Year: 1867




heard voice exclaim on the morning
after my ride with the commodore's
dispatch. I was feeling very stiff and
but little refreshed with my slumbers,
as l opened my eyes and saw head
poked into the tent, which l recogniz-
ed as that of our orderly sergeant
Get up at once" he says. "Gen.
P has sent for you. The bugles
have sounded hours ago, and all the
camp has been astir for some time"


81 didn't know you had returned
from your trip, for we all thought
that most likely you would get shot on
the road. The orderly says that
" Old Bull Dog" (the name by which
the commander of our corps was
KNOWN is swearing like trooper
this morning, and in a laundering
rage, so you had better look sharp"
In few minutes | was or my way to
headquarters-frst, however. going
to saddle my little horse; but found,
to my sorrow, that poor Punch was
so stiff that he could hardly move
So / jumped on one of the extras,
and was soon in the Generals pres
ence. He had a far from amiable
look, and when | was shown into the
room he was abusing a colonel of vol
unteers. 1t must have been a bless
ing to the colonel, my arrival. "Who
are you? ?" the General said, when he
saw me standing to attention.


Sergeant s." | replied
"whom you sent for"


"Oh, you are, are you? Very
well, sergeant, l want you to cross
the river to night with Lieutenant
Wilkins and couple of men, and to
report to me the number of the enc
my's guns at and any force
that they may have collected there
If you do as well as you did last night
I'll remember you. Now go and come
here again at about five o'clock, with
two good men whom you can depend
upon"


l went back to camp, had my
breakfast, reported to the captain that
l was detailed for special services
that night, looked at my horse, (who
| very much feared was crippled, J
walked him about a little to loosen
his joints, and began to thiDk whom
| should select to take with me on
my expedition.


A host of names presented them
selves, but the owners thereof were
either too rash or too cautious for this
risky service. Twas wondering whom
to chose when my friend Scott came
up to picket rope for his team. If
he'd only go, he was the very man.
Yes, he was right enough for any
thing; and so l booked him for one
There was an Englishman in another
company whom l secured, and at five
o'clock precisely the trio were al
mounted, and at the place appointed
The lieutenant, who was waiting oul
arrival, sprang on his horse, and mo
tioning US to do the same, we started
on a trot down the Missouri bank of
Mississippi. I did not like the looks
of this officer at all. He rode aheaC
of us as if he was too proud to speal
to any one who had not shoulder
straps on, and seemed to lack tina
manly confidential feeling toward III
which those who are sent on danger
Gus errand usually exhibit one to an
other. To keep aloof in this way
was evidence of a mean spirit; anC
this, coupled with peculiarly sneak
ing look he had about him, induced
me to conclude he was either a foo
or coward.


i Once l tried to speak to him abou
our arrangements, and he only re
piled by saying it would be tim
enough for me to speak when spoken to


"He's a donkey" said Scott" !" ant
if. he does not behave himself we viii
go on our own hook p


"Cuss him." said Tom Robinson
"Pll warrant he's not up to tn
work"


: For sixteen miles we rode alonI
: : the river side, every now and the
plunglng into the fields to escape Oh
seryatlon from the rebel gunboats.-
AT the end OF that distance we cam
to some heavy woods, into which W
penetrated for about half mile