The National tribune., 1904-07-28


'jayhawk rd'' stock-of which had sew
eral hradLover to Anderson's train. and
WAS put Sin command of the outfit by
Clark
My Assistant Wagon Master here Can
der>on $ a>Sistant WAS Dudley Haskell.
later prominent politician and member
of Congress from Kansas.
Counting up what | had. and several
head held by transfers of the train. l
found 13,. horses and mules. for which
Capt. Schuarte promptly procured pass.
On rolling ont for Fori Scott | found the
provost guard waiting for me On the road
near Il picket post. ready 40 overhaul my
train and contiSratr all contrahand stock
hut the PASS tSQuarcd everything. and |
Went on namolcsted.
The road t1 Fort Scott was watched by
prnwling bands Of rebel bushwhackerS
who were ever ready to pounre upon Sma II
or defcnseieSs parties. but were not in suf-
iicient force generally TO attack well-eS-
corted outfits. At Choteau Creek. where
we eamped on the first night from Fiat
Rock. as we found evidence of the recent
presence Of party of INSTANTANEOUS. |
c"rallcd the train out in open ground som"
distance from the timber and water, to
guard against Il surprise or stampede. but
the night passed off quietly
As we We're approaching the rebel Gen.
Stand Waitie's old place. near Horse
'itth, one WIFI II COUPE VI
soldiers of the escort. was riding some dis
lance III advance of the train, when we
noticed several horses hitched to the fence
III front of the house, and just then sew
eral men came rushing out. hurredly
jumped onto the horses. and rode off as
fast as they could scamper. into the tim
Der in rear of the house. From their
movements and appearances ! was salts
fed that we had surprised and frightened
off party Of rebel bushwhackers. and
galloping up, we found that Ave men. evil
IDENTIFY rebels, had cnmped in the aban-
doned house during the night. and had
been busy cooking their breakfast on the
stove. when they were frightened away by
orr approach
them. saddled up before we appeared and
had their horses tied to the fence, ready
for travelling. The one who had failed to
saddle his horse was forced to abandon his
saddle and horse blanket and ride away
barebacked. AS there was lot Of poultry
and other stock left by the owners when
they had abandoned the house, and a nice
lot Of vegetables growing in the garden.
the rebels had found it very comfortable
treat themselves to Il breakfast of milk.
eggs, potatoes. onions, and a nice painful
of fried chicken, which we found baking in
the stove. We had already eaten our
breakfast but still found room to stow
away most Of that which we had fright
enrd the rebels away from.
BY this time Capt. Schuarte. with the
escort and train, had arrived in front Of
the house and halted, and the soldiers an,
mules SINNERS turned loose on the poultry
around the place and soon had caught or
killed all the chickens. ducks, geese. and
turkeys to be found and as we could not
well take the cows along, we turned them
and their calves out on the range. We
'contIscated everything in the way of sup
plies to be found about the place, even to
the vegetables in the garden, destroyin.
what we could not take along. to prevent
such subsistence from being made use of
by the rebels and incidentally ito till a
long-felt want" as we had been living on
Uncle Sans bareback. pork and beans
principally Of late, and the poultry and
vegetables were welcome addition to our
Commissary department.
If the. settlements along the road had
not been. so few and scattering we could
have kent ourselves pretty well supplied
with such extras by means Of this con
fiScatiOn'i scheme, and at the same time
put such supplies out Of the way Of rowing
guerrIlaS; for most Of the families who
had been living along the route had hur-
riedly evacuated their homes, leaving all
kinds OF stock, poultry and other property
by whomsoeyer desired it.
AS we were passing down the road to
Flat Rock / bad noticed that this Stand
Waite house was occupied, and A guard
had been placed over it by our command
ing officer, to prevent our men from rob
bling or molesting the family. But as the
folks had since abandoned the place, and
were presumed to have gone to the rebels,
we felt justified in helping ourselves to
what they had left. especially as the bush
whackers seemed to be now making it a
rendezvous.
On arriving at Fort Scott, George An.
derson. the arrested Wagon Master, whose
train l was temporarily running, was re-
leased from arrest and restored to duty
After turning over the outfit to him and
disposing Of my cOntraband stock all ex-
cept one good riding mule. I concluded to
go on to LeavenwOrth to visit my family
AS before stated, mails were very irreg-
ular and uncertain along the border during
the war. and important Government pa
pers We're usually sent from one military
post or camp to another by means of
| mounted messengers, or express riders, >
as they were called.
On drawing my pay at the Quarter,
masters office, and mentioning my inten-
ton to go to Leavenworth, Capt. Insley
the Quartermaster at Fort Scott, offered
me the job Of carrying some dispatches to
that post. which l accepted Express
riders We're allowed from So to So a day
and ratiOns, and We're generally expected
to make rs quick time as POSSIBLE but in
this instance there was no hurrying re-
quired, and as l was riding my own mule
| took it lesurely. | WAS accompanied by
| one Of my late Transfers, Dan Ecken
berger, who was also going home riding q
Jay mule
AS the rebels were always on the look
| out along the border for these Government
| dispatch bearers, and anxious to capture
or kill them, to secure the papers they
| carried, this express riding was usually q
! rather dangerous business. But we met
with no interruption on this trip, and got
through safely.
The boundary line between Missouri and
Arkansas, on the one side, and Kansas
and the Indian Nation on the other, was
at this time C62I about the dividing line
between the rebels and Federal or Union
forces. And although there were no large
bodies Of the enemy along the border, there
were numerous small bands OF bush
whackers, such as Quantrils, 81 Gordon's
and Tom Livingston's. infesting that coun-
try, and making raids over the line when
ever opportunities offered When they got
back into Missouri or Arkansas they were
among sympathizing friends and compar-
atively safe.
Bushwhackng. as practiced by those