davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The National tribune., 1910-11-10

Early was now waiting for an oppor-
tunity to strike Sheridan as Sheridan
had waited for an opportunity to strike
him, and knew from his spies both of
Sheridan's absence and of the depart
ure of the Sixth Corps. Apparently, tho,
he did not know of the return of that
splendid body of troops. From his sig
nal station on Tree Top Mountain
everything in the Valley in front of him
could be seen with the distinctness of
one looking upon the stage of a theater,
as we have remarked before. Early
and his officers not only saw the camps
of every regiment, but the arrangement
of every brigade, the position of every
corps They could see the men forming
for parade, dispensing for meals or
lounging about camp, and the move
ments were as evident to them as the
changing of pieces on chessboard.
What Early Saw.
What Gen. Early and his subordi-
mates saw from their point of vantage
was the Union army in line to repeat
the movements against Fishers Hill of
manding one of Early's Divisions. and
Capt. Jed Hotchkiss, Gen. Early's ac-
conplished Typographical Engineer,
spent a whole day in careful study of
the positions and in making sketches.
The bright, clear air allowed nothing to
be hidden. They saw that the LETT OF
the Union army was the Eighth Corps
lying in the angle of Cedar Creek, with
it's left flank toward the North Fork
and the base of Three Top Mountain.
At that point the river ran from west
to east, with the Three Top looking di-
rectly north and descending in a sharp
declivity TO the waters edge. In front
of the position of the Eighth Corps Ce-
dar Creek makes a right angle to run a
little east of south and falls into the
North Fork.
The right of the Eighth Corps rested
on the Valley pike. the course of which
is to the southwest to pass west of
Three Top Mountain and follow up the
course of the North Fork toward Mount
Jackson. The closeness of the left flank
of the Eighth Corps to the river and to
the steep sides of Three Top seemed a
sufficient protection 10 that flank of the
army.
The left flank Of the Nineteenth
The National tribune., 1910-11-10

shape; and We of the law-and-order
element thought that we saw clearly
that we would have to become law
breakers ourselves, for a time, and taxi
ing the law into our own hands, clean
out those fellows. or ourselves leave
the country; finally concluding to fight
il out instead of running.
Thus as an act of self-defense the
Vigilance Committee was organized,
during my absence at Lawrence, with
beginning of about 80 members; which
number soon increased to 100, and sub
seQuently to several hundred. My name
had been proposed for membership
during my absence, by my friend Ben.
Gump as my sponsor: and / had been
voted In as Number %"
/ made the trip to Lawrence safely,
and hiring some more teams there, re-
turned to Baxter Springs with my fam
lily and goods about the first of jan
uary, ST.
The Committee was now fully ergan-
lied, and ready for business, but as yet
had not made break: and the outlaws
had not discovered that we had formed
a combination against them, so quietly
and carefully had the Vigilants pro-
ceeded
We had sent a discreet man, Ed Cur
ran, who had had some experience as
a detective, into the enemy's camp as a
spy, and had learned enough to warrant
us in turning loose.
(To be. Continued)
The National tribune., 1910-11-10

crushing victories, proud of themselves,
their officers and the work they had
done, abundantly supplied with food,
and with no further apprehensions as
to the enemy in their front, gave them
selves up TO the full enjoyment of the
halcyon days. They took i'll all the
beauties of the scenery, and visited the
caves and other natural attractions of
that wonderful region. After the terri
BILE mental and physical strains to
which they had been subjected for so
many weeks 1t was as if they had sud-
denly been turned loose in Arcadia.
They knew that their old enemy was
in front of them in the position from
which they had routed him so easily a
short time ago, and his presence there
excited far more wonder than anxiety.
il seemed to them very poor gencralslip
indeed for him TO return with his beat
en- force 10 a position which he had
been unable to hold when much strong
er. They knew from their own per-
sonal knowledge how thoroly the coun-
try behind them had been devastated,
and that Early could not maintain him
self at Fishers Hill very long. Starya-
tion would force him To retreat even if
they did not themselves. This convic-
ton came very near being fatal for
Sheridan's army, for IL was shared by
everyone. from Gen. Wright down to
the men in the rear rank
Oct Is had been particularly balmy
and delightful. 1t was one of those
days of bright sunshine and light blue
that seemed made for the highest en-
1oyment of all created things. AS the
sun disappeared behind North Noun
tain the regiments came out for even
ing parade. The sharp, quick orders
Of the reviewing officers flled - -,
The National tribune., 1910-11-10

