The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1903-12-17

eEllTe eHTOllmeHt, was weak III It's dctlSe
strength at any one period. Doubtless.
from first to last, more than 1000
meT took part in some enterprise of
the band; yet very many of these were
mere accidents of the day-enlisted men
that had been cut off for the time being
from their own regiments which they re-
Joined as soon as they were able or will
Ing: Others on furlough from wounds or
illness, whose convalescence was sufficient
for momentary exertion that carried stimu-
lus with it, but complacently considered
inadequate for the tedium of the great
camp; others still that came no one knew
whence and departed of their own volition;
even some. perhaps, that were deserters
from the Federal army.* The few that
the Major trusted were expected to gather
as many men as the contemplated achieve
ment seemed to demand, or rather, il
should be said, as few men as the leader
thought would be indispensable, so that
on some expeditions Mosby led perhaps
hundreds, while on others his followers
were but scores, or even fewer; hence,
1t resulted that his minor undertakings
were almost uniformly brilliant and sue
cessful, while those of greater magnitude
frequently failed. the larger number in
volved lacking the coherency of a small
body composed of his best and most ex-
perienced men.
As night fell once more. Usher West
led his party out of Goose Greek swamp
In northeHy direction. The way was
narrow and winding, overhung at first by
great oaks and elms. through which the
filtered starlight barely showed the leaf
strewn path that muffled the horses foot
fall. Every man here knew more or less
of this district; it was the boyhood home
Of three, and they had not made half
mile when even to Armstrong; preoccu-
course was leading directly away from the
rpUdpZyouS that day given.
Usher, how long you going to keep
this readT he asked, thinking that their
guide was purposely throwing any posi-
BILE enemy off the scent.
keep it a good WHILE" said West.
and rode on.
Well it's not the right way"
Well get there all the same"
"If We 10. We'll have to turn off up
yonder at Adams's."
But at Adams's Usher went directly on,
and now he condescended TO say: "Boys,
/ reckon / may as we'll tell you that we
a blind, SO that if anybody blabbed it
would do no harm. You just follow me,
and III take you through all right"
And Csher's pace almost imperceptibly
began to quicken. They had started at
slow walk. as nearly noiseless as possible.
They had once or twice diverged from
the route, and had returned to it farther
on, thus avoiding habitations. In this
gathering, secrecy must be the very great
est at the beginning, and celebrity must be
the greatest at the moment of organizing.
On this night score Of small groups.
twOs and threes, were coming from as
many points of a circle to meet in a CON-
mon center, and the more nearly that each
approached that center, the less danger
to each and the greater TO all should they
daily. So Usher West and his compan-
ions rode with speed ever increasing. IN
rxrt0 ha1 x.aA L.
any of Mosby's raids, began TO fear lest
the efficiency of their horses should be
impaired before actual work was needed,
and he spoke his fear to West, who an
swered that the meeting and organizing
would require time in which the horses
could rest, adding that sometimes organ
ization was effected while on the march
itself-by preconcerted arrangement the
routes being designated for each of the
groups to take, in order to intercept the
line of main advance at points conven-
ient-but that on this night, after a long
interval i'm which the band had not as
sembled, preference had been given to the
former method.
They were now on a main highway, and
when their horses trod a sandy stretch Of
the road, they could hear galloping that
seemed to preserve its distance-some man
ahead hurrying to the rendezvous, and in
little while voice came from the
front, and there was si!ence-no hoofs
beating, the man ahead hating to answer
the challenge of a sentinel
Two hundred yards farther. and Vests
party came TO an abrupt halt. a clear
voice crying, who comes there?"
Friends with the countersign''
Halt, friends: advance one, with the
countersign."
Usher rode forward; but there was no
need to give the password-the sentinel
knew him.
Hello. Ush. How many you got?"
-Four more. Where's the MajorT'
Down at the mill. Better be lively.
He's hornet tonight. Crowd from above
not heard from yet"
Devil you say. How long you reckon
he'll waltz
Passing the sentinel, Usher again took
up the gal!op: the rendezvous was yet
mile away, for Mosby kept watch all
round him and far. But soon the main
road was forsaken. At slower pace the
squad went down steep slope TO the
right, and on this hillside they were again
halted. and subjected here to longer delay
THAT niger o yours. West; I'm going
Majors word"
'All right: Squire, you stay here few
minutes" The white men rode on down
the hill.
The old negro had no fears "Mahsta,
Is ben though de bresh mon oncet is
de same ole niggeh dat showed Ginnle
Stuaht de haidquahtehs o dat big Yankee
Ginnle lash yeah, way back yandeh mos
to de railroad, down yandeh by Cedah
Run"
"Oh, yes, Uncle; I reckon you're all
right; but then you know / got TO obey
orders
''Yassah, so / is too; but gwine to gid
down an res dis ole mule eff you don't
mine: ben runnin' dis mule feh who
las de Longest
"All right, dismount il you like" said
the sentinel
Il boun' to git me hoss dis time; 4
I hadn, ha' mos beat dis mule to def,
Mahs Chahley an all 'ould ha' lef' lie
way behime. l amt nuyveh ben right in
HSee Gen. Pleasofton's Report, quoted
Aug. 10. 1863. by Gen. A. A. Humphreys,
Chief of STAFF.