The Monte Vista journal., 1906-09-01
A NARROW ESCAPE.
Division Mail Carrier Picks Up Thor.
ou9hbred Horse That Carried
Him TO Safety.

This is the narrative OF Private
j.. He had heard great deal said
about escapes: and as soon As he
could get chance, he related this.
in the American Future. which GER
tainly has a smack Of the real thing:
All through that campaign had
acted as mail carrier for a division
OF the Sixth corps. Everybody in the
division knew me. and ] never had
any difficulty in getting all the help
that ! needed from time 10 time.
could tell a great deal about what
happened. both al the front and the
rear. between that July and Novem.
ber. 1t was my business TO get the
mail for my division separated from
that OF the rest OF the corps. when 1t
could be done. as quick as possible.
and 10 make regular trips back with
the outgoing mall. Many adventures
happened to me in this business.
none quite so stirring as that of the
early morning OF October 10. 1864.
For two days previous had been
at Winchester. a mail was expect
ed, and, as usual, was on hand to
get what belonged TO my division. /
get 1t on the evening OF the 18th.
after dark. | knew that Gen. Sherl.
dan had arrived from Mart!nsburg
that dag on his way back to his army.
and that he was passing the night at
Winchester. Everything was quiet at
the front. according to reports that
had come In that morning. The nat.
ural and ordinary thing would have
been for me to walt In peace and
comfort at Winchester that night.
sleeping in a good bed. eating some
thing better than rat!ons that night
and the next morning. and then fall.
Ing In With the generals escort after
breakfast, and riding up to the front
with them.
As 1t happened, | should have made
about the same progress that | did.
had adopted this course. and. with
somewhat different adventures.
should have got my mail up to the
division about the same time.
l don't know what It was moved me
TO make night Journey of It. unless
1t was that ! was not sleepy. and fel,
great deal more Ike riding than
sleeping. In that restless kind of
condition, II occurred "a me that /
might Just as well sc, the mail M
to the front at daybreak as six hours
later. and I acted promptly on the
idea. My horse was a poor con.
demned animal that the quartermas
ter had furnished me some weeks be,
fore. claiming that 1t was the bcs,
he could do for me. l have no doub,
he lied: but time has so',ened his Of.
fense, II II has not entirely wiped 1,
out OF my recollection OF those days.
That animal was khce.sprung. and
could not be depended upon for more
than two miles and n half per hour.
had tried my best TO make an even
exchange with some OF the cavalry
and orderl!es when they we're no,
looking. but either they were too
sharp. or ! was too dull. and the swap
was never effected. Ny Rosinante
was well known all through the com
mand. and became the subject Of
much good humorcd banter on bis
account.
l calculated that by starting from
Winchester At ten O'Clock that even.
Ing ] could pass over the Is miles be.
tween that place and the camp Of the
army W sunrise. There was some
risk OF guerrilias. but I had learned
emc,hlng Of their ways. and was not
fearful OF their lurking along the Val.
ley pike that night.
So started. reckoning without my
hos; II seemed to me that my poor
old mount never wen; so slow. With