Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1907-03-22
MAsHlucroN STANDARD
How He Became
Chief OF scouts
(Original. ]

Several "yetS of the civil war were
comparing notes as TO the why and
wherefore of their advancement dur
ing their term of active service. Ali
gave accounts crc,:itahle to themselves
till it was the last mans turn, when he
told the following story:
enlisted in the ranks with the rest
Of the boys l knew in 1861. | didn't
seem to have been cut out for sol
der. vas not easily disciplined.
was always struggling. and drills were
to me intOlerablc The only time !
could be relied on to show up for duty
was when there was fighting, and then
II was not because liked it, for didn't,
but because dreaded the sneers of my
comrades Nobody ever thought for q
moment Of my even being made non
CON-, much less decorated with Shout
der strap.
Well, one day when we were cavort-
Ing around in Virginia, marching in
one direction one day. another the next.
never still forty eight consecutive hours.
not having had regular rations for some
time, l got hungry and took the first
opportunity to drop out and do little
foraging I passed house beside the
road with a door leading down into a
cellar. tried 1t and found 1t un-
locked. So I opened it and went in.
There was nothing in the place but
girl, one of the southern girls of the
period, with an olive complexion and
hair cut square around her neck. She
was washing something.
"What d'y' want? she asked.
'T'm looking for something to eat"
I replied. II saw the door opening on
to the road very convenient, so /
thought I'd just step in and see what
could fnd."
That's just the way that door has
looked to all the stragglers in the
army" she replied. There's not been
less than 5000 men come in here. At
first we had some provisions. but
they were soon eaten up by soldiers.
90 we didn't put any more here. We
don't keep the door locked because 1t
would be kicked open. Are there any
Of your men near by"
"Guess not" said.
"Well, II there amt I don't mind
showing you where we keep our eat
ables. Do you see that wall? That
shuts of a part Of the cellar. Come
10; HhAx hNr IN
into It."
Invent up to the floor above, and the
girl opened q trapdoor. went down
and was looking about for a snack
when heard the door shut and locked.
There was no getting out. 30 after
awhile l stretched myself on a table
and went to sleep. was awakened
by a tramping above. The cellar was
dark, so l knew 1t was night. Hear
ing the clank of a saber. listened to
discover II some of our men hadn't
come in. They were not Federals. but
Confederates Of high rank. could
hear every word they said. 1t was q
council of war. When at last they set
tied on a plan to concentrate and at
tack our forces, they went over each
detail again and again to be sure there
should be no mistake. While they
were doing it I was fixing 1t all In
my memory so that IL l got out in
time I could warn our general.
In the morning the trap was opened
and o couple Of Confederate soldiers
took me in charge. The girl wasn't
there, but an old man and woman
seemed to know all about my having
been trapped. doubt II either Of them
knew that their living room and kitch-
en- had been used for q conference. I'm
not sure they knew was there when
the conference was held. The soldiers
took me away, and on the road we met
the girl who had trapped me. asked
to speak to her and told her had q
watch in one Of my pockets and would
give 1t to her IL she would get me Oh,
Her eyes sparkled, and she agreed to
try. She sent one Of my guards to a
house where she said they had q stock
Of hams and while he was gone man
aged to get the other ones musket
which she playfully fired at a tree.
ran up and took 1t from her. she only
pretending to resist. The owner. see
ing that I had the advantage Of him.
ran away. Then gave the girl my
watch. as had promised, and took t.
the woods till ran across some Of oul
men.
While I was on my way to the gen
eral with my information wondered
how would explain my being made Z
prisoner without giving away the fact
that I had been struggling. Then Il
occurred to me that my story WASN'T
very probable anyway. Why didn't the
old folks tell the generals that q Yam
kee soldier was imprisoned In the Gel
lar3 Why didn't the girl ask the sol
diers to take my watch instead Of get
get it, I can't to this day explain the
0rst and the only explanation I can
give Of the second Is that the girl didn't
want any other claimant for II.
made up q cock and bull story
about having gone to sleep from ex.
Aaustion ON the march and on waking
up had found a chance to do some
scouting. called for a map and show.
- 3vst whsrs certain Confederate
forces were located and how they
could be concentrated. The informa.
ton was acted on, and when the at.
tack came our men were ready for It
The result Of all this was that wa
given commission and a place on the
stan Of the general commanding, with
charge Of the scouts. During the resi-
Of my army service told lots Of msr
how to scout. and after my remarkable
feat In that line they all believed
was fully competent to instruct them.
r. TOWNSEND SMITH. ..
An Anatomical Puxsle.
Behind the bridge Of your nose II
little cavity in the skull, the origin Q
which appears to be unknown.
nrohahlv was n GLAND conslsfinO n