Year: 1878




1t appears that after VicksburI


had teen invested and the SOuti
threatened at other points, Gov. Allen
of Louisiana, conceived the desperate
idea of capturing the person OF Gen
| Grant. He believed that Gen. Gram


was the evil genius of the COnfederacy
and that II he could be killed or taker
prisoner the siege of Vicksburg coulC
be raised and the Federal army driv-
en- back. He sent for Joe Lee and i'm
parted to him his thoughts, and asked
| him II he could devise plan. 1t was
readily taken to by Lee, who immedi-
ately proposed to execute the daring
enterprise. At that time--that Is in
the spriDg Of 1S64-Grant and his army
were encampe1 at Milligan's Bend,
near YOung's Point, on the MisSiSsip-
pi, some eighteen miles above Vicks.
burg. Gen. Grants headquarters were
in the dwelling house that belonged tC
magnificent plantation, much oi
Whith Can be seen from the deck Of q
passenger steamer. Joe Lee proposed
to go to that house and bring away the
body of


GEN. GRANT, DEAD OR ALIVE.
He chose five out of his most trusty
men. They were the two James
brothers, two of the younger brothers
and John Jarrett. These with himself
made six. There never we're six bet
ter men for such an expedition. They
were young, strong and brave as the
bravest. They had already seen all
there is in war. They had been tried
in the most trying places; had suffered
all manner OF hardships; did not care
much whether they lived or died; were
the quickest and best shots in the
world, and they rode the f1eetest horses
in the land. 1t was just before the
Federal army was sent out on that sur
prising march down the west side of
The river. The country was all full OF
marshes, bayOus and morasses, so that
the natural advantages for the eXecu-
tiOn of the plot were good. The plan
was for Joe Lee and his five trusty fol-
lowers to dress up in full Federal uni
form, ride on horseback to Milligan's
Bend, go direct to the house where
Grant was stopping, rush in and secure
his person, put him on a spare horse
and then escape to the swsmps which
were near by. On one Saturday eve
ming late the party set out from Dick
sons house near Delhi, and rode to-
wards the Mississippi. There was not
a soul on earth besides themselves and
Gov. Allen that knew of their despe-
rate mission. 1t pas something over
% miles they had to go, and the night
was dark one, but long before day
they were


AT THE EDGE OF THE WOODS


that bordered on the plantation on
whicn Grant Was quartered. There
WAS no enemy tn attack from the west
side, and there WAS no particular pre-
caution about guards. The pickets
were passed before sun up, and, while
the General was yet asleep, the guer-
rillas rode boldly up through the open
field toward the house. There they
were-six men-seven horses. The
empty saddle for the commander of
the hundred thousand men who were
encamped about in every direction.
They approached in almost stones
throw OF the house, when they met
negro. They were discovered. 1t was
an old man whom these very men had
run away from Delhi not ten days be-
fore. He knew them all and immedi-
ateIy gave the alarm. In a moment
there was great tumult, and the six
guerillas had nothing TO do but save
thelr lives. They broke through the
field and in the twinkling of an eye
were back in the woods, but not until
q hundred shots had been fired after
them. Before the sun went down they
were safe at their f4vOrite rendezvous.
Thus was frustrated one of the most
daring plots OF the war. 1t is not prob
able that Gen. Grant took any partic-
ular notice of the affair, and it is not
at all probable that he has ever realized
the valuable services of the old colored
man. What Interpretation the officers
of the army put upon the presence OF
the strange and hostile men at such a
time and place, is not known, but il
there were any dOnbts as to their mis-
sion, this bit of history may serve to
rpmOVo them,