Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1904-09-03
cAPTlVES IN A SYCAMORE
Close Quarters of Two Bows in Blue.
with Confederate Scouting
Party Below Them.

After the second battle of Corinth.
where Gen. Oglesby was wounded. | went
into the scouting service, under Gen. G..
M Dodge, and when LAWYER and Sullivan
were licking Forrest at Parker's Cross
roads, | was with a detachment of the
Fifteenth Illinois cavalry. under Mai.
Carmichal, and our chief of scouts, Col.
Bill Breckenridge, trying to capture and
destroy Forests ferry boats at Clifton,
Tenn. We found SO many confederates
there who objected to it we concluded
not to cross the Tennessee river: but
we skirmished a good part of the day.
across the river In the afternoon the
troops retired leaving a few scouts to
watch the confederates We had hid
our horses back in the timber. Nv part
ner and l discovered, just below the
ferry, sycamore stump, probably so
feet high, leaning over the bank and
with a hole in the upper side. near the
ground, large enough for a small man
TO crawl into Invested of coat and ac-
couterments. Inside there was room to
spare. Lying on the ground we stripped,
then slipped in and drew our clothes,
including our coats, in with US. The
stump was large; there was room for
us to crawl side by side till we could see
out at the top; and to help us. wood
peckers had made numerous holes, so
that we could see in various directions.
up and down the river and straight to
the ground. while the end pointed
straight into Clifton. We had Just got
ten comfortably settled in our nest when
a confederate command marched down
and launched several of their flatboats
and started over for a reconnaissance.
1t was then too late for us to retreat,
and we concluded to hold the hole and
see 1T Out-or see out of it. They came
over, 100 or more. Some boats landed
under our snag. OF course, they left
guard at the river. and our discomforts
then began. As if with malice and de-
liberate purpose that squad built a fire
right under us. and went to getting din
ner! Smoke? It was fearful How
those woodpecker holes did draw! And
we dare not sneeze or coughi They
heaped insults on injuries-talked hard
about the -- Yankees. called us cow
ardly pups. and even used profane lam
guage because we had shot across the
river into houses and killed some OF
their brave comrades who were shooting
out at windows and doors at us coward
ly whelps who stood behind trees or lay
fiat on the ground instead of coming out
In the open like men,
We just lay still and took it without
saying a word back-but we made many
mental reservations.
How good their bacon and corndodger
smelled to pair Of hungry Yankees in
tree! How chilly we got, looking down
on that fire. so feet below us. And how
l did want TO cough. sneeze, jaw. kick.
turn over or move some wayl Were
confederates ever before so long in eat
ing a dinner? We could have dropped
cartridge into their fire. My partner.
G.. Nj. COPELAND, wanted to do II, but
was fearful they might decide to try
10 find out where i'm thunder il came
from. Three bad hours they kept us
there, and We dared not move; to lie
there perfectly quiet was no easy mat
ter. Finally the scouting party re-
turned, about shutdown, and all crossed