Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1912-06-20
A + ii1aaieGh Anniversary WAR Story
By RANDALL PARRISH
COPYRIGHT. 1902 BY A. c. MecLURG & co.

I told it swiftly. realizing the value
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, 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 it, 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 flank at daybreak tomorrow
Do 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
Denslow's plantation to Coulter's with
out encountering single man. l am
positive that after midnight there was
not Confederate company left on duty
nf SoIfnrsc A
may have been detailed to keep the
fires going. but their regiments were
certainly already on the march west
ward
Rosecrans was leaning stif1y back
in his chair. tapping on the table with
the blunt end of Il pencil. his 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?"
qlps,ione Rosecrans.
Daniels, sir"
Bring him I'm
+ He arrived shortly, still rubbing his
eyes as though just awakened from
sleep, as odd appearing specimen of
the typical mountain white as ever l
saw-lorg, loosely jotnted limbs. mar
row. stopped shoulders. bushily whis-
kered face intensely, solemn In express
sion and strangely wrinkled. yet orna.
mented with keen blue eyes containing
some shrewd humor ID 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 discovery
WAL gin'ral." be 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 Their
of Side o. a log an sorter drifted with
Their current. steerin' bit. O. course
reckon | clumb out maybe fifty feet
east o 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. ther
bank. but tibet w:ls bout all did do
never see SIGH a picket line afore as
them Rebs he'd. Thar wasn't hole
that black cat could "a crawled
through. II made me think tibet some
thin was happenin' fer sure. but every
time tried ter git out o. tibet bunch O
trees run up agin picket. tried
ter crawl I'D along ther crick even
wadin' in ther water under Their bank.
but tibet was no good So long bout
3 O'clock l decided tibet maybe |
might better be gittin' back ag'in over
to this side afore It got light"
And you neither saw nor heard any.
thing?"
mot blame lot. anyway. heerd
a battery goin' long. the fellers cussin'
an Hcken' their bosses xumethin' scan.
d'lous; an thar was conside'ble mass
o. cavalry marchin' behind 'em. Ter
their things was iinRling, an they stop