6ogwoods and the innurnerable shades
of purple, red and yellow of the ma
pies.
'.And now, as wanders the dilating eye
Athwart the varied landscape circling
far,
What gorgeousness, what blazonry,
what pomp
Of eolors, burst upon the ravished
sight!
Here, where the maple rears its yellow
crest,
A golden glory: yonder, where the oak
Stands monarch of the forest, and the
is grit with fame-like parasite, and
broad
The dogwood spreads beneath q rolling
field
Of deepest crimson; and afar, where
The gnarled gum, a cloud of bloodiest
red"
The vivid green of the pines, cloth
ing the hills and mountains, throw out
in strong relief the gold of the hick-
cries and tulip trees, the deep richness
of that wonderful yellow of the beeches,
whose secret the great painter Rem
brandt came so near to discovering, and
the Tyrian dyes of the clamSering vines
Haunting their painted leaves even 10
the tops of the highest trees.
There Is just enough of the first chill
of Winter in the air to make. each
breath like a draft of wine, setting the
pulses of life bounding with hope and
activity. Plump cattle and sheep feed
contentedly on the rich pastures, and
grazing horses gallop from one side of
the field to the other in the very eX
uberance of animal spirits. Flocks of
fattening turkeys, led by a pompous
gobbler in all the glory of iridescent
plumage, the pride of the Lord of the
Seraglio visible in every motion, march
across the fallow slopes, wheeling from
column into line and line into column
with the precision of soldiers in re-
sponse to the commands of the strut
ting marshal of the feathered troop.
It is good Just to be alive, and the
troubles Of life, TO the healthy body and
mind, disappear like the morning mists
before the sun. Sheridan's men, meas
urelessly content with their recent
The National tribune., 1910-11-10
A Presentiment of Danger.

/ can call it nothing else but a pre-
that | felt at this time, of
serious impending danger: else why did
my mind present to me the exact plot
that the robber gang had actually de-
tesmined on-though unknown 10 me
then-at one of their recent meetings,
for killing and robbng me? Altho
I had no knowledge of their plans, and
no definite reason to suspect that
The National tribune., 1910-11-10

the bands marched down the lines play
ing inspiring airs, and the men were
dismissed to their abundant suppers.
soon after to gather around the high,
blazing fires of fragrant cedar wood,
where, seated in little groups. they told
stories, sang songs. planned out what
they would do when the war was over,
etc. Soon the bands again assembled.
and made the night air sweet and
wholesome with the National tunes that
started the soldiers blood tingling,
when the boisterous tattoo and the
long wall of taps" sent everyone to his
blanket and closed a day which all felt
had been well worth the living.
On Fishers Hill.
Gen. Early, his officers and men were
burning to retrieve the prestige which
they had lost in such abundance during
the past few weeks. The Opequon and
Fishers Hill had seemed the direct re-
suit of that naughty spirit which goeth
before fall, that destruction which
follows pride. Gen. Lee fully realized
how absolutely essential victory won
by the Confederate arms was to his
hold upon Richmond. and that Early
was fighting his own battle Therefore,
he had spared the badly-needed Ker-
shaw to reinforce Early in the hope of
making a return blow that would re-
store the Confederate ascendancy in
the Valley.
The National tribune., 1910-11-10
Gen. Logan's Gray Horse.

Editor National Tribune: 1t seems
that the names of the soldiers who
captured the gray horse which Gen.
John A. Logan rode during the latter
part of his campaign are not generally
known outside of our brigade and divi-
sion. This gray horse was captured
from the rebel lines and presented to
Gen. John \. Logan by the general de-
tailed foragers, Edward Welch, of Co.
ID, 54th Ohio, Second Brigade, Second
Division, Fifteenth Corps, and Jacob
Mohler, Co. +, Saith Ohio, Second Bri-
gade, Second Division, Fifteenth Corps,
commanded by Gen. John A. Logan
and presented by them to him on tie
march to the sea, and he rode the gray
horse the remainder of his campaign.
Edward Welch resides in Washington,
D. G., and his post office address is us
2lst street northwest, and Jacob Mohler
resides in Paris, H., at 500 West End
Mohler, 500 West End
avenue, Paris, ILL.,
The National tribune., 1910-11-10

Corps rested on the VALLEY pike, and
the corps position was a semi-circle
behind the precipitous banks of Cedar
Creek. Its right flank reached north to
the Belle Grove House, which was the
headquarters of the army. Near this
there had been placed a mass of artil-
lery, and still farther to the right and
rear lay the Sixth Corps, with its left a
little in advance of the small village Of
Aiddletown, two miles from Strasburg
The deep gorge of Meadow Brook sepa-
rated the Nineteenth from the Sixth
Corps
The fronts of the Eighth and Nine
teenth Corps were intrenched, and with
the steep slopes, from 125 to 100 feet
high, of Cedar Creek, made them Sc
cure from Il front attack. In addition
TO Cedar Creek two other water courses
ran thru the camps breaking up the
terrain with their wooded gOrges. This
mad an influence upon the battle. as
these gorges prevented . general line
.of defense being assumed and allowed
the enemy, who Were fully acquainted
with the ground, to work around the
tanks of any force that might rally and
attempt to stem rout. These streams
were Meadow Brook and MiddIemarsh
Greek.
The proper frontage of all the corps
was toward Cedar Creek. it being re-
garded as impossible for the enemy to
approach from any other direction
There were several fords of the North
Fork along in the rear of Crooks COM
mand, but these were thought to be of
little importance and only lightly pick
eted.
Early's Plan.
Early decided to retaliate by infiicting
upon Sheridan something of the same
kind of a blow which had proved so dA-
The National tribune., 1910-11-10
A Statue OF Washington.

Fl. Il. Dunbar. NJ. D.. Candor. n. Y,
suggests that each comrnde be assessed
35 cents to supply a statue of Washing
ton TO replace the one now in the Cap
itol, which the State of Virginia may
remove unless they are allowed to force
the statue of Lee upon the loyal people.
The National tribune., 1910-11-10
THE WILDERNESS CAMPAIGN
CONTINUED from mage one.)

at Martinsburg about dark on the even
ing Of Oct. Il, staid there all night,
and early the next morning mounted
and rode over to Winchester, which
he reached between S and o'clock, and
spent the remaining hours of the after
noon in examining the country around
with a view to fortifying it. A courier
was sent TO the front for news, who
returned at dark, saying that everything
was quiet, and that brigade would
make a reconnaissance on the morning
of Oct. 19 to ascertain the position of
the enemy.
DeccitfuI LulI.
For several bright, balmy Indian
Summer days the men of Sheridans S
army had actual rest and enjoyment
Nothing more delightful can be imag-
ined than Indian Summer in the Valley
of Virginia The trees in the orchards
hang heavy with ripe fruit, the forest
paints itself with a thousand gaudy
hues and the fields with their ripened
grain breathe Autumn's rich content
over that which the season has
wrought. The gay, vivid flowers which
deck the meadows are in harmony with
the bright crimson of the black gum.
the rich. warm color of the sumac and
The National tribune., 1910-11-10

RoraliZing to his owr men at Fishers
Hill Gen. Gordon and Capt. Hotchkiss
had returned TO his camp on the even
ing of oct. 6 with full reports of the
Union position and careful sketches.
These sketches showed all the roads
and fords. Gordon and Hotchkiss re-
ported it practicable to move a column
along the wood road around the face
of Three Top Mountain, cross at the
fords and attack the Union army in the
rear. Gen. Pegram, who had been re-
connoitering directly in front of the
Union army, reported that an attack in
that direction promised no hope of sue
cess. as the gorges and Notifications
sufficiently protected the Union fronts.
Early adopted the plan suggested by
Gordon and Hotchkiss, and determined
to send Gordon, Ramseur and Pc
grams Divisions, under Gen. Gordon,
past the Union flank, while Wharton
and Kershaw should move down the
pike directly upon the Union front and
take advantage of the confusion caused
by the rear attack. All of the Confed-
crate artillery was to mass far in Whar-
tons rear and follow down the pike for
two reasons: First, on account of the
noise of the rumbling wheels, which
would attract the attention of the
Union pickets, and. second, since it
would be very difficult to get it over
the rough road which the infantry fol-
lowed. Early was to accompany Ker-
shaw and Wharton and the artillery to
precipitate them upon the Union front,
when the attack by Gordon should have
produced it's effect. Rosser's Cavalry
was to move out from the pike and at
tack the Union cavalry on the right
whenever the battle should become
general. LomaX, with the remainder
of the Confederate cavalry, was to
come up on the Union left from Front
Royal and join in wherever he saw an
opening. Gordon was ordered to begin
his fateful movement as soon as it was
dark, and it was to be made in the most
complete silence, swords and canteens
being left behind to prevent any possi-
bility of noise by them.
(To be continued)
The National tribune., 1910-11-10

they entertained serious designs on my
life, 1 became imbued with the idea
that they had formed "a plan to kill and
rob me on the road home; and had
even selected the place where they
would make the attempt-at the cross
ing of Shawnee Creek, where / would
probably camp the first night from BaX-
ter.
But 1 determined that would not al
low these cowardly foes to impell me to
seek different camp. or hide from
them. l camped that night right where
bers would look for me.
subsequently / was somewhat Jared
to hear Joe Boydston-in his voluntary
testimony before the Vigilance Commit
tee, without any questioning and with
out him or any one else knowing that
had suspected such a plot-state that
the gang had actually decided to kill
and rob me at Shawnee Creek. But
through some failure to make connec-
ton. the plan IniScarried, and / was al
lowed to slip through.
l remember very distinctly that the
night AL. and I camped in the timber
near shawnee creek crossing I did not
sleep a wink. but lay. all through the
night, with my shotgun in my hands,
and pistol close by peering out into the
darkness and listening to every noise
If the robbers had called on me that
night / am confident | would have fixed
some of them.
/ had not communicated my fears to
AL. lest he should ridicule me; and
after we left shawnee Creek next morn
ing my dread of danger left me; and I
began to think that possibly l had only
been badly scared by my own excited
imagination; but afterwards when
Boydston gave all the details of the plot
that the robbers had concocted to fix
me at that particular time and place,
1t seemed that / had not been needlessly
alarmed after all, altho 1 had no well
grounded cause for my suspicious.
Organization of the VigiIants.
Before l left Baxter Springs the busi-
ness men and best citizens-the law
abiding men-had begun to discuss the
situation with each other-such of them
at least as thought they could trust one
another-aDd the consensus of opinion
was that we would be compelled, in
self-defense, to organize in some shape;
but how to proceed without exciting
the suspicious of the enemy was the
question. We must find out something
more definite about them and their op-
erations before We could decide who
were our friends, and who our enemies;
and what plan of action to adopt to
meet the emergency.
Circumstantial evidence was not lack
ing to show that schemes were being
Matched by the suspected class against
the lives and property of several of our
prominent citizens. ThreSts were made
against good citizens who talked of
trying to punish the law breakers; and
broad hints We're thrown out that GER
tain ones of us who were not popular
with certain other ones had better
travel for our health. The civil law,
whose nearest representatives were at
Fort Scott, was powerless to protect u.s.
or 20 cope with these ruffians in any
Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1910-05-18
The Donkey on the Staae.

'7t's curious" said q theatrical man ax"r who had experienced many ups and l0wns. how the stage develops jeaiouSics. I once ha! show on the road in which 1t Was necessary to make use of q horse and donkey We got the animals we'll trained fot their parts. and on the opening night they gave a first class performance On the following night. however, WIS were unable to get the donkey to move out of the wings Prince, the horse, went on without any trouble whatever but Jaek--that was the name of the donkcy-could neither be coaXed nor driven out before the foOtlights. We finally had to go on with the perform anee with the donkey left out. After the show was over we got together and tried to find out what had beea the matter, Nobody could offer an ex- planation until one of the stage hands happened to pick up program, whici. showed that Princes name was print ed in the same kind of type we used for Jack. We got new lot of pro grams the neXt day with the donkey name printed in type which was ncar ly twice as big as that which we usoG for the horse. After that we never had the slightest trouble Chicago Record Herald.
Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1910-05-18
The Great Nidocu.

VidocQ, the great French detective. WIS born ;n .Nras In 1175. He began life as baker and early became the terro" of his companions by his athletit i:s:iie and violent disposition. At i.u ,'rlc time he was a notorious thief, ... 5'itsi' snany dlsGraceful adventures ..!.Stad in the army Tn 17a6 he re
 ;r-p,t io Paris with some money
 t. however. he soon sQuHadpred
 s.- .ee W;!s sentenced at Lii = aigh
 -is.rl ja!or for forgery, : re
 . e-e:sped. and in 1S9S 5s' '#a =t=..s zrz':ss.= se6, Ntth the rs,ris police 7 Il l.rl. His previous catezt '},s!4:4t! '7ls,ter Important .eis | es .thd aA..eiilte1 chief of the safety hri: ,,sieAy composed of r" arieve3 "ollT.t >. which purged Pafli If tie nlsI.iE t:aIsserots Classes. Ir ISIS hs re, eiIva a full parton. and his connection Wit!t this service lasted un til about 1S-s. when he settled at St Mande as a paper manufacturer. Soor after the revolution of 1880 he became political detective. but with little success. In 1S4S he was again em. ployed under the republican govern ment. but he died penniless in 1857.
Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1910-05-18
The Iona- Bamboo,

An Englishman was once rallying a native of India upon his faculty in ly. Ing. The native at once replied Why, sahib. we are all more or less liars in my country, and if one tells a story another immediately caps 1t There were two young men of my country who had boasting match and one said, My father Is so rich and has so many horses that his stable Is of such extent as to take a horse eleven months to go from one end stall to the other 'Shabash, brother re, piled the second boaster, that is yer: good. My father has a bamboo Sc long that he can sweep the clouds away with it when they obscure the sun in harvest time.' Hi, hiv ex. claimed the first That Is very won derful, but. pray, brother, where does your father keep such long banl. Doo" Why, you stupid was the an swer, in your fathers stable, to be sure!"
Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1910-05-18
THE MILITARY SQUARE.
A Formation Borrowed by Wallace
 From the -Ienoinus,

From the Jennings.
 The greatest of all Scottish anniver- saries is that of Bannuckburn, fought in the year 1874. Apart from it's bear ing on the independence of Scotland, the battle will always have an excep- tional interest from the military point of view, as Bannockburn may be said to have been the birthplace of the British square. Proud Edwards" army mainly consisted of cavalry, while that of the Scots, on the other hand, was almost exclusively composed of foot folk armed with the spear, and these Bruce threw into "schil- troms.' or oblong squares, formation borrowed by Wallace from the Elem ings, who had employed it with sue cess at Courtray to resist the charge of the English cavalry.
 Hitherto the mounted mail clad knight had carried everything before him, but Courtray and Bannockburn proved that he was powerless to break resolute spear armed infantry drawn up in 'schiltrom." or hedgehog. forma- lion, and these two battles revolution ized the tactics of the continent and of our own island. Profting by the lesson which had been taught them at Bannockburn, the English applied the tactics of the Scots with brilliant success at Creey and still more at Agincourt. As it was the Scots who may be said to have originated the British square at Bannockburn, so it was they again who at Balaklava were the first to discard it with their thin red line,' and HOW, owing to our changed conditions of warfare, it is discarded ltogether-London Chron- icle
Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1910-05-18
Moroccan Red Tape.

Official correspondence in Morocco Is couched in a very fowery and fam boyant style. It is interspersed with variety of meaningless adulatory phrases that tend to confound the real meaning of the epistle. For example, an order to the minister of finance to contract loan begins thus:
 Tn our present letter God increase his power and make the glorious sun and his moon glitter in the Armament of his felicity we have authorized our incorruptible servant (here follows name) to contract in the name and on the behoof of the treasury (heaven fill it) loan of -" etc.
 Considering that the "incorruptible servant" Is filching as much as he pos. sible can from the treasury it is cer. tainly necessary to pray that "heaven fill it."-London Graphic.
Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1910-05-18
A Snake Story.

The family were at dinner when there came a tap at door seldom opened Winning no attention, it was repeated and again a third time, though more softly, and then the door was swung back and, behold, there was a snake, knocking at the portals of hospitality! Down upon its head. in conformity with the decree of tradi- tion and with Ezra's understanding of scriptural direction. crunched Brit ish boot. It was mother snake, who. having bravely overcome her fear of man, was seeking sustenance. not for herself perhaps, though she was starv- Ing, but more likely for the little ones that were found in the grass by the brook. Thus for once, at any rate. did the craftiness of the devil succumb to the instinct of motherhood.-Georg B. M. Harvey in North American Re- view