The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1914-10-02
By CAPTAIN F. A. mitchell

.S*+ff.+.s..4.s+.t.Fss.
In Virginia in 1862 Federal captain
was standing on a rise In the ground
looking down turnpike which ex-
tended through depression and. rising
again, entered small town half mile
away. Hearing horses hoofs behind
him. he turned and saw his general, at
tended by his staff, riding toward him.
Turn out the guard. the general
commanding! cried the picket.
"Never mind the guard" said the
general and. riding to the point where
the captain had been standing, looked
at the town beyond with wistful eye.
then said to his subordinate:
Captain. how many men are there
in your picket postT"
'There are thirty under my command
distributed over a quarter of a mile.
But right here have eight men and
sergeant
"Have you seen any indications of
the enemy i'm the town."
"None whatever"
The general turned away with evil
dent reluctance.
II wish you" he said. ito keep
sharp lookout for the Confederates
there. The place is of great strategic
Importance to us in this campaign. BY
tomorrow morning General DIS brigade
will come up and, provided the enemy
has not already done so, will occupy
the town. am hoping that he will be
in time, for the fate Of this campaign
rests with that position. If the enemy
comes in there tonight he will fortify
it and we shall not be able to drive
him out without hard fight, which in
our present condition would not be
practicable. Keep sharp lookout and
keep me advised"
May l not advance my post to the
town. general?"
mo; that would involve an advance
of the entire picket line"
The general rode away. Private Tom
Bixby, who had been standing at at
tention beside the road and had heard
what had been said, dropped the butt
Of his musket on the ground and re.
sumed the position of picket on the
his mind was on the town and the
question which side would get there
first. At sunset he was relieved and
ate his supper. Then, lighting his pipe.
he sat down on the ridge and smoked
and looked for signs of soldiers in the
town on the other side of the valley
When 1t was dark he knocked the
ashes cut of his pipe, went to his cap
tain and, saluting respectfully, said:
Captain, it seems to me that, con-
sidering We can't see what's going on
in the dark. some one should recon.
hotter"
"You may go If you choose"
"All right. I'll just walk down the
road and up the other side of the val
ley, near enough to see If there is any
stir, and If there is I'll come back
and let you know"
Tom sauntered away into the dark.
ness. On reaching the edge of the
town he saw citizens moving about.
but no soldiers. The people went to
bed early, and when everything was
quiet Tom made an entry. Passing
a shop Under sign lotto Schmitt,
Tobacconist," Tom. thinking 1t good
opportunity to replenish his stock of
tobacco, went inside. After buying
what he wanted he fell into converse.
ton with the proprietor, who, being
a German, had no especial utilization
with the Confederate cause. Before
the shop stood the figure Of a man
lighting his pipe. Schmitt. who was
an ingenious mechanic, had made it
himself for sign. With one hand
the figure held the pipe, while in the
other was q match. In the pipe bowl
was tobacco. A rubber tube led from
the pipestem into the store. Schmitt |
by pulling on wire could light the
match and smoke from the shop. Tom
noticed the mechanism near the shop |
window and asked what it was
Schmitt not only explained it to him. |
but put it I'm operation.
An idea popped into Toms brain. If |
he had that figure and connections on |
the side of the town from which the |
Confederates would approach possibly |
ue ulSut MAKE tneU DelleNe tndC the |
Federals had got ahead Of them and |
had occupied the town. He took |
Schmitt into his confidence and told |
him that If he would lend him his sign |
and help him carry 1t to new location
he thought the Federal general might |
pay him very handsomely-that is. IL
the ruse succeeded
The German hesitated. Most of the
citizens Of the place were Confederate
sympathizers. and he feared that IL his
act became known he would suffer for
it But Tom assured him that IL the
town was unoccupied by the Confeder.
ates Mt daylight the Federals would
surely enter It in force. and the hope
of profit won him over. He shut up |
his shop. put out the lights. and an
hour later. when not footstep was to
be heard on the street he and Tom
carried the figure to the road by which |
che Confederates would be likely to ad.
vance. Reaching an eminence on
which picket could he seen from a
distance. they set up the dummy in the
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