where's
that man Hogan"
James Hogan was produced and stood
before the general.
"Who is here with you, Mr.. HoganT
"Archie Morgan. sir"
"Well, If put you and Morgan across
the James river yonder. can you go
down to City Point and tell General
Grant | want forage and ratlons for
this command sent to White House in
side of a weekY'
Eyes, SIR
"Then go and do it. and the quicker
you get to City Point the better it will
be for all Of us"
This was on the afternoon of March
10. Columbia is in Fluvanna county.
on the outside of the horseshoes Of the
James river. some forty miles as the
bird flies above Richmond and distant
from City Point by the nearest practi-
cable road not less than seventytive
miles, and this through the enemy's
country and directly around General
Lees army at Petersburg.
AS soon as dusk settled down pom
toon was showed into the water, and |
the two men, with their horses, were |
set across into Cumberland county in a
piece Of brushwood. They stripped off |
the big overcoats they wore and stood |
before the pontooners Confederate
major and his orderly with cavalry
straps OH. Then the pontooners took
the overcoats and their astonshment
returned to camp and left Morgan and
4! gan to such fate as the gathering
darkness and the enemy's country
might have i'm store for them.
Striking the main road at Carriers
willie, they kept down through Cum
berland county to the Court House. then
on into Amelia county. and o'clock
the next morning found them on the
Richmond and Danville railroad at
Amelia Court House. At daylight they
struck Mansboro, which boosted OF an
old fashioned Virginia tavern. at which
they determined to feed themselves and
their horses.
Stirring up the landlord, they filled
him with q plausible story of impor-
tant business and a long ride, with
which he was perfectly satisfied.
nurin0 tho two hours they stOpped