The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1905-11-02

from overlooking the farms and trav-
eled several hours on that, and by mid
night my appetite was worked up to
approve the victuals that lay before me.
/ went down into q cornfied. but the
corn had been pulled; but as l had
been educated I'm the cornfields / knew
there was q chance for an ear to be
left on the down row. and therefore
followed the down row, STOPPING and
feeling every stalk. and finally I was
rewarded by finding two or three ears
and n small pumpkin. With these i
went far out into a jungle. made a fire
and cooked and ate my first square
meal. Then. feeling fresh, struck out
on my journey and got out on the levee
again and travelled in the heaviest frost
ever saw. / am sure the mercury
was far below freezing point.
A Bear and a Scout.
After sunup 1 took to the canebrakes
again, and when the sun began to warm
up little / hunted q spot where the
sun would shine on me. lay down and
had two or three hours peaceful sum-
Der; then started on again. and shortly
came to bears tracks. showing where
he had gotten up on q dry log I'm cross
ing some water. and left his wet tracks.
About q quarter OF mile further on
saw his track where he had crossed
a small stream; there muddy water
was still rising from his tracks in the
stream. indicating that he was gone less
than a minute. Rather than have any
trouble with the brute, / turned back
q short distance and crossed the river,
and on the other side I had travelled
only about an hour. when I got sight
of Confederate scout, and crawled
into a dense thicket Of cane until he
had time to get away. when l recrossed
the river. preferring the proximity Of
the bear to the presence Of q rebel
scout, and finished my second day on
Black River.
The third day passed without any
thing to mar the pleasure Of my jour
ney and with nothing to eat
On the afternoon Of the fourth day
began to think must be nearing the
Yankee lines. 50 ventured to q planta-
ton and saw gray-bearded gentleman
and a negro loading cotton seed into a
cart. / approached them and inquired
how far to the Yankee pickets. without
asking direct question, and l also
asked IL they knew where q Widow
Smith lived, stating she had just moved
from Port Gibson, two or three months
before. and I was told she lived on
Black River about two miles from the
Yankee picket line.
The white man was doing all the
talking, and he was as smart as 1 was
He did not say how far the Yankee
pickets were from there, and / walked
on down the road until I got out Of
sight, then took to the woods again,
| travelled four or five miles, and VEN
tured to a plantation on the road. Here
met an intelligent-looking negro on
horseback, who had just come from the
same direction I had. First thing he
said was. Are you the man who was
at Squire SO-andSo's to-day, inquiring
| where Widow Smith lived?" 1 told
him I was. He said: "Oh, Mister, for
L
don't want to see you killed. When
you left the Squire hurried out and was
gathering up every man in the neigh
borhood, with guns, to capture you,
and they will shoot you down, and
look for them along here in 10 min
utes." l asked him how far 1t was to
the Yankee pickets; he said it was only
about half-mile, and that they come
out to the creek, which was only about
quarter OF q mile from there about
that hour, every day, to water their
horses. So said. Il guess 1 will keep
on the road; guess I can make it,"
and started out.
Wins to Safety.
At the creek I met Lieutenant and
eight or 10 cavalrymen, and the first
question the Lieutenant asked was:
Where are you FROM" I said: Can
ton" He asked; How much Of a
'sNow," said, II will tell that to Gen.
Leggett when I get in" He told me
that Gen. Leggett was in Vicksburg,
commanding a division. and Gen. Force
was in Gen. Leggett's place. 1 told
him about the party that was being
organized to follow me. He did not
offer to put me under guard, but told
one Of the men to take me on the horse
behind him to the picket post, get me
some supper, then get me horse and
saddle and take me to Gen. Forces
headquarters The Lieutenant and the
balance Of his squad galloped out on
the road to see IL they could meet with