The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1913-11-28

not been taken.
"where are you going now?" he
asked.
1--WE are going on roundabout
course to rejoin our regiment"
watched the general. holding my
breath in terror lest he pursue his in
quiries to a point beyond my knowl-
edge. He thought awhile. then asked
me to what corps | belonged. ] knew
the names Of several of the generals in
the Union front and named one of
them. Then my questioner asked me
to name my division and brigade COM
mander, and couldn't remember"
you men are stragglers." he said In
reply. land likely bent on pillaging or
some other .reprehensible conduct. /
consider it my duty to send you back
to your command"
Our hearts sank within us. When
returned to the regiment to which we
claimed to belong we would be proved
impostors and our real identity would
come out. The officer had but a doz-
en- men in his escort, but needed no
large force to send with us, for any
resistance would be mutiny. and mu-
tiny is punishable with death He de-
tailed q corporal and four men to see
that we returned to our command and
rode on.
Had we not been in the enemys lines
with halter hanging over us the stu
alton would have been laughable Five
unsuspecting Confederates were in
trusted with guarding a dozen daring
men who would rather die by bullet
than rope. said nothing to my men
nor they to me- We rode meekly be-
tween the corporal and two of his men
in front of us and two bringing up the
rear. But by look / signed to my
subOrdinates to remain submissive till
l should assume the initiative.
1t behoOved me to make break for
life before being returned to our sup
posed command. | kept my eyes open
and presently saw large field Of tents
short distance ahead. On leaving
our guards we must go through corn
| field to wood on the other side of the
| field. did not long delay action, for
l saw a troop of cavalry coming on
the road before us.
Corporal" said, we're bearing i'm
portant dispatches from the command
er in chief and don't propose to be in
terrupted. We're going to leave you,
and you may as well let us go. for If
you fire on us we shall return your
fire."
With that l put spurs to my horse.
calling on my men to follow me. The
corporal and his men were so surpris'
ed that they stood paralyzed till we
had got several hundred feet away.
then gave chase. firing over our heads
as they came AS bad luck would
have it, the horse of Bob Robbins, one
of my men. stumbled and fell shoot
ing his rider over his head. l turned
and rode back to him. but too late.
The troopers we're on him. and my 9TH
err men had got so far away that If
attempted to save Robbins l would be
captured myself. So fled.
AS for the five Confederates, we saw
nothing more Of them. We had seen
all Of the enemy we cared to see and
were eager to get back to camp. But
every way we turned we encountered
the enemy. and. since we were now
| outlawed, we dare not meet them. We
hid in a thick wood during the after
noon, hoping to make our way to our
own lines under cover Of the night.
We lighted bivouac fire and lay
| down. So long as we could pass for
| Confederates we were in no danger.
but our narrow escape from detection
had got on our nerves. None Of us
slept since we expected to move at
| dawn.
About midnight we heard a move
ment in the underbrush. and suddenly
| out Of tho darkness came Robbins. lie
had been taken to the provost marshal
| and questioned till he was so wound
| up that he broke down and confessed
himself to be Yankee soldier. He
| was sent under guard after dark to
| general headquarters and on the way
broke from those in charge Of him. In
| the darkness he had gained the wood
| we were in and came upon us acct
dentally.
His coming brought new danger.
for he had confessed himself a spy
| and would incriminate us. However.
| as soon as it was dawn we mounted
| our horses. one Of the men taking Rob
bins up behind him, and started to
| make our way back to our lines. We
| were not far from them. but were
obliged to go very roundabout way,
During our travels we suddenly de-
| serted n body of Confederate cavalry
about our own strength riding to-
ward us.
| Again the halter frightened about
our necks. and we prepared to fight
| desperately for on, lives. The COM
mander. young second lieutenant.
rode up to us, and saw at once that
ne had not met us before.
"a spy has escaped. and we are
looking for him. Have you seen any
thing of him?"
| l was about to reply in the negative
when I noticed him looking steadily
| at Robbins. | changed my tactics.
"Seen himr' ! exclaimed. We've
| got him."
| Good"
II