The Brinkley argus., 1907-11-15


 get up and ccuzs Ni4 ta., 6oid csp,h Gushing.
 "1 am not Gen. Herbert said the man in the bed.
 Not Gen. Herbert? Who are vou then? said the old man, and pretty sharply, too. Perhaps you can fmar. inc the tone in which Cap'n Cusb- ing said this. l never heard a voice so full of disappointment in all nv life
 CT am the chief of the engineer forces here
 Where is Gen. HerbertY
 He has gone to Wilmington said the engineer.
 "'Gone to Wilmington echoed Cap'n Cushing. Well, if we can't find the principal we will have to take one of his accessories, What is your name, sir?
 Capt. Reilly, at your service
 Very well, captain. Get up, if you please, and dress, for you must go with us.'
 Just here there was a rush of some one down the stairs oatside the door. There was dash at the win dow and quiet scuf1le began and a general set-to, and then I saw some one jump of the end of the veranda and run out into the garden. thought it might be the general, and sprang out after the fleeing figure, but I looked in vain. could see no one, the night was so dark. heard only a rustling among the trees and shrubs and then the person dashed away into the woods near the house. I thought of pursuing him, but I now heard the rest of my party passing through the garden and out of the gate, and, thinking that anything else that I could do would only annoy and delay 'em, and that the person who had dashed out of the window had gone to give the alarm and turn out the whole thousand soldiers upon us, I decided to follow the old man and the officers.
 found out afterward that the per son who had run away was the adju- tant general, and he was so fabber- gasted at being walked up with the noise that he really took to the woods and forgot to give the alarm.
 But, now, just think of a young. ster like Cap'n Cushing starting on an expedition with only two boats and 20 men, rowing in past the forts, landing, capturing prisoners and go- ing into the stronghold of the en- emy with the purpose of capturing the general commanding. thought of 1t as I walked down to the boats and I could hardly believe that had been the cause of our expedition. We went back to the boats and got silently in. The prisoner was, you may be sure, well guarded, with a pistol at his head. Had he cried out it might have been bad for us, but worse for him, for he would have dropped dead in his tracks before we took to our boats.
 When it comes to deliberately sac rificing your. life for your country where nothing much is to be gained, a man hesitates. The prisoner hes itated and was saved. The sentry on the wharf was not 50 yards away from us, and we were about 50 yards from the Smithville fort They were brave men, of course No one ever belittled our enemy of the confede- rate army, and it was only that it never occurred to them what dar- ing and dash Gushing ro~scssed that 1 the place was not better guarded. We I got silently into our boats and float ] ed down the river
 The men all pulled quietly and steadily Not word was spoken, but suddenly light flashed out from Fort Caswell. A signal light! An, then they had discovered us? They 1 had at least discovered that strange boats were in the 'harbor, and their shots rang out. but wide of the mark. ! We heard lem splashing in the dis l tance, but not one came near us. heard the cap'n say that the papers he captured were not important, but he had the engineer officer ir safe keeping enough, and he sent him on the first opportunity to Acting Rear Admiral Lee, at Hampton Roads, Vir- ginia.
 l 'sNow, it happened that a short time after this some prisoners were to be exchanged. was on deck, snoopin' round as usual, as the boat pushed of. didn't ask to go in that boat Exchangin prisoners was dull work, for you are protected by flag of truce all the way to the shore and all the way back again. I noticed few volunteers there were, and just those men were sent whom the first lieutenant picked ont and ordered to go As one of the officers was going over the side with the last instructions Cap'n Cushing called out:
 "sOh, by the way, will you be kind enough to hand Gen. Herbert my card? The officer seemed surprised. but of course he turned round sa- 1uted. and said: Yes, sir waiting while the old man fumbled in his .pocket for card. At last he found lit. Then he felt for a pencil, and I had the bad manners to cast my eye over his shoulder as he wrote. The card looked like this:
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