The National tribune., 1904-08-25

A large extent of the timbercd bottoms
between Gibson and the Arkansas River
a distance of two miles. at that time, wa,
dense canebrake. / took party of my
"skinners'' down there with Il team daily
for some time after the raid, and cut and
hauled To my mules loads of the young
cane. which. being tender and green, made
very good feed: hut il was big under
taking TO feed $50 or more mules in this
way.
While procuring cane in the bottoms
we frequently had TO pass by Il picket post
of our men. who We're stationed on the
bank of the Arkansas. at the mouth OF
Grand River. This picket was composed
of men from the 9th Kan. Cav, some COM
panies of which regiment had recently
joined us again. Profiting by the costly
experience of putting ignorant Indian or
half breed Corporais i'll command of inn
porrant positions. Col. Phillips now had
our important picket posts commanded by
commissioned officers
FLAG OF TRUCE MEETING.
On the opposite side of the Arkansas
was a picket station of the rebels, and it
of civiities between the two parties. AS
mentioned before. shortly previous to the
recent raid on our herds, the rebels had
intercepted and captured a lot of mail mat
ter for our command while Ell route from
Fort Scott. When the men of these oppOs-
ing picketS OH the river banks got tired OF
shooting ut each Other-each safely en-
Sconced behind n tree-some fellow would
occasionally hoist a white rag and propose
cessation of hostilities till all hands
would go down to the edge of the water to
fill up their canteens, and hang them i'll
the shade of the trees to cool off for drink
ing.
This. was mutually agreeable all round,
and the truce would be strictly observed
until notice was given by one or the other
party for a renewal of target practice,
when each would scamper to his tree, pick
up his gun-wlich had been laid aside
when the white flag was raised-and try
his best to kill the fellow on the other side,
with whom he had probably just been chat
ting i'll the most amicable manner. But as
the cover was good and the distance long
for shooting. il was seldom that any one
was hit on either side.
One day. while in the vicinity of this
picket, cutting cane with party of my
'skinners," as the weather was very warm
and we were quite thirsty, / took one man
with me and all the canteens we had.
went TO our picket post and requested the
Lieutenant in charge, who happened to be
Leut. Walker. of the 9th Kans., to hoist
his flag of truce and ask the rebs on the
other side to let us get some water.
He readily agreed to do so. rs he said
the soldiers were getting dry themselves,
and taking out a white handkerchief he
fastened it onto 4 piece of cane that they
seemed to keep for the purpose. and wav-
ing il before him walked out to the bank
n lQ 4 m fla n
peared on the other side, when Walker
called out, at top of his voice:
Hello. Johnny! We're getting mighty
dry, Amt you?"
Yes. We'd like to fill our canteens"'
came the answer back, each shouting at
the top of his voice. so as to be heard.
'All right. shouted our man. stack
your arms and stick up your flag on the
bank, and we'll do the same, Then we'll
come down to the edge of the water and
take drink with you,''
Each party stuck up its little white flag
on the bank. put away their arms, and
walked down to the water. AS there was
quite shelving bar of sand from the bank
out to the water. on each side, when we
reached the water it brought the two par
ties close enough together to easily hold
conversation in moderate tone. After
hlling our canteens and wetting the covers
IN the water to facilitate the cooling we
sat there ''joshing' and chatting each other
good-naturedly One of the rebs called over
to Lieut.. Walker.
When you mentioned bein' dry. | was
just thinkin' of that immortal historical
remark of the Governor of North Carlina
to the Governor of South Car-lina to the
effect that Its Il - long time between
drinks But this river water is n horrible
poor imitation of drinkin' material Amt
YOU Ianks got somethin' better-some good
OF commissary whisky, for instance-that
Sou could pass us over n canteen full to
drink 10 your everlastin' confusion an
damnation."
We'll, no. replied Walker, .'we Just
don't happen 10 have any with us; and
don't know how we'd get il TO you if we
had. We've got some stuff up TO town
that We captured from some of your sort
mp in Arkansas, that's warranted to XIII
1T 100 yards, off hand. If we could make
that up into cartridges and shoot it into
you. we'd do it with pleasure But as we
can't accommodate you that way, I'll tell
you what I'll dots the next best thing
when / get back to camp I'll take q drink
of good old commissary, looking over your
way, and say, Here's TO Jeff Davis and
the Southern Confederacy, - -
The rebs rather had the joke on our men
on account of having captured both our
mail and herds recently, while we had
gained nothing off them To crow over for
some time / was amused at one rebel
evidently a Missouri ''puke," or Arkansas
"haw-eater," who whined out:
Say, Yanks. what's we-ens done tC
youens that you-ens is all time shootn
at we-ensT'
This provoked big laugh from our fel
lows. one of whom called out:
I'll bet that's a confounded 'haw
eater"
Then from rebel: "Yanks why dom
you come over an git yer mules?"
And from our side: 20 you feller
thought you'd played the devil when yol
gobbled up them Of scrubs what we,
turned out To die. We've got plenty o
good mules and hosses. We don't wan
them oil things. Glad YOU took 'em off on
hands"
What regiment you b'long to-" wa
asked by 4 Johnny. and when answere,
18th Kans.," one of them called back
We've got lots of letters an papers 70
you fellers. Why mt You come over to on
post office an git yer mail. Yer know
faint called fer purity soon we'll have I
send it to the deadletter office. Come over
Yanks. an git yer truck. Would you lik
to hear the news from Kansas"
On being assured that We would tIa fe