A SOLDIER.
In the fall of 1861 I made a trip to Fort Larned, Kansas, carrying
military dispatches, and in the winter I accompanied George Long through
the country, and assisted him in buying horses for the government.
The next spring, 1862, an expedition against the Indians was organized,
consisting of a volunteer regiment, the Ninth Kansas, under Colonel
Clark. This expedition, which I had joined in the capacity of guide and
scout, proceeded to the Kiowa and Comanche country, on the Arkansas
river, along which stream we scouted all summer between Fort Lyon and
Fort Larned, on the old Santa Fe trail. We had several engagements with
the Indians, but they were of no great importance.
In the winter of 1862, I became one of the "Red Legged Scouts,"--a
company of scouts commanded by Captain Tuff. Among its members were some
of the most noted Kansas Rangers, such as Red Clark, the St. Clair
brothers, Jack Harvey, an old pony express-rider named Johnny Fry, and
many other well known frontiersmen. Our field of operations was confined
mostly to the Arkansas country and southwestern Missouri. We had many a
lively skirmish with the bushwhackers and Younger brothers, and when we
were not hunting them, we were generally employed in carrying dispatches
between Forts Dodge, Gibson, Leavenworth, and other posts. Whenever we
were in Leavenworth we had a very festive time. We usually attended all
the balls in full force, and "ran things" to suit ourselves. Thus I
passed the winter of 1862 and the spring of 1863.
Subsequently I engaged to conduct a small train to Denver for some
merchants, and on reaching that place in September, I received a letter
stating that my mother was not expected to live. I hastened home, and
found her dangerously ill. She grew gradually worse, and at last, on the
22d of November, 1863, she died. Thus passed away a loving and
affectionate mother and a noble, brave, good and loyal woman. That I
loved her above all other persons, no one who has read these
reminiscences can for a moment doubt.
Previous to this said event my sister Julia had been married to a
gentleman named J.A. Goodman, and they now came to reside at our
house and take charge of the children, as my mother had desired that
they should not be separated. Mr. Goodman became the guardian of the
minor children.
I soon left the home now rendered gloomy by the absence of her whom I had
so tenderly loved, and going to Leavenworth I entered upon a dissolute
and reckless life--to my shame be it said--and associated with gamblers,
drunkards, and bad characters generally. I continued my dissipation about
two months, and was becoming a very "hard case." About this time the
Seventh Kansas regiment, known as "Jennison's Jay-hawkers," returned from
the war, and re-enlisted and re-organized as veterans. Among them I met
quite a number of my old comrades and neighbors, who tried to induce me
to enlist and go south with them. I had no idea of doing anything of the
kind; but one day, after having been under the influence of bad whisky, I
awoke to find myself a soldier in the Seventh Kansas. I did not remember
how or when I had enlisted, but I saw I was in for