The Tupelo journal., 1905-12-22

land, planned to make a dash on
the pickets of the enemy about
five miles east of Memphis. They
made the dash, succeeded in cap
turing the vidette and two horses,
and drove the reserve back into
Memphis. Carroll and James,,
my brother, were detailed to
carry the captured blue Coat"
and turn him over to Gen. For
est, who was then in camp not
far from New Albany, Miss. At
ter having discharged that duty,
they started on their return trip
to the Devils Elbow to join
their command. On the third
night out they stayed all night
at Will Tate's, a brother OF DR..
Rice B. Tate, who used to live
at Mooresville, and with whom
both Carroll and James were well
acquainted. Will Tate lived near
Germantown, Tenn. las my broth
er's memory serves him. This
was in debatable ground, mostly
occupied though by the Federals,
yet no harm came to them that
night, and next morning they
moved on their way, aiming to
pass through this town., but, as
they approached it, they saw a
| soldier come out of a house some
thing like a hundred yards to
their right, mount his horse and
ride towards them, saying,
Come by, boys" He had on a
blue overcoat-but many of the
Confederates were then in that
part of the country-and from
his familiar salutation, they sup
posed he was one of their own
men. They left the road and went
to meet him. When they had
approached to within about thir-
ty feet of him, a ravine being
between them, he presen-
ted his pistol at brother James,
and ordered both of them to hold
up their hands. But l want to
say that neither of the boys had
ever contracted to surrender at
even numbers, and much less so
when the odds were two to one in
their favor. James dropped his
bride reins, raised his left hand
as though in fulfllment of the
command, but attempted to draw
his pistol with his right hand,
but the pistol hung in the scab-
bard. In the meantime, Carroll,
who was about ten feet to the
right of James, drew his pistol
and fired at the soldier, and he
at the same time, having chang
ed his pistol from my brother to
Kitchener, fired, both pistols 60
ing off at the same time. The
shot fired by Carroll cut about
one half it's depth out Of the
right cheek Of the Federal, while
his shot glanced the top of Car
rolls hat, a new white one, and
scorched and powder burned it
somewhat. AT this both the
Southern boys wheeled their
horses, and started back in arun
the way they had come, having
looked to their right a short dis
lance and beheld a large number
of cavalrymen coming to the aid
of their friend. They demanded
the surrender Of the boys, but
instead of complying they only
ran the faster. They assembled
a long, slanting hill with the en-
envy in full pursuit, firing at
them constantly. The boys could
see their bullets cutting up the
dirt in their front making i'm
pressions like water falling in a
puddle. When they had gone
about one half mile, they crossed
a bridge, and this delayed the
enemy somewhat, but while the
boys were going up another long
hill, brothers hat blew off. Hats
were hats in those days, and he
could not get his consent to part
with the hat and risk getting an
other. So when they had reached
the top of the hill and discovered
that only a few of the enemy
had crossed the bridge, and that
Ethey were about the same dis
lance from the hat as the boys
were, James said to Carroll, II
must have my hat!!" So they
raised the rebel yell, as though
they had met their command,
and dashed back towards the
Federals, yelling shouting as if
they had a dozen or more. They,
supposing the Confederates were
coming in force, fell back across
the bridge, and when the boys
reached the hat, still yelling, my
brother dismounted and recov-
cred his hat, again mounted and
both dashed off for dear life as
they had been going. The enc
my, seeing the ruse, sent about
twenty-five men in hot pursuit.
The road was straight for about
a mile and a half, and CAROLS
! horse being rather small and not
very fleet, they gained on the
boys, and poured the shot into
them pretty lively. Coming to