The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1912-06-20


of time and inspired by tie interest I
Immediately perceived depicted In tho
faces clustered about related mere
~ what they needed to know from tho
military viewpoint. leaving out all ref
erence to the girl. except to mention
that she was the cause Of Lieutenant
Dunn's night ride.
you report" said the major. that
the plan. as you understood II. was to
double the Confederate right wing to
the rear past their center last night:
then that during today. and under
protection Of those bluffs yonder. the
center will also be moved to the left,
thus massing their entire fighting force
Just back Of Minersville soon after
dark. with the intention Of hurIing it
in solid mass against our unprepared
right dank at daybreak tomorrow
Do l state this correctly7" a-.
THAT was my understanding. SIR"
"Yet our pickets have reported 10
movement apparent In their front.
Campfres were burning the full length
of the Confederate lines from Miners
Vile to Coulter's Landing all through
the night"
"Then the most of them must have
been dummy tres. sir. for rode from
Denslow's plantation to Coulter's with
out encountering a single man. l am
positive that after midnight there was
not a Confederate company left on duty
east OF Salter's creek. A few men
To ho
fires going. but their regiments were
certainly already on the march west
ward"
Rosecrans was leaning sttmy back
in his chair. tapping on the table with
the blunt end Of pencil. bis keen eyes
constantly studying my face. Sud.
denly he glanced over toward the
group of officers standing clustered in
the doorway.
| Captain Geer, were any Of your
scouts across the river last night? ?"
questioned Rosecrans.
! Daniels. SIR
Bring him In
he arrived shortly. still rubbing his
| eyes as though Just awakened from
sleep. as odd appearing specimen Of
the typical mountain white as ever
saw-long. loosely 5ointed limbs, mar.
row. stopped shoulders, bushiy whis-
kered face intensely solemn In express
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 commanded his atten.
ton. captain Geer tells me you were
across the river during the night
What did you discover"
"Waal. Gin'ral." he piped out in mere
squeak Of a voice. which sounded fun
ny enough. although no one laughed
.long maybe bout 10 o'clock. ther
night bein' tol'ble dark. got on ther
off side O log an sorter drifted With
ther current. steerin bit. o course.
till | come In nGin ther south shore.
reckon | clumb out maybe fifty feet
east O. ther mouth o Saiter crick. whar
bushes grow clar down TO ther edge O.
ther water. got ashore all right an
wormed my way up to ther top O. ther
bank. but tibet was bout all | did do
never see sich picket line afore rs
them Rebs he'd Thar wasn't u hole
that a black cat could "a crawled
! through 1t made me think tibet some
thin was happenin' fer sure. hut every
time I tried ter git out o thet bunch o
! trees | run up agin picket tried
ter crawl up along ther crick even.
wadin' in ther water under ther bank.
but thet was no good So Ion. bout
3 o'clock decided thet maybe !
might better be gittln' back nG'in over
to this side afore 1t got light"
land you neither saw nor heard any.
thing:''
MOT blame lot, anyway. heerd
battery goin' long. the fellers cussin'
an iicken' their hosses somethin' scan.
d'lous: an thar was conside'be mass
o. cavalry marhin' behind 'em. Ter
their things was Jingling. an they stop
! ped to water the hOsses in the crick.