Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1912-04-26

ginia campaigns memorable MT StrlngIeIioW
relates page of this hitherto unwritten his
tory which was known to very few at the time,
and which deserves to be set among the an
mails of the war for the young of this day to
read and remember
The time was just previous to the second
battle of Cold Harbor. General Grant was adj
vancing on Richmond. His plan of campaign
was known to Lee in it's main outlines before
the movement of his troops actually began.
He was approaching Lee from the direction of
Culpepper Courthouse and Fredericksburg,
and his plan was either to crush Lees army
with overwhelming forces or at least to detain
the southern army at a convenience distance
from Richmond until an army under the com
maHd of General Butler should up in the
rear of Lee and seize Richmond. "The bold
ness of Grant and the skill of Lee, says Mr..
StriDgfellow resulted in loss to the Union
arms, in killed, wounded and captured. of
number of men exceeding the entire army OF
Lee, and when the movement had been COM
pleted Grant stood on the same ground where
Mcclellan had formerly stood almost without
the loss of a man"
AS the movement progressed, however, Mr..
Stringfellow informed Lee of the approach of
q part of Buffers forces under the command
OF Gen Badly Smith, and estimated the force
as about 10000 men. The daring young scout
suggested that some force should be sent to
oppose him by burning bridges, etc., to delay
him few hours. Lee replied that he had
one to send; that his entire force busy in
opposing Grant. Mr. Stringfellow told his gen.
erai that Company @ was at that time unem-
ploged, and asked permission to call for vol
anteers whom he would lead
company O." says the venerable exscout,
was made up of cavalrymen with broken-down
horses or who had lost their horses in action,
Ind was composed Of about sixty men and
anded by sergeant Lees eyes twinkled
nth at the suggestion. I wonder what
z1Npeys Smith would link il he knew that
was sending Company to resist his advance
he said, and laughed more heartily than / ever
heard him during the four years of the war;"
However, Leo gave his scout the proper au-
thority, and he went to Company @ and made
what he calls his first public speech. When
he ceased and waited for the volunteers to
spring to the front, no one sprang. There was
dead silence. Upon this the sergeant took the
stump and addressed his men with the elo-
Quenee of Patrick Henry. Again there was
dead silence. The men of Company @ evident
II liked to live.
MI. Stringfellow then urged upon the SER
geant his duty to lead the way by Offering his
own service. and when the officer said that he
was In command at the camp and could not
Leave his men, the scout showed him the au.
thOrity from Lee, which he could not evade.
He stepped across the line and at once became
q very efficient recruiting agent, and at last
found sixteen men, including himself. who
were willing to make the attempt to keep back
an army This gave the scout nineteen men
altogether he had three scouts under him.
On his way to Lees headquarters that
morning Mr.. Stringfelow had followed the
trail OF COW till it crossed the Chickahominy
river at point which, he was satisfied.
Inn 70 lint oudh he oh
as HIS crossing place into the enemy's lines.
Before the sun went down the twenty men
crossed the river, with a good deal of delay
and difficulty. as It was almost bank-full
AS we stood in that lonely swamp he
says I'VE could hear on the opposite SIDE
road running parallel with the stream. the
rattle of wagon wheels and the cluck of the
artillery, and the shouts of the drivers they
were urging teams on a forced march. These
we're good many thousand cavalry, under the
command of General Sherman. They were
leading Grants army and had a twofold object
In the movement; first to secure supplies for
men and horses by establishing base On the
James river: and, second, to draw line across
the advance Of the enemy to hide the move
ment OF Buffers army"
MIR. Stringfellow planned his crossing
through this line of march, telling his men
to fan in between the wagons one by one, and
at a certain point where the woods came down
on the other side to fall out again in the same
manner AS he went forward to reconnoiter
beforehand, however he was followed by one
OF mis- men, who told him to come back or he
would not have man left the sergeant
was using all his eloQuence to make them re-
treat. He stole back to the line and paused
long enough to hear the sergeant say, "Yes.
men. this reminds me Of one Of Aesop's fables.
Once upon time there was deer which was
walking quietly through the woods when he
came upon a lions den. under great rock.
The lion, with a sweet smile on his face, asked
the deer to come In. The deer replied, I would.
sir. but observe that there are great many
tracks leading into your den, and none come
ont That's what's happening now. We hear
a great deal about the brave men who yolun-
teer to go into the lines with the captain; but
where are the men he has ever brought back?"
Upon this" Mr. Stringfellow relates. 4
made my second speech It was short
branded him q coward. and ordered him back
to his camp. Then + made a plain statement
OF the difficulties and dangers Of this trip, and