The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1908-08-13
Civil War Stories
A woman,s Courage.

Morgan's men are on u.s.
1t was in 1863, at the time when
John Morgan and his famous band of
guerrillas were raiding the country,
pillaging, burning and striking terror
to all the country round about, that
little band of Union men, about 500,
detachment of General Lew Wallace's
division, who had been left to protect
supplies at a point in Kentucky near
the Ohio line, were surprised and sur
rounded by Ellsworth's division Of
Morgan's men.
a sergeant dashed without ceremony
into headquarters with the startling
news. There was no time for delay.
The outposts had reported the stimuli
taneous appearance of lines Of mounted
men springing like ghosts from all
points Of the compass.
"Morgan's devils? That means trou-
ble," cried the Colonel Here, Craw-
ford, wire Cincinnati. for reinforce
| nents."
Frank Crawford, an aid to General
Wallace, and detailed as telegraph OPP
orator, grasped the key of the ticker
and flashed an appeal over the wire.
Back came the answer:
Special train. 1000 men. south
bound, pass you In an hour. Stop
| them"
Preparations for defense were useless.
The guerrillas began to close in and the
bluecoats found themselves outnumber
ed five to one. But there appeared to
be no intention on the part of the raid
ers to press fight They amused them
selves by slowly riding around the
camp and setting slow fires to the sup
ports Of railroad bridges over the river
near the camp This gave the Union
boys no little alarm Some one must
get through the lines and flag the train.
"Who will volunteer to run the
gauntlet?" asked the commander
He looked at the circle Of brave men
around him. There was a pause. 1t
| meant almost certain death.
II will CO." cried one.
| What, you. Crawford?"
"Yes. Here, give me the flag"
Frank Crawford was no coward, but
In tent adjoining headquarters lay a
handsome brown-eyed woman, his
wife, and by her side a bright little
baby boy, born under the old flag but
four days before. Near by an old col
ored nurse was comforting a 3-year-old
lad who was frightened by the noise
without. The husband and father cholz-
ed back the emotions which threatened
to shake his brave purpose, and after
hasty embrace and parting kiss
rushed out of the tent
The guerrlllas were riding around
outside. keeping close watch over every
movement in camp. Stealthily Craw-
ford moved along, watching for an I'M
| guarded point at an opportune mo-
ment. Mrs. Crawford was as brave as
her husband. Rising from her bed, sLs
staggered to the door of the tent just
In time to see him captured. Her heart
stood still for q momen; then, quick as
q flash, she turned, pressed her babe to
her bosom for an instant, then glided
out and across the camp between the
tents, like a white robed specter. Heed
less of danger, she hurried on, the ex-
element giving her strength.
The soldiers stood aghast as the wo-
man rushed past them. Ahead were
the bridges, and clouds of smoke were
slowly rolling skyward from the rebel
| fires beneath.
Haiti" The order rang out above
| the din.
The determined woman paid no at
| tention to the command.
| Fire. A cloud of bullets fell on
| all sides. She needed them hot, but
ran on, her long black hair flying about
her shoulders and her loose gown and
bare feet giving her the appearance
Of an insane woman. She reached the
bridge and leaped from tie to tie in
safety. Beyond was a second bridge.
| Could she make it? 1t was burning
underneath She could see the flames
leaping up around the beams. She
grew dizzy. She dared not look down.
Everything was getting black. With
superhuman strength she gathered her
self for the final effort Another beam
was reached, another, one more. Thank
| God, she was over.
Her foot had scarcely left the last
beam when, crash the whole structure
| collapsed. Mortified and stunned by
the effect OF her narrow escape, for a
moment she was powerless to move.
Then she heard the whistle of the To-
connective as 1t rounded the curve.
Sprlnging forward, followed by the
angry and disappointed cries OF her
pursuers, and grasping the little red
skirt of her baby. which she had picked
up from the floor Of the tent as she
left, she raised 1t, aid. summoning all
her remaining strength, waved it frant-
ically above her head. rifle shot rang
out, and the brave woman fell, pierced
by a rebel bullet.
The signal was seen. The train with
| its precious freight was stopped al
most at the brink Of the ravlne
On the side track In front OF the en-
CINE lay she who had risked her life
20 save soldiers. White and still was
| he upturLed face, as though death had
aid his hand upon her. Tenderly the
| silent figure was carried into a car and
| aid upon a hastily constructed cot, end
gentle hands ministered to her needs
Meanwhile dramatic scene was be-
ne enacted not far away. General
| Ellsworth had ridden up to the top of
q knoll above the camp where he could
| command view Of all that passed be-
low. Crawford, the operator, had been
strapped to the back Of horse and
was being carried, surrounded by
crowd of soldiers, to their chief
The lawlessness Of Morgan's men had
| .aused a general order from Union
headquarters to be posted all over the
country announcing that any one