The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-07-23

OliIawS aNU lad ourselves liable -
be shot.
To guard against any surprise, el-
ther in front or in the rear, | sent
two men forward, and had two to fol-
low in the rear, several hundred yards
to give warning, should anything un-
usual turn up. About ten o 'clock. We
concluded TO halt a short while for
breakfast and rest. but just then. the
videtteS left III the rear.came running
up and reported, body Of horsemen
in our ear We we're on a wooded
hill with a considerable valley be-
tween Us and the hill behind. so [
deployed my men as skirmishers on
either side of the thoroughfare, con-
cealing them behind the great trees
that covered the hill We were on. We
waited in breathless silence, listening
to the distant rumbling which we took
to be artillery. I had recently re-
cruited my company with large
number Of young men from the boy
companies at Florence, and they be-
came unduly excited and ratified at
the prospects of getting into fight
with our own men.
A short while after getting the men
in position, we saw coming down the
opposite hill ten or twelve mounted
men, apparently examining our tracks
and behind the horsemen were a dozen
or more covered wagons, six mules
to a team. I couldn't for the life Of
me make it ont. When the troops
came up opposite, or rather inside of
our Gordon, I stepped out, and cried,
"Halt.'' Then came the clicking
down our lire as the men cooked their
rifles. and Of all the frightened men
I ever saw, these horsemen were Ger.
tainly the most frightened. When
they looked down the line and saw the
bristling guns, they fairly lost their
wits. They seemed to be all officers,
and when I questioned them as to
their business and purpose, they SIM
ply looked at each other in blank
amazement. unable to make any reply.
I then told them we were soldiers that
did not wish to surrender and were
trying to make our way to the Trans
Mississippi, and that we would not he
turned back without a struggle. Thel
a great smile spread all over their
countenances. one Of the older men
shouted, ''that' 5 our tramp precisely.
We do not wish to surrender, and we
are taking these teams and wagons
back to our homes in Mississippi. -
An understanding was soon reached;
we Joined forces and took up our
march together The wagons were all
loaded with sugar, coffee, meat and
Confederate cloth. They promised to
give US plenty to eat and drink and to
carry our baggage while we were to
guard and protect the train. l gath
cred from their conversation, that this
train belonged to the Western army
and was under their control, that they
had selected the very best mules and
outfit. loaded up with the most sale
able and valuable goods, and were
making their way home; there to sell
the outfit and divide the money be-
tween them. They were quarter-maS-
ters and commissaries, and when they
told me Of their designs, l determined
then and there, that we, too, would
have finger in the pie when divide
or separation took place. We travelled
along in good humor with ourselves
and our newcomers felt highly pleased
and satisfied at the idea Of being
guarded by a hundred rltfemen. Ihey
fed US we'll and we lived like lords
while it lasted.
We travelled along leisurely for
several days, without accident, until
we came to a large stream, greatly
swollen by recent rains up the river.
We had been travelling in regular mil
itary order, the wagon train IN the
center, with our troops in front and
rear. Inasmuch as / had command OF
that branch of our little army that
had the fighting and guarding to do,
should we be set upon, the Misslsslp-
plans very willingly turned the entire
direction Of affairs over to my hands.
We went into camp for few days
at an old mill, with the ford just be-
low, to await the subsistence OF the
waters. During this time, We heard
that the Yankees were on the other
side Of the river and were plcketlng
every crossing Of rivers, north OF the
c,s1o line This information threw