I thanked the old lady for her kindness and rode back to the road again,
went over hills, forded creeks, passed farm-houses, but not a rebel did
I see. I began to think there were no rebels in that part of the
country, consequently got careless, and through my carelessness came
within one of losing my life.
It was almost twelve o'clock. Right ahead of me a little way in the
valley that I was descending to was a large frame house that stood close
to the road, and beyond this house about fifty yards was a creek that
went across the road, but no bridge over it. Now, I thought this would
be a good place to eat dinner, so I rode down to the creek, watered my
horse and as there was a large shade tree standing in front of the house
I went back, dismounted, took the saddle off, wiped off my horse and put
the saddle back on. I had brought corn from where I stayed all night. I
took off the bridle and put the feed bag on my horse's nose and was
about to eat my own dinner when, glancing around, I saw a negro
standing by the little gate. Said he: "Master, are you a Union soldier?"
"Yes, sir."
"I thought so; well, sir, you is in a mighty bad fix. My master is in
the house and he is Captain, and he has fifteen soldiers with him, and
way up on de top of dat hill is a whole regiment of confederates, and
they expect some more every minute on the same road dat you came on. But
see here now: you go straight through dat creek and you will find a
bridle path that turns to the left. You go on that path till you come to
the fence; go over the fence and down over the hill till you get down in
a cornfield, den you can come by this same road again."
While the negro was telling me which way to go, you may depend I was not
idle; I pulled the feed-bag off of that horse's nose and had the bridle
on sooner than you could say "Jack Robinson." Now this rebel captain was
watching every move I made. He turned to his men and said, "Now watch me
and see how slick I will capture a Yankee." Reader, I will soon tell you
how I found out what the rebel captain said. Just as I had got the
bridle on, the captain stepped out with a double-barrelled shot-gun,
(and I think the gun must have been loaded half full, the way it
sounded) and said: "Surrender! you Yankee son-of-a-gun." Do not think
that I am trying to make myself out brave, but let me tell you it was
fight or die. My horse stood straight between the captain and me, and to
snatch my carbine from the saddle was the work of a second, and I
brought it to my shoulder. Just as my horse swung out of the way, both
guns went off together. The bullet from my gun struck the stock of his
and glanced off into his shoulder and knocked him down. I was on my
horse in a flash and through the creek we went. The negro told me
afterwards that the water flew thirty feet high. I found the path all
right, but had to lie down close to my horse to prevent the branches
from sweeping me off.
Away we went. I soon came to a fence and threw the rails down and
started up the hill. I was obliged to lead my horse to the top, the hill
being so steep. Just as I got to the top the Johnnies were at the
bottom, and commenced firing up. When I got to the bottom of the other
side of the hill, they were at the top and commenced firing down. Close
to the bottom was a creek with very steep banks. My horse did not want
to go through and I coaxed and whipped all to no effect. I was about to
leave my horse, when "zip" came a bullet and struck him on the
shoulder. He made a spring forward, almost jerking the bridle strap out
of my hand. Through the stream he plunged and came within one of getting
away from me. The corn was just up to my shoulders, and when I got
started I do not believe I ever rode so fast in my life. The corn
whipped my feet as if some one was striking me with a cane.
In the meantime the Johnnies had got to the bottom of the hill and were
blazing away at me with all their might. One bullet went through the rim
of my hat and another through my coat sleeve. Finally, I came to a fence
again. Right ahead of me was a low place in it and over we went. When my
horse struck the ground I was all of a foot above him, and came down on
the crupper. I made a grab for the saddle and saved myself from a fall,
and I came near losing my horse again.
I was out in the road once more ahead of all the rebels, and rode on for
half a mile, stopped, dismounted and tightened up the girth. The blood
was oozing out of the wound in my horse's hip. I looked back up the hill
and saw the rebels coming again. I knew they had no horse that could
catch me if the wound did not affect him. I kept a good mile ahead of
them, but every time they got to the top of a hill they would blaze
away at me.
About five o'clock, my horse commenced to get lame and I began to think
I was gone up. I looked up on the hill ahead of me, and saw soldiers
walking back and forth across the road. I reached into my pocket for the
dispatches to destroy them when two men rose up from behind the fence
and brought their gun to bear on me and said, "Don't destroy those
papers." I was caught. I saw that they both had blue coats on, but there
were lots of rebels who wore blue clothes. I asked, "What regiment do
you belong to." "We belong to the Thirteenth Illinois Infantry," they
said. I never was so glad to see blue coats in my life. The rebels came
to the top of the hill behind me and stopped. They could see that I had
got to our guards. They fired one volley and retreated. In the meantime,
our boys had formed a line across the road, but did not waste powder by
returning the fire. I rode up to the Captain of the guard, and told him
I had dispatches for Col. Wyman. He told me to dismount, and get a cup
of coffee, and he would see whether the wound my horse received was
serious or not. I rubbed him down and gave the poor fellow some food.
The boys in blue got around me, asking all sorts of questions about my
trip, and I gave them my experience from Jacksonport. They all listened
very much interested. Finally, one of the men who was standing close to
me said, "I'll be darned if there isn't a bullet hole through your hat
rim." As the guard was five miles from the main camp, and my horse was
played out, I stayed all night, and the next morning rode into camp, up
to Col. Wyman's headquarters and delivered my dispatches. When I first
started in the morning, my horse walked lame, but after we had gone a
mile or two he did not seem to mind it. The Colonel read over the
dispatch and looked at me from head to foot. "Well, did you see any of
the Johnnies on your trip from Batesville down?" "Yes, sir." "Well,"
said he, "the dispatches you brought order me with a brigade back to
Batesville. We start back in the morning and you go to our veterinary
surgeon and let him see to your horse and you rest to-day, and to-morrow
you may go with us back to Batesville, and when you get to where the
rebel captain fired on you, let me know."
As I was wandering around the tent I found my brother-in-law, Lewis
Stafford, and had a good visit with him. The surgeon told me that my
horse would soon be all right.
The next morning, bright and early, everyone was in motion. There were
about five thousand troops, cavalry, artillery and infantry. We soon got
on the road where the Johnnies gave me such a close rub. All at once
there was firing in front. It did not amount to much, just a small
skirmish; two poor fellows were brought back wounded. The first night we
camped within five miles of where the rebel captain fired on me. The
next day about 10 o'clock we came up on a high hill and at the bottom
was the plantation house. I recognized it at once as being the one where
the rebel captain tried to show his men how slick he could capture a
Yankee. I rode up to Col. Wyman and pointed it out to him. "All right,"
said he, "you stay with me and we will make a neighborly call on him."
We rode up under the same tree where I was going to feed my horse, and
dismounted; walked up on the porch and the same negro stood there. "My
Lord! Is dat you? Dem soldiers dun told me dat day hang you on a tree."
"Is your master in?" "Yes, sir, you broke his shoulder all to pieces."
He opened the door and led us in; the captain lay on a couch, but had
not had his wound dressed and it had become very painful. One of the men
said:
"You are wounded."
"Yes," (with an oath) "there was a Yankee scout who came along the other
day, and he was just one second too quick for me."
"Here is the man now," said our Colonel.
The rebel captain looked at me and reached out his well arm and said,
"Shake, stranger, you are a good soldier."
The Colonel sent and had our surgeon dress his wound properly and said,
"Now you are fixed all right. You can stay here and no one will molest
you, or you can go with us and have proper treatment."
"Well," said the rebel captain, "let me take my nigger along and I will
go where I can get proper treatment."
They put him in an ambulance and took him along. The nigger told me all
the particulars as we went along the road. He said his master's gun went
off up in the air, that he hadn't got it pointed at me at all.
We got to Batesville all right. I went up to General Curtis'
headquarters and reported. He gave me a dispatch to take to Colonel
Brackett, Ninth Illinois Cavalry, my own regiment, back to Jacksonport.
I was glad to go back to my own regiment again. It was like getting
home. I had no mishap but got there all right, went to headquarters and
delivered my dispatch. "You have got back," said the Colonel. "Take a
rest to-day, for to-morrow I will send you out on a foraging
expedition."
The men were all glad to see me, and they all wanted to go out foraging
with me the next day. They wanted to know all about my trip. I received
two letters from home, and my folks were all well, so I felt all right.
Just as I had finished reading my letters Colonel Brackett sent word for
me to come to headquarters. I went. He told me to be seated.
"I have a letter from General Curtis here that you brought in the
dispatches, that praises you very highly. He said you were every inch a
soldier. I have changed my mind in regard to sending you out on a
foraging expedition. We have lost two very fine artillery horses, and I
heard that they were some forty miles north of here. You take one man
and start in the morning. Come to headquarters, and in the meantime I
will ascertain which way you are to go."