Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1911-05-25
passed a small station. It was ,t,,,

from the one where l had taken the
engine. l pushed on. but stopped aft
er going a few miles to rake out the
cinders. When this was done l knew
I would o get steam enough to go
as fast as the roadbed would permit,
which was not very rapid, for there
had been no work done on it since the
war commenced, and it was very
rough. So long as I had stopped 1
concluded to do some more cutting of
the telegraph wires, and, climbing a
pole, nipped them again.
Elm a few miles more I came to an
other station. This one was open I
slowed up and called to a man inside:
"'Bring me a time table, quick
Gle took a soiled table from his
pocket and handed it to me.
"'Anything coming?' I asked.
"'You'll meet No. 5 at b. he replied.
"'Next station?
"'Next but one.'
"'Any side track at the next?'
eyes. What you dom runnin' wild
this way?
Government business was my re-
ply as 1 rolled away.
II glanced at the time table and
found the man was right. In two
miles there was a station. Three miles
further on was B. I resolved to go to
the next station, get on a side track
and wait. I soon covered the two
miles separating me from it, got on to
the switch and in ten minutes a pas
senger train went by. I saw the con-
ductor leaning out and looking back
at me, but he didn't seem to think it
worth his while to inquire what 1 was
doing there.
"Of course / couldn't get on this way
very long. I was sure to be stopped in
time and called upon to give an ac-
count Of myself. So I bethought my
self what story I would tell. 1 might
say 1 was bearer Of dispatches from
one general to another, but 1 knew
nothing about the southern command
ers Of that region. While I was think
ing 1 passed another station. A man
was sitting on a box reading a morn
ing paper. I slowed down and asked
him the news.
""Thar's been q fight on the Charles
ton and Savannah railroad at POGO
talego,' he said.
I asked.
General Beauregard.'
This was enough for me. I would
pretend to be going for ammunition.
1t was well that I had found some
story to tell, for at the very next sta
ton 1 reached I found a freight train
standing on the track stopping my
way. I pulled up in front of the loco
motive. The engineer of the freight
was sitting in his cab reading about
the battle the day before. 1 yelled to
him to back up and take the siding.
He called the conductor, who asked
who I was.
YOU'D ought to know by my uni
FORM I said, that I'm a Confederate
soldier. You get your train out of my
way pretty quick
"'What right have you to order me
about?'
What right? I'm making a quick
run for ammunition by General Beaure-
CARDS order. If Pm delayed I'll let
the general know who delayed me-
"That was too much for him. He or
dered his engineer to back up to the
siding, and I started putting on full
! speed as l proceeded.
II was in such luck about the battle
having occurred just in the nick Of
time and in thinking Of my ammuni-
ton scheme that I considered it prob
able l might get through the network
ahead of me. I knew that certain
parts of North Carolina were full Of
Union people who would hide me and
help me get on northward.
Fortunately for me there wasn't
many trains coming southwark, and
by working the ammunition story I
managed to get on till moor without
being stopped. Then l saw by smoke
ahead that l was coming to a city.
which by my time table I judged to
be Raleigh. 1t was one thing to pass
s1ldil SldtlOlS, WHERE (lo agent lad
little to do with the running of trains.
and another to get through a city
where the dispatching was done.
While the country was yet open
pulled up at a station. The agent was
sitting at a telegraph machine with
the window open. and he hailed me.
"'Say.' he said, 4 just got word over
the wires that there's a wild locomo-
tive cavortin' over the road. and I'm
ordered to stop it. Are you the fellow
that's running it?
eyes. I'm after ammunition for the
troops below. I've got to git into
Raleigh right off,
with that 1 opened her up, and
away I went. Looking back, I saw
the agent standing on the platform
gaping at me.
II knew now that my run was ended
But I wouldn't leave my locomotive
until I had put it on a side track
since 1 didn't wish to be the cause OF
IN accident. But neal the city side
traclys yoro moro frar11opt opd cor