The National tribune., 1904-03-24

horse recovering. ran On like Wild.
| l lay quiet. and could hear them COM
When 20 feet Of me the one in the lead
| stopped. He threw his gun and ran
backi
Great Gawd! Jim! Fotch me tn lik-
ker. Gimme tn whisky. I'm Bit"
l saw him, in the twilight, empty
small flask, and then roll up his pants to
| find the bite"
He evidently couldn't find It, because
| the other man. Jim. said: Il doan b'heye
We seed no snake. an haint ben bit"
There followed some silence.
We'll. l mighter BEN bit: haint takin'
no chances"'
| l left them quarreling over the ELK
| kerr" and STOPPING low, reached the tim
| Der. and my horse, which had stopped.
| They evidently had not seen me fall; it
was done SO quickly.
| l was alert now. travelled all night,
following the general course OF the river,
avoiding all highways and crossing unsafe
| places with the utmost vigilance. | found
nothing to eat except field products, of
which ate sparingly. lay in the woods.
| sleeping not wink. all day, near Powha-
tan Court House, having travelled nearly
40 miles. l felt weak and faint.
| The next night it rained. | travelled
| southeast, as nearly as l could by guess.
without the stars to guide me. l had to
make two great detours on account of
| rebel cavalry, yet / had had no accident
This day l spent among the hills, within
view of a road running east and west a
| half mile away. My horse was nearly
and sleepy. ] tried to keep awake. but
dozed before l knew it.
About noon | was awakened by firing in
| the direction Of the road north of my posi-
ton. l jumped up quickly. A detach-
ment of cavalry went galloping westward,
raising much dust; after them, moment
later, came other troopers-superior in
Misunderstanding and yelling.
Yankees l cried aloud, beside myself
with joy. "Yankees.' I said, laughing
historically, and Shaping my horses neck.
He seemed to understand my JOY. /
jumped to his back and struck out through
| the fields. 1 reached the road and started
after them, but they were already return
ing from their sortie. l don't know
whether l fell or was lifted from my
horse. / remember seeing their blue coats,
and of lying beside the road with them
standing over me, but nothing definitely.
l had lain for two months in the hospital;
in the rear of Meade's army, with typhoid
fever, before | was able to be on my feet
again.
l rejoined my regiment. / wrote at
once to Miss Marjory, telling her / had
been unsuccessful in my search for her
brother, although l had done my utmost
to that end, while convalescing, in the
Army of the Potomac. wondered if she
We're well, and whether the letter would
find ker safe at home.
had not long to wait. Two days later
| received a telegram. 1t said simply:
Am well: Harvey home, wounded; doing
we'll; all send love.-MARJoRY.
I What load that lifted off my mind.
i A few days later l got lavender
scented missive from her. She told me
about her adventures on the trip home;
! of her brothers return, and how glad they
all were at my escape and recovery. l will
quote few extracts:
"Uncle Rufus was very kind. When
we got within a mile Of town he took me
to a negro's cabin i'm clearing back from
the road. Their name was Anderson.
i This man was free Niger, Uncle
Rufus said. His master had set him free
when he died. and willed him 10 acres of
land He had made enough money to
buy his wife's freedom, $3.50. Think of
that! They had large family-12 in all
but two Of the older girls were working
out in Charlottesville. l went
right to bed. and sent Uncle Rufus back
with Miss Carriers clothes-I was SO sorry
for her. I could have worn my boy S
clothes a little longer-yet | guess yours
was a better plan, because We weren't
questioned. One mafl-a soldier--spoke to
me. He said 'Howdedo. Miss Cahtah..' :
I
looked 1i'r bit lax 'er.' I gave Auntie
dollar before left, and she promised
to ''do up the clothes" just as soon as
Uncle Rufus got back, so Miss, Lilly could
have them for Sunday l sent
into town for some cheap garments like
the colored people wear ! had
to stay there four days: | was too sick to
Iottesvile in a covered wagon. Mr.. An
derson attended market there. We trav-
eed all night slept on the potatoes and
things on q blanket, and when l woke up
we were there and the sun was coming up.
got of at the edge of town and stayed
at another negro's house, and pretty soon
one OF the Anderson girls came. She
worked for Judge Mendenhall, at his town
house. The family was spending the Sum
mer at their country home, and as no one
was home but one other servant l went
there with her. l wanted to get some real
nice clothes, so I gave her two $50 bills
She brought me back $500 in Confederate
money. My, but it was big roll!
don't know where she got it. / went with
| her and bought q beautiful cotton gown
with ruffles and tncks and some lace on IL
and the sweetest white hat with long
plume, and pair OF shoes. Inc
train left at noon. [ bought ticket Il
: Gordonsyilie. The train was full. Many
! Of them soldiers going to Richmond. A
: Captain sat down beside me. l remem
bered what you said about them asking
e me for my pass, so commenced to tall
3 to him. talked like l heard the Others
. talking, saying I'VE all" "You all" etc.
e told him I was going to visit some peopl
> in the country near Gordonsyille, which
was true. l asked him. Why don't w
all capture Washington He said Earl.
e had tried it, but the other soldiers had tot
a much to do around Richmond. He sai'
t there were only a few cavalrymen sta
: toned between this point and Washington
and that the tracks were all torn up. Tn
guard came. asking everybody for thei
' passes. / was going to play innocent an,
tell him they didn't give me any, but
I wasn't necessary. He didn't ask the Cap
' tain for his pass, and as l kept talking.
, guess he thought l was the Captain
t daughter. 1 couldn't go any further b;
: train, SO bought a small basket wit
: Confederate money and filled it will