The National tribune., 1904-04-07

sUncie, how can we lross this river y's
"On de log: Dat is de only way"
"Hor bi leg yer. DAFT il right up dar
| Dis il q cold mawnin,' dn' de log is mighty
slick. 'spect you'll have ter coon it. :
We found the log short distance up the
stream, and saw at Aimee that the OLD
have to "coon it." Carmen crawled over
all right, but was not 50 fortunate.
was carrying an old pilloRslip containing
a generous supply Of lash cakes" dona
ton from an old negro woman. While
''cooning" the log, 1 Inadvertently dropped
the FELLOWSHIP. Jumping. into the cold
swift stream, waist deep, I seized the baa
by the wrong end, emptying the contents
Unwillingly had cast my bread upon the
waters.
About the middle of March a heavy snow
storm drove us into stable loft, where VIC
remained two days and nights, q Negro
man supplying us with food. When We
left the stable, Garments personal appear
ance was so ludicrous that could not re-
frain from laughing. His shirt sleeves ex
tended no lower than his elbows, and his
long hair and beard were full of oat-chafl
and hayseed. His complexion was neither
fair nor rubicund. My merriment irritated
him.
What in - are you laughing att"
I'm laughing at YOU"
| "What's the matter with me?"
We'll, you're a comical-looking fellow
He looked me over for moment, and
then exclaimed:
Great gewhillikins IF 1 look any
worse than you the sooner the rebels shoot
me the BETTER
One night just as each of us had taken
a shirt from a clOtles-line, We were
charged by barking dog. We retreated
| in wild disorder to n distant mountain
and then examined the captured (?) gar.
ments. Mine was all right. nearly new
| Carmen however, was not so fortunate, he
having failed to make judicious selection
Hearing profane expletive. asked:
whats the matter, Alex? Didn't you
get n shirt:'
"Yes. l got shirt all right, but it's thu
v wrong 4 kind. This - thing is feminine
April %, we reached the Union lines a,
Bulls Gap, East Tennessee, and learned
that our regiment was at Nicholasville
Ky. En- route to my regiment, stopped
at Nashville. where procured an outfit OF
clothing and had barber to pay proper
attention to my hair and beard, both Of
which were of long growth. From Nash
vile l went to Louisville. and thence t.
Nicholasville, where / reported to Col
Adams, then commanding the regiment.
| HOME AGAIN.
| The Colonel, seeing that / was unfit 70,
service, sent me home to recuperate. NJ,
young wife, who had given up all hope OF
| ever seeing me again, could scarcely be
made to believe that / had indeed come
home. When she fully realized the fact
she ran to cradle, and, soon returning
placed my baby girl, seven months old, in
my arms.
! remained at home with my wife and
| child until August, when 1 returned to my
| regiment.
FIGHTING CHAMP FERGUSON.
One of tle-most exciting adventures that
l can recall was an s4tenpt of my COM
pany to capture or kill Champ Ferguson,
| the noted bushwhacker nIand guerrilla.
While on detached dIty. scouting the vi
| entity of Greensboro, KY, we learned that
| the redoubtable guerrilla chief was at his
home, about four miles i,frOm Albany
| Guided by two natives, who, were perfectly
| familiar with the countEy, Lieut.. Perkins
| with % men marched to-. the Ferguson
home, which was on Spring Greek, in q
| bend called "the horseshoe" 1t being
| necessary for us to cfoss the creek then
| almost overlooking It's banks we left our
| horses near the stream and crossed over on
| a foot-log, a half mile above the house.
Very quietly We arrayetl ourselves i'm line
| heel of the 'shOe," the house being in the
"toe," some ID yards in our front Be-
tween us and the house was a fence with
gate i'll the center. l was with Lieut..
Carr, whose part of the line confronted the
gate. Up to this time we had seen no
evidence Of activity i'm the house, and sup
posed that Ferguson, if at home. was un-
aware of our presence, We had Just adj
vanced to the fence when by the light of
! the moon We saw n man emerge from the
door. He was cautious in his movements
and, when advancing, followed the mean
ders of the worm fence that joined the
one which We were behind. he would fire.
quently stop, apparently listening. Final
ly. he advanced boldly, without any attempt
at concealment. When he was within Is
feet of the gate he halted. We were quiet
ly lying on the ground in the shadow of
the fence. Lieut.. Carr challenged him. For
| answer the man fired his pistol Notwith-
standing We fired yolley ut him he ran
| rapidly toward the house. There was an
immediate uproar within the building.
From many portfolios a very active and
ferocfOns enemy fired upon W.. We could
hear old Champ swearing and giving COM
mands. We opened fusillade upon the
house, and the inmates replied in kind. At
frequent intervals We could hear the chief
voice, loudly swearing. and exhOrting his
men TO hold the fort. The battle had ragged
about an hour. when. seeing We could not
dislOdge the enemy by firing from the
fence, We went over it and charged the
house. using our reyolvers. Ferguson and
his men. some 25. then evacuated the
premises, leaving their horses in the lot.
Going out by the rear door, they pierced
the night. fleeing to the woods.
When we went into the house we found
it occupied by old Champs wife. Perfect
ly cool and quiet. she went about rearrang-
ing the disordered furniture, seemingly OBJ
livions that anything extraordinary had
happened in her home. Replying to a ques-
ton as to her husbands whereabouts, she
said:
"Oh, suppose he has just gone a-hunt-
in'.''
So far as We could learn, we had killed
| but one mantle one who had come out
into the yard. One of cur men was slight
~ wounded.
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