The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-12-04
CHAPTER VI.
WE FIND THE COURIER.

tue uoOEWdS.
 CHAPTER VI
 WE FIND THE COURIER.
 "@APTAIN GEER. were any of
 your scouts across the river
 Last nighty" questioned Rose
 cranS.
 ''Danieis, sir"
 Bring him in."
 He arrived shortly. still rubbing his eyes as though just awakened from sleep. as odd appearing a specimen of the typical mountain white as ever 1 saw-long. loosely jointed limbs. nar- row, stopped shoulders. bushily whis- kered face intensely solemn in expres- sion and strangely wrinkled. yet orna- mented with keen blue eyes containing some shrewd humor in their depths.
 Daniels" and the generals stern voice instantly comma nded his atten- ton. "Captain Geer teilssme you were across the river during the night What did you discovery
 'sWaal. gin'ral." he piped out in a mere squeak of a voice. which sounded fun ny enough. although no one laughed. Hong maybe bout 10 o'clock. ther night bein' torble dark. I got on ther off side O log an sorter drifted with ther current, steerin' a bit. O course, till come in agin ther south shore. I reckon l clumb out maybe fifty feet east O ther mouth O Salter crick. whar bushes grow clar down to ther edge O ther water. l got ashore all right an wormed my way up to ther top O ther bank. but thet was bout all 1 did do. 1 never see sich picket line afore as them Rebs he'd. Thar wasn't hole that black cat could "a crawled through. It made me think thet some thin was happenin' fer sure, but every i time tried ter git out O thet bunch O trees I run up agin a picket. l tried ter crawl up along ther crick even. wadin' in ther water under ther bank. but thet was no good. So long bout o'clock decided thet maybe I might better be gittin' back ag'in over to this side afore it got light"
 "And you neither saw nor heard any, thingP'
 'sNot a blame lot, anyway. ! heerd a battery goin' long. the fellefs eussin' am licken' their hosses somethin' scan- d'ious; an thar was conside'ble mass O cavalry marchin' behind lem. fer their things was jingling, an they stop ped to water the hosses in the crick. couldn't git near 'nough to hear their talk. Ye see. gin'ral. 1t was a line O fires what kept me back more'n the pickets. fer thar wasn't a place but what was lit up. Thar was sure some sorter movement goin' on thar. but couldn't make head ner tail to it. 'cept that all them troops that saw was marchin' west"
 Then Rosecrans spoke.
 ''This looks decidedly serious to me. gentlemen. and I feel sufficient faith in Sergeant Kings report to act imme- diately upon 1t. If it be true that Johnston is massing against our right and has left the ford at Coulter's un- guarded. this offers us an opportunity for countermarch if we only move swiftly enough. Hand me the maps. major.
 "I am fully aware of the danger in- volved in dividing our force in the presence of the enemy" he said at last, lifting his eyes to the faces anxiously watching him, "but to my mind the peril will be even greater if we per. naft the enemy to carry out their pres ent plans unchecked. If at this june ture we can only strike unexpectedly in their rear we shall win. The aid of surprise will be with us. and it is worth much to an army just to feel that they are on the aggressive. Smiley. ride to McGirth and Williams: tell them to mass their brigades opposite Minersville and to hold the ford at all cost: explain the situation to them fully. Wyatt. have Colts brigade sta tioned in reserve in the hills back of the town. Now. Parker. Seaman. Just and Shea. start the remainder of our troops on forced march to Coulter's ford. Let there be no delay. not even to cook rations. Wilson will move first with the cavalry, to be immediately followed by Sher.dan's brigade. These will proceed by the river road. while the others will follow the ridge as rap- idly as they can be made ready. Fur ther orders will reach them at Coui- ter's. That is all. gentlemen"
 Rosecrans. the major. the scout Dan- fels and myself were left alone in the room. The generals glance fell upon me.
 "Do you need rest. sergeant?"
 "No. sir"
 "Glad of that. as require your serv- ices. There is no battery l can assign you to at present, but l judge from your story that you ride we'll and you should know the country thoroughly between the Landing and Salter's creek. am going to appoint you temporarily on my staff with the rank of lieutenant and place you in com mand of the advance scouts. Major. see that Lieutenant King is furnished with a suitable uniform and a good horse and that he and his command get away at once"
 Twenty minutes later I was gallop- ing down the river road with an odd following at nay heels.
 There were twenty all told. excep- tionally well mounted. l observed at q glance. There was. to be sure. sem- blance of uniform, but exhibiting marks of rough service. and represent ative of every department. so that no <l