Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1908-03-20
Civil War Stories



seven boys of Company G, OF which
Dwight r. Scott, Quartermaster Of
Camp So, U. V. L., of Worcester. Mass,
was one, were detailed to go out about
three miles and do guard duty at Il
rebel house and act as pickets. On
arriving at the place assigned it was
found that a woman, the wife of col
onel in the Confederate service, and a
small boy seemed to be the only occu-
pants.
The men were stationed in front and
rear Of the house, to intercept any one
who might be proving around. The
lady Of the house was a pronounced
rebel, yet she, at times, would come
out upon the front veranda of the
house and while endeavoring to per-
Suade the guard that it was not a
necessary thing to do--to guard her
premises-yet she had no objection to
have them camp in front of the house
and would talk quite facetiously at
times upon the stirring events of his
torical interest, always chewing the
agreeable and social end of a snuff
| sWab and on ceasing her delightful
recreation would lift her dress up to
the height of her stockings then would
thrust the end of her snuff stick firmly
into the band or garter that encircled
her hose, and pass into the house to
other duties. The labOrS of the first
day were not thing
passed off quietly and 10 incident dis
turbed the leisure hours till near the
posting of the midnight guard, when a
man in the distant fields was seen slow
| ly advancing toward the house in the
rear. COmrade Scott was on guard at
this point, and, waiting till the person
reached the back door, he crept stealth
lily up to within hearing distance and
discovered that the man was none 9th
err than the woman's husband. SCOTS
first impulse was to arrest him, as he
was an officer in the rebel army, but
the curiosity of the soldier is much like
that of a WOman'S, he deferred the ar
rest and listened breathlessly, and lis
tening he heard the woman of the
house tell her husband that when he
came again great care should be taken,
as there was a picket guard of seven
men in front Of the house. In reply the
man said: Tomorrow night about II
o'clock we shall come for the things as
We are in need of rations." He then
carefully departed.
When the morning dawned. early, be-
fore the slumbers of the household had
been disturbed, an investigation proved
successful. In a smoke house near by
was suspended a pig of 100 pounds
weight and thirty chickens all dressed
and ready for use. The incident of the
night was talked over by the little
squad of men and the night was looked
| forward to with interest-no sleep on
that post that night. The hour of II
was drawing near at hand. They saw
that their powder was dry and every
thing In shape Then the sergeant in
command ordered the men to crawl
ever and lay fat behind fence some
five rods in the rear of the house, de-
| plOyed at a distance of twenty feet or
more. Comrade Scott, who had discOy-
cred the situation and was foremost in
laying the plot. was to act in this
drama independently and so placed
himself further to the right and far in
| advance of the men at the line of the
fence. The moon was invisible, yet the
stars made the night light and some
distance could be observed. There was
to be a light placed in a window if the
coast was clear, but our wary soldiers,
thinking she might mistrust what was
up. hung a lantern they found on the
corner Of the house out of sight of the
folks within.
Patiently the party in ambush wait
ed. An hour passed by and nearly an
! other, when across the plain and down
| by the woods a quarter Of a mile away
near an old cart path. was heard the
unmistakable sound Of the hoof of
horses and the clicking like that of a
stirrup against the scabbard Of sabre.
Ten minutes more of suspense-it
seemed an hour. Hearts beat quickly
and hands grasped more firmly the rifle
as they saw four men advancing across
the field toward the house. COmrade
Scott. being in the shadow of some
friendly trees, was quick to discern the
men as they alighted from their horses
and as they advanced, he, making a
further detour, got in the rear of the
unsuspecting enemy. When the fence,
behind which the squad of Yankee sol
diers was posted had nearly been
reached, Sergeant Potter, in command,
! cried out, Halt" hearing which, Scott
ran for the horses so there would be no
| escape. The man left with the horses
thinking that the approaching soldier
was one OF his own party, was more
| than astoniShed when Comrade Scott
| took command and ordered him to
move toward the house noiselessly and
| holding fast the horses IF he dis