The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1908-03-12
Civil War Stories

seven Boys or Company u, or which
Dwight L. Scott, quartermaster of
Camp S3, L. V. L., of Worcester, Mass.
was one, We're detailed to go out about
three miles and do guard duty at a
rebel house and act as pickets. On
arriving at the place assigned it was
found that a woman, the wife of a 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 prOwling around. The
lady of the house was q 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 q
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 del ghtful
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 onerous-everything
noCSa1 off nr,fof1- onI NJ ;naiI1n% 1T,
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
er. 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
$1,000 vi III ~ thh nLCh At
came again great care should be taken,
as there was a picket guard of sever
men in front q the house. In reply the
man said: Tomorrow night about IL
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 q smoke house near by
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 IL
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
along singly without any noise what
five rods in the rear of the house, de
ployed at a distance of twenty feet oil
more Comrade Scott, who had discov
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 lei at the line of the
fence. The was invisible, yet the
stars made the night light and som
distance could be observed. There was
coast was clear, but u 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 dowr
by the woods a quarter of a mile away
near an old cart path, was heard the
unmlstakable sound of the hoOf OF
horses and the clicking like that of 0
stlrrup against the scabbard of a sabre
Ten minutes more of suspense
seemed an hour. Hearts beat quickly
and hands grasped more firmly the rife
as they saw four men advancing across
the field toward the house. Comradt
Scott, being in the shadow OF som
friendly trees, vas quick to discern the
men as they alighted from their horse.
and as they advanced, he, making 8
further detour, got in the rear Of the
u~nsuspecting enemy. When the fence
behind which the squad of Yankee sol
diers was posted had nearly beer
reached, Sergeant Potter, In command
cried out, Halt" hearing which, Scot
ran for the horses so there would be NJ
escape. The man left with the horse.
thinking that the approaching soldier
was one of his own party, was more
than astonished when Comrade Scot
took command and ordered him Il
move toward the house noiselessly ant
holding fast the horses. If he dis
J obeyed he would shoot him on the spot
When within twenty rods of the fenc,
the sergeant in command gave the or
der, Halt" 1T is all right, I've go
the horses" 1t was a grand piece o.
strategy. All had been captured. A
guard house was imprOvised and
strong guard posted till morning, wher
the five Johnnies. with their horses. pi,
Inc fowls, took up the line of marci
under guard of these joyous Union sol
diers. and entered the camp of TIT
Tenth Massachusetts Regiment. Thi'
affair created much interest at the tim,
OF its occurrence and was mentioned OIL
dress parade as a mark Of honor to al
Observation-Disclosures
The Death He Feared.
To foil from uronndS whila facing IN,