The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1903-09-17

andria. and took a good look again at de
river. particularly at de places where de
reppelS might make droubie. At AleXan-
dria l sent lot of information through
| to de Mississippi River by 'Cajan who
vas in de secret service, and who could
make his way through in a canoe by ways
dat no reppel knew. l then went up to
| the Ouachita to see Gen. Polignac, and
settle NIT him. Dere 1 heard news which
| startled Inc. Something pigger dan de
cOttOn-grabbing raid vas in de air. for
! Gen. POlignac's scouts brought in news dat
dere vas Il pig fleet of transports gather
ing at Vicksburg, and Admiral Porter vas
collecting all his vighting ships down near
de mouth of Red River. l rushed pack to
| Alexandria, and then otter to see Zimri
Finkenbein. His 'Cajans had come back
to tell him dat de whole mouth of Red
River vas full of Yankee gunboatS, and
dat de Yankee transports were coming
up to Simmesport, with hundreds of
thousands of Yankee soldiers. l knew at
once dat meant Fort De Russy. Zimri.
who is a pright pOy, said dat if de Yam
| KEGS only knew it, de country was so dry
now dat dey could march right around
Fort De Russy. and take it in the rear.
Dey needn't haff to come up directly in
| front, as dey had to before. and be where
dey had no chance and were peaten back.
Dis gift me my cue of where |
could be of help. Dose 'Cajans know
the country as well as de musk
rats and alligaruss do. Dey'll sell DER
immortal souls for a fife-dOllar goldpiece.
Dey joost worship gold. l bicked out two
of de pest ones. and told dem dat if dey
would go NIT me, and pilot me for five
days, I'd gift dem S. in gold apiece for
effery day. You ought to seen dem jump
/ at de offer. Dey'd We caught Chef Tavis
himself for me for dose wages. We struck
pee-line for Fort De Russy, but took
| care to keep outside off de picket-line when
We come near. We kept off de road. too.
SO as not to pc stopped, but 1 climbed Il
tall cypress and looked ofer on to de main
road. to see it full of troops and wagons
moving pack from de fort. Off toward
S.mmeSport come more wagons and men,
retreating from de Yankees. l took n
good look at de country, climbed down.
made a little map, and hurried off to
Simmesport. l got dere late in de after
noon of March Is. nearly tired to death.
and covered NIT mud. But l went straight
to old A. J. Smiths headquarters, told
him who l vas, where l had come from,
What 1 had seen, and gate him my map.
Weeping Rachel, but he vas n different
man from Gen. Franklin. and things
apout him vas different. Franklin was
very digniied and deliberate, and acted
all de time as if he thought it would pc
just as veil to do any thing tomorrow as
to-day. Franklin was ordered to start for
Alexandria de same time dat Smith did.
but he'd hardly started yet, While Smith
vas more'n halfway dere. Smith was
Everywhere. swearing like n Saul before
de Philistines, and seeing dat efferything
vas kept moving right along. He acted
as if dere vas going to pc no tomorrow.
Efferyding must be done to-day. His men
we're all joost like him. Dey we're making
s,nx oil do S,,,st y,
listened to all had to say, asked me some
qvestiOns, took my map to study, and
told me to take my men up to his head
quarters, get all we wanted to eat, wash
up, and lie down and sleep. so as to be
ready to go out NIT him as guides at day
break in de morning. Weeping Rachel,
but he vas different from Gen. Franklin.
And he meant daybreak. too. Daybreak
meant noon to Gen. Franklin, but it meant
de first streak of dawn to Gen. A. J.
Smith. 1t was dark yet when dey walked
me up, told me to get breakfast. feed my
horses, and be ready to start at once. Il
had to hurry, for Everywhere around de
retcfiments were falling in and march,
ing off, efferybody taking his place right
on de dot. Neffer saw men before get out
so qvick, and move into DER places nit so
little fuss. And de way dey marched Old
A. ]. put himself at de head, and his
horse began to trot. and he had to, to keep
ahead of dat infantry. Smith ordered
me to go Offer to and report to Fighting
Joe Mower, and stay NIT him. He would
keep my 'Cajans NIT him, for he had an
officer on his staff dat could talk French
to dem. Mower was in more of a hurry
dan A. ]. himself, and pushed out as if
his life depended on his getting somewhere
right away. 1t is 80 miles from SHINES
port to Fort De Russy, and l neffer
dreamed de army would try to go dere in
one day. But efferybody was on de jump
all de time. When We came to a creek or
a bayou, de reppels on de other side would
set fire to de pridge, and begin shooting
to hold us pack, While it purned, but de
men would rush right at dem, put out de
fire, and be across de nridge before de /
reppels realized it."
''That's the real Western way of doing |
things" commented ST. 'That's the way |
we did 1t in Georgia and South Carolina"
'Vinally W came to do great wide