The National tribune., 1902-09-25
town among the knobs, and a rebel flag

town among the knobs, and a rebel flag
would be waving at the principal corner,
and in front of the postofice score or
two of men would be gathered, who would
yell for JEFF. Davis and Beauregard, and
then ask for news from the seat of war,
which by this time they supposed had
been transferred to New York or Phila-
delphia. l kept quiet in my seat, an
swered all questions that knew how to
answer and to the best advantage for per-
sonal safety; beneath my citizens vest,
close 70 the skin, was the order directed
to the commanding officer of the United
States troops at Fort Arbuckle.
AT one little town the stage arrived
| about sunset. The day had been given
over to the celebration of a reported vic
tory over the Yankees; the crowd was
drunk, boisterous, and inclined to mis-
chief. There were half dozen other
passengers in the coach, all of them
Southe!ners, and all expressed their SYM
pathy with the Confcderacy by waving
their hats or bonncts from the stage win
dows. The rioters .aoted that l remained
quietly on the rear seat and had not
made any demonstration, and they de-
manded that | should show my colors
Just at this time the driver cracked his
whip over the leaders and the coach rolled
rapidly away out of sight and hearing of
The crowd.
The next day the northbound stage
was met at water station. and peer
ing cautiously out from the window l saw
the faces of women | recognized / had
met them at West Point and at Washing
ton; they We're ladies of the garrison,
wives of officers who had been stationed
ut Fort Smith, and then l knew that the
post had been abandoned or captured.
Sure enough, when the stage rolled into
Fort Smith one afternoon, the town was
in the hands of the secessionists, the Off
ter on whom l had relied to secure trans
portation was absent, and / was reduced
to the necessity of supplying my own
transportation.
Il went to a li1c"v stable and traded
my gold watch and $40 in gold for a fine
looking and spirited horse These ami
mails had advanced in price since there
was prospect for war, but there was no
one in or about Fort Smith who needed
horse worse than | did, for l had a
journey of nearly 800 miles to make
through the Indian Territory in order to
reach Emory. During the negotiations for
the horse, l became impressed that | was
under suspicion; the liveryman, the help
er and two or three loungers were about
the stable, and | had detected glances
between them that boded no good to me,
but L told them the same story that l
had Travelled on through Missouri and Ar
Kansas, and trusted TO good fortune till
| could get out of sight.
The town was full of rebel soldiers
and Indians, and red liquor flowed like |
water L put spurs to the horse and
bounded away toward the Indian country.
but | had caught a tartar. and the beast
was riding seized the bits in. its teeth
and ran away, plunging directly through
the ranks CT company of seceSSOniSts |
that was drilling OH the open, scattering |
the soldiers right and left, and l thereby |
drew more attention to myself than was
desirable. The horse ran couple of |
miles, and then checked his speed: but il |
was on Il road in the right direction, and |
not being very easy in mind, on account !
OF my absurd charge on The rebel COM
pany, l kept on at swinging pace until !!
after sunset.
The stars came out, but still I rode |
on; As L would reach the summit of a |
ten intently for the sound of hOofs on the |
road. / Travelled on in this |
way until midnight, and after crossing a |
stream diverged from the |
road quite distance so far that the horse
would not attract attention from Lassers-
by, and fastening the animal securely in |
ravine, cautiously made my way back |
near the road, cOncealing myself and wait |
ed for what might happen.
II had been in this position about an |
hour, when three horsemen made their
appearance, coming up the hill. 1 heard |
their voices before l was able to see them
They were talking earnestly, and as they
passed by they said quite enough to let |
me know that was the man they were
after. Whether their purpose was plum
der or the capture of a prisoner was not
revealed by their conversation, but it was
enough for ME to know that 1 was the OBJ
]ect of their pursuit, and my plan to |
eyade capture was quickly formed and
acted upon. Back to the horse in the
ravine and over the hills at almost a right
angle from the road was the route I took.
This course l Travelled for a time, when
the way seemed blocked by an abrupt
bluff; turn which way l would, there was
no opportunity for progress, and l would
not retreat; so 1 made preparations to
stay where | was till daylight. My sad
dle-bags had been well filed with dried
beef and bread at Fort Smith, and por-
ton of this l ate, washing it down with
water that came from the little spring at
the bottom of the ravine. l then took off
the saddle, held my horse by the halter,