The Columbus dispatch. (Columbus, Miss.) 1905-1908, 1908-04-15

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ter into her hand and without another
word turned. went to thu fxont door,
rang the bell and was adI tilted.
One glance at the envChme showed
that II was from her husbs I'D, and fun
Of vague alarm at the mys erious man
ner Of the stranger. and 1t e poss
bic news the letter might coatain, sLC
hid It In her bosom ana flew up % he
room, where she BREATH sss " locke
the door. read her precious letter an
burned it.
She did not find In 1t any clue 70 n
identity of the bearer, and Il bore ~
startling intelligence, but those Wer
troublous times, dangers larked ever
where. the enemy occupied as heat
quarters the very house she lived n
allowing the family the use OF tire
rooms out Of nine. and she instinctivel +
felt that one who had come straight
from the Confederate army with me .
sage must be protected from any pr0Cf
OF 1t in a house full Of Federal officers.
After composing herself 50 that she
knew she was safe from any risk Of
betraying her excitement she went
down stairs and joined the family in
the sitting room, where she found the
stranger.
He was a plain. honest looking
young man in a suit OF brOYa home
spun, with brogans on his feet bis
trousers were too short and betrayed
coarse wooden socks: his eyes were
blue and clear his head was c2yered
with a shock OF dark hair, ansu : : &C
was placed on the floor beside him.
He gave his name and said be was a
farmer living in Tallahatehie Bottom
a Union man. and that a foraging
party Of Yankees had taken all his
horses and mules, that his crop de-
pended on his stock, and that he had
come to town hoping Col. FoI, the Of.
fcer in command of the pos, would
restore them to him.
He was granted an audience with
the colonel, and repeated his story,
picking all the time at the fingers OF a
clumsy pair of blue wooden gloves he
wore, and awkwardly shuffling his feet.
Col Fox kindly gave him permission
to go the next morning through the
camp to look for his stock.
At the supper table and during the
evening he listened in an apparently
stupid way to the conversation OF the
officers who boosted Of how short
time 1t would be before Grant captured
Vicksburg. and talked very freely and
/ imprudently-as the event proved-of
the plans. strength and movements of
| their forces.
The young wife had not dared to tell
any of the family abolt the letter lest
her voice should reach osher ears, or
some che through embarrassment or
in advertence should let the secret out.
In fact, people within the enemy's
lines in those days whispered until
they almost lost their voices and con-
cealment-I had nearly said dlssimula-
tion-became a fine art She hardly
ventured to look the farmer in the face
and trembled so that her chair, which
had lost a castor kept coming down
on the lame leg and beating a tattoo
on the floor, but she managed to smile
and look natural"
BY request of Col Fox-a weak,
kindly-natured maD-le farhspl aag
at7rer, :. si-~pi.ls plat, and ne Eesf
morning was conducted BY The colo
'ne's orderly all through the camp, but
he failed to identify his horses and
mules and went away in the afternoon.
Early on the morning OF December
20 the town was awakened by The fir-
ing of volleys and an unusual excite
ment in the streets. The two little
boys rushed into their clothes and tore
pell nell down stairs to End out the
cause, and a bullet crashing through
an upper window buried itself in the
wall opposite. Evidently things we're
happening. Firing. yelling the beauti.
| full rebel yell" the dashing by Of
horses and a steady tramping Of feet
on the sidewalk were soon supple
mented by the mad return Of the little
boys. fairly bursting with news and
in coherent with Joy. "It's them-its
our men-they've got all the Yankees;
they're driving them through the
streets It's Gen. Van Dorm, and
Brother VIII is somewhere in It."
1t was enough. She understood.
Regardless of robe-de-nuit and braided
tresses, the captains wife snatchei
towel in each hand from the rack. and
dropping on her knees by an upper
window waved wildly to the passing
troopers. One glimpse OUT was suffl-
eient to confirm everything. They
were there, the men In gray riding
down down the street, and prisoners
who the day before had been the mas.
ters of the situation were driven at
double quick like herds Of sheep.
Gen. Van Dorm with his gallant cav
alrymen had captured Holly Springs
and all its wealth of army stores.
He had no trouble In doing 1T. be-
cause he knew the weakness md the
strength of the position just
where an entrance could be 4 cas-
| lily effected. The men Of the ris3n.
too, instead of being aeatse = ldlors
were raw recruits. and e most
part surrendered with lacf aused
l.no doubt by nervous anxiet scape
worse things at the hand o 5hnny
Reb," whom they had plcta with
hoofs and horns.
Many Of them went unace0n anied
by a guard and voluntarily gave them
selves up to the parolIng officer
Col. Fox was ccnvalescent from a
slight illness and was unable 70 leave
the house. but he fretted all day lest
he should not be paroled. and was
nightly relieved when the adiutant on
Van Dorn's staff came to his room In
the afternoon and bestowed upon him