The National tribune., 1904-08-25

| falls. coming out onto the military road
about the time that the train reaches that
point on the route. which would be about
10 o'clock in the forenoon. They probably
have no idea that we have discovered their
intentions, and will carry out this plan
or try to. They have their scouts out as
| well as we, and probably know what pro-
eress the train is making, what it's escort
consists of, what force we have sent up to
| reinforce them, and they will send out
what they consider an ample force to take
the outfit in. 1t will never do to let them
throw that force in between US and the
| train, or the train is gone. That train must
be brought in here before daylight tomor-
| row morning, or it will never get here.
would respectfully suggest that an add-
tional force Of 800 men be sent out imme-
dia tely-there is not q moment to be lost
to the camp Of the train at Flat Rock ::
have the outfit hitch up tonight, and by
making night drive get in here by day
light tomorrow morning. In that way we
can steal march on the rebels. and when
they come onto the road they will find that
the train has slipped by them
''The very idea was just going to sug-
gest," Clipped in Phillips-but no one be-
lleved that he had ever thought Of it till
Shorty" put the idea into his muddled
head-"and / will order the men immedi-
| ately, and will esteem it a favor, Col
shorty if you will take command of the
expedition"
Smothering his Indignation at Phillips's
appropriation of his plan, Col. Shorty"
who was always ready to do anything
''for the good of the service" promptly
replied:
all do it, Colonel, if you will give me.
| in addition to the 500 men. Capt. Kauff-
mans light battery. And please rush the
details from the different regiments-I
| want to be leaving here in an hour. / will
go and hurry up the detail from my reg-
| ment. Give the orders, please, for the men
| to be i'm light marching trim--no blankets,
no grub-lll give them no time to rest or
eat till we're back here with that train
| safe"
| 1t was then near sundown, and before
dark Shorty" with his 800 Indians and
| kaufman's Sd Ind. battery OF howitzers.
| had crossed Grand River at Gibson and
was hurrying along the road going through
the timber on the way To Flat Rock Civ
ing orders to his officers to have the men
cautioned to silence, Shorty" showed his
command along and succeeded in reaching
the train before midnight.
| After the usual amount of grumbliny
and cussing by the sleepy soldiers, team
sters and others Of the train who had been
| reused out of their beds, and could not re-
aliZe the necessity Of a night drive, the big
outfit was finally got in motion for the
run into Fort Gibson. The road from Flat
Rock to Fort Gibson is in open prairie till
it reaches n point nearly opposite the falls
| of the Nerdgris, where It enters and CON
| tnucs i'm timber till it reaches the fort
| making about four miles of timbered road
| The main or proper road runs about three.
quarters of n mile east of the falls Of Yer
digris. but in the darkness the train by
mistake had taken n right-hand road, be,
fore reaching the timber. which forms an
elbow here bearing away to the falls
touching the bank of the Verdigris there
just where the road that the rebels were
coming on enters ours. From the falls this
road inclines to the left aga in entering the
military road at Il short distance in the
timber.
The train had been delayed somewha
by taking this wrong road. and daylight
was beginning TO appear in the east as
the advance guard and head of the ontfi,
entered the timber near the falls The
rebels were just then crossing she Verdi
girls at the falls. and hearing our wagons
runiblins along the road began to realize
that their prey was about tn escape them
and so made sudden charge across the
road cutting off some of the Government
teams and all of the suffers wagons. TIL.
train would have succeeded in lodging by
them nicely but for the delay in taking the
wrong road, which had led them right Il
: the enemy.
Part of the Sd Wis. Cav constituted the
advance guard. The rest of them, under
command of Maj. Stout. Sd Wis. Cav
} were riding alongside the train near the
point where the rebels cut across the road
. At the first charge and fire of the reb.
the valiant Major and his cavalry boltei
for Gibson, at good speed, and never
! stopped till they were safe in town. Mai
Stout afterwards gave as an excuse fol
running away from the fight that he hai
brought the train safely inside of Col
Phillipss pickets (Which was not true, a:
we had no pickets 80 far QUIT and b,