Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1902-05-29


country again to Stony Creek valley,
when Hogan took occasion to observe
with considerable severity:
See here. Morgan. The next time you
feel so blessed good over something
that you want some Johnny to shoot
you don't want you to invite him
again to do 1t in my company"
why can't you cuss fellow at once.
Jim and be done with 1t? Did you
ever hear OF anybody doing such fool
ish thing In all your born days?"
Cant say ] did. But never mind,
old fel. It's Q hing you're not at all
subject to. and all we've got to do Ia
look out for the result There'lI be no
more stop for us till we see blue over
coat with musket sticking to It."
About midnight they struck the Pc
tersburg and Roanoke railroad at Stony
Greek Station, just over the line In
Sussex county. Here they stopped
few moments to let the horses rest,
while they tried to pump what they
could out Of the lonely Confederate
guard walking up and down on the lit
tie platform. He didn't have much to
tell, but when they informed him in
confidence that they had just come
down from Hamptons headquarters at
Reams and were looking out for u
couple Of Yankee spies he told them
that was Just the reason he was alone.
His sergeant, with six men, had gone
out to look for them, too, in conse-
quence of a telegraphic dispatch that
had come down about o'clock, and
he expected to hear from them OH
their way back pretty soon. Wouldn't
they wait till the sergeant came in?
They thanked him, but thought they
would ride over toward Sussex Court
House. Did he have the countersign?
Yes, he had 1t, but didn't know about
giving it. Hogan assured him that 1t
was of no Importance. He didn't want
it anyhow; it would soon be daylight
If he chose to give it, though, he could
satisfy himself that he was giving 1t
to commissioned officer, and it would
be all right. Guard didn't like to be
'disobliging to an officer and finally said
"Lynchburg" in his ear, and the two
men rode off into the darkness.
No sooner were they beyond hearing
from the station than they changed
their course and bore Off to the north
for Disputanta, on the Norfolk and
Petersburg road, and were getting
along finely until about five miles from
Stony Creek, when, as they came to the
edge of long stretch Of piny woods,
q gruff voice called out:
"Halt! Who comes thereF
1t was too dark to see whether the
challenge was Confederate or Federal,
but our two gentlemen were not long
in making up their minds to recognize
them as Confederates anyhow. If they
turned out to be a Federal party, the
matter could be fixed farther along.
and Hogan sung out:
"An officer and orderly, mounted"
"Dismount one, advance and give the
countersign."
"By what right do you demand the
qountersign? At any rate. l can't yell
1t out to you from here"
'I'll satisfy you about the right tar
nal sudden If one of you uns don't dis
mount right smart an give tnat coun-
tersign If you've got it."
And the persuasive click of firearms
became painfully distinct, whereupon
Morgan slid Off his horse and. walking
gingerly forward in the gloom. found a
.eavalryman looking at him along the
Larrel of q carbine inquiringly
Lynchburg." he whispered as near
this fellows ear as he could get. and
as soon as the challenger said All
right he at once asked:
|, "what are you-grand rounds"
mo; patrol out after a couple OF
Yankee spies. but l guess it's a water
haul"
THAT'S our errand. too, an we are
igoin' to give it up an get back to