We remained quiet until daylight, keeping constant guard, for we feared
an attack at any moment; but toward daybreak we could see that the
ranks of our enemy were thinning out. After careful deliberation I gave
the order to march. Just as the first team was leaving the square the
sharpshooters opened a vicious fire from the windows and doors of
houses and stores. Practically every shot brought down a horse. Strange
to say, we could not discover that a single man had been struck. Our
men instantly fell into line and began firing together, but as we had
only pistols the fight was against us. As our enemies were safely
concealed in stores and buildings, only a few exposing themselves to
our pistols, we fought at great odds. However, we kept up a rapid
fusillade, and under this heavy fire we managed to get out into the
open country, leaving our dead horses on the village square. Once
safely outside and beyond the range of the enemy we paused for
roll-call and found that three of our men were dead. This put the
spirit of fight into every man in the company, and there was almost an
eagerness to have another encounter.
Proceeding cautiously on our way, we came to a stream spanned by an
old-fashioned bridge. The first chariot being a very heavy one, the
bridge was carried down, throwing the wagon, horses, driver and men
into the water twenty feet below. Soon firing was again heard, and two
more horses fell. This proved my suspicion that the beams had been cut
for the purpose of wrecking us and of trapping us where we could be
slaughtered. The next shots brought several of my brave men to the
ground--dead in their tracks! The enemy, being in ambush, had us at
great disadvantage; but my men were so thoroughly aroused and so
fearless that we soon drove our assailants back. This last plucky
onslaught won the day for us, although at sad cost.
After a delay of several hours, during which we repaired the bridge, we
were again able to proceed on our way. Hardly were we fairly started
when a new difficulty was encountered in the form of big trees felled
across the roadway. This work had been cleverly done by the enemy in
order to retard our progress, and we had to stop and remove these
obstacles before we could pass. The time lost by the first attack, by
the bridge engagement and subsequent delay threw us behind a whole day.
Although the people were all anxious to see our show they had not a
friendly word for us. Frequently large crowds would force their way
into the tents, pointing a cocked revolver at the doorkeeper's head.
Finally, however, we managed to reach the Arkansas line with
comparatively small loss of life. I am surprised that we were ever able
to do so, because of the extreme bitterness which then prevailed toward
all Northerners.
At length we came to a town called Bucksnort, the scene of the hanging
described in one of Mr. Opie Read's short stories. Nearly every man at
the tavern was ready for any kind of excitement. They started the
quarrel by accusing our men of stealing their hats. A fight quickly
ensued; and we were forced again to defend ourselves by resort to arms.
At that time we were playing Mazeppa in which we used a number of dull
swords. These were instantly placed in the hands of performers and
canvasmen who knew how to wield them, and the result was a terrific
hand-to-hand encounter in which we came off victorious.
At Lickskillet, another place on our line, the principal building was a
log tavern. We put up our tents, but shortly afterward noticed several
old men with long-bladed knives cutting slits in the canvas. The
canvasmen, on seeing the tent walls slashed, vigorously protested. At
once bullets began to fly from the corner of the tavern. One of our men
was killed at the outset of this melee.
Previous to this episode our men had become pretty well discouraged and
would gladly have had peace, but this last outrage seemed to arouse
them to a perfect frenzy. Instead of shooting they went for the gang of
roughs with clubs, stakes and every other kind of weapon they could
find. The encounter was a terrific one. Our men knocked the desperadoes
senseless and seized their guns, and in a very few minutes we were much
better prepared to defend ourselves. I think during the battle our men
seized fully thirty rifles. Shotguns were seldom used in this section
of the country. Most unexpectedly we succeeded in getting some
recruits. A few Northern men who had come into the place to settle
permanently offered their services for our protection.