Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1912-06-22
a lSiaa5eGh Anniversary War Story
By RANDALL PARRISH



of time and inspired by the interest I
Immediately perceived depicted in the
faces clustered about I related mere
ly what they needed to know from the
military viewpoint, lea wing 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 rhe left.
thus massing their entire fighting force
just back of MinerSville soon after
dark. with the intention of hurting it
in solid mass against our unprepared
right flank at daybreak tomorrow?
Do I state this correctly?"
That was my understanding. sir"
Yet our pickets have reported no
movement apparent in their front
CampfireS 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 fires. sir. for | rode from
Densiow's plantation to Coulter's with
out encountering single man. / am
positive that after midnight there was
not a Confederate company left on duty
east OF Salter's creek A few men
may have been detailed TO keep the
fires going. but their regiments were
certainly already on the march west
ward"
Rosecrans was leaning stfffiy back
in his chair. tapping on the table with
the blunt end of pencil. mis- 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 -
CUES, ioned Rosecrans.
Daniels. 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 |
saw-long. loosely tointed limbs. mar
row. stopped shoulders. bushiiy whis-
kered face intensely solemn in express
sion and strangely wrinkled. yet orna-
mented with keen blue eyes containing
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 discovers:
"Waal gin'ral." be piped out in a mere
squeak of voice. which sounded fun
ny enough. although no one laughed.
long maybe bout 10 O'Clock. Their
nj<-H t,.ait, rnf.hl.a 4 r-or IN thor
of side a. log an sorter drifted with
Their current. steerin' IL biz. O. course
till come in aEin Their south shore
/ reckon I clumb out maybe tifty feet
east q Their mouth o. Salter crick. whar
bushes grow clar down to Their edge o.
Their water got ashore all right an
wormed my way up to Their top o. Their
bank. but tibet was bout all did do
! never see SIGH Il picket line afore as
them ReiS he'd. Thar wasn't a hole
that a black cat could "a crawled
through. II made me think thet some
thin was happenin'- fer sure. but every
time tried ter git out o. tibet bunch o.
trees l run up agin picket I tried
ter crawl up along Their crick even.
wadin' IN Their water under Their bank.
but tibet was no good so long bout
8 O'Clock I decided tibet maybe
might better be gittin' back ag'in over
to this side afore ii got light
And you neither saw nor heard any
rhings"
: Not a blame lot anyway | heerd
a battery goin' long. the fellers cussin'
an licken' their bosses somethin' scan
d'lous: an thar was a conSide'ble mass
o. cavalry marchin' behind EN-. fer
their things was fin1linr an they stop
ped to water the bosses in the crick-