The National tribune., 1910-08-04
CAPTURING A GRIST MILL.
A Detachment of the 7th Mo. Cav.
Make "a Most Successful Raid, and
noD q Lot of Rebels and Horses.

Bag a Lot of Rebels and Horses.
Editor National Tribune: Our three
years service expired Aug. 9, 1864, and
| on the 18th Lieut.. Groves, in command
| of IA men of Co. A and II of Co. b, 9TH
| Mo- Cav, left Pine Bluffs, Ark. at day
| light on a secret march OF S2 miles
south to a grist mill, which Gen. Clay
ton was anxious to know whether the
rebels were operating. We were guild
ed by Columbus MARI, who lived in the
neighborhood of the mill. He was loyal
and brave.
About noon We stopped back of a
field, where the guides mother, wild
ow, lived, and about three miles from
the mill, AS soon as our horses Were
rested we started for the mill thru the
timber. We had not gone far until we
could hear the throbbing Of the engine.
We went within so rods of the mill,
when the Lieutenant concealed the
command in a thicket and gave US Or
1ers to remain quiet until his return.
lie and the guide left.
In about an hour they returned, hav-
ing gone inside the rebel camp 10
house which was not more than 200
Yards from the mill, occupied by a
Union family. AS our guide was per-
sonally acquainted with the family and
knew he could trust them. he had one
of the girls go to the mill under the
ruse of having some milling done, and
get all the information she could in re-
gard TO the location of their camp and
the number of soldiers there, which
she did.
The Lieutenant called us around him
and said: Gen. Clayton sent me to
find out whether or not the rebels were
running the mill, which they are. There
are 1G0 men running and guarding 1t:
there are 20 now at the mill and 30 on
Il scout between here and Pine Bluffs,
and have started since noon. Two miles
south of the mill is their main camp,
occupied by 1000 infantry and cavalry.
with two sections Of artillery. 1 have
fulfilled my mission. 1t is up tc you IL
we go any farther" --.-..---
A tall, lank fellow by the name of
Nichols Strengthened himself up, and
said: Lieutenant. we don't want to use
ourselves up like we did To-day without
getting one shot" "All right" said the
Lieutenant; mount your horses"
We We're now about 80 rods north
east of the mill. and their camp was
900 southwest. We made circuit un-
Ill we were almost west of their camp
and about 200 yards from it, when we
halted, and the Lieutenant told Serg't
Smith, of Co. B. to take IL men of his
company and charge the camp. and he
would take the IA from Co. A and
charge the mill, and gave me orders to
take those left of Co. A and not come
into the mill yard until all of the men
were in.
The rebels were surprised, and did
not discover our presence until Sergt
Smith with his squad rode into their
camp and demanded their surrender
and opened fire on them. Those that
did not surrender took to the woods and
left their horses, and those running the
mill rushed out to see what the commo-
tion was, only to find the mill yard in
possession of Co. A. Some surrendered;
Others started to run, which was the
wrong thing to do. as they exposed
themselves to the fire of our revolvers.
Capt Henry, in command of the Con-
federates, had been captured at Arkan-
sas Post some time before, and had just
been exchanged. He had ridden in
from the main camp. and might have
made his escape had he known the sit
uafion. ] saw ne was surrounded. 50
called to him to surrender, which he
did.
1t was then about o'clock in the
evening, and a heavy rain storm was
brewing. which / have always thought
was our salvation. The Lieutenant
called us together. and gave us orders
10 set fire to their camp, get all the
horses ready, detail a guard for the
prisoners and be ready to march in the
quickest time possible.
gathered up a firebrand out of their
campfire. and started in the first tent
in the line. and kicked up the straw
and applied the torch. and was ready to
go out again, when / saw an old-fash-
toned pair of saddle bags. the same as
the frontier Methodist preachers used
on their circuit. My curiosity was
aroused to know what it contained, so
rescued it from the fire and threw it
across my saddle and proceeded to help
gather up the horses.
In a few moments we were on the
march, and by this time the rain was
falling in torrents. The Lieutenant, in
stead of starting towards the Bluffs,
started on the road to the main rebel
camp, but only followed it until we
were out of sight of the houses that
surrounded the mill, and then took to
the woods again. We made another
circuit back around the mill and struck
the Bluff road three or four miles north
of the mill, getting there just at dark.
We got into Pine Bluffs the next
morning about l o'clock. We led in 63
horses. IL or IA prisoners. among them
Capt. Henry, with no loss to our COM
mand. When opened the saddle bags
/ had found an old uHdersiIirt, which
was inhabited, and a muster roll-W.
II. Craven, Sergeant, Co. A, 9TH Mo.
Cav, Milton, Iowa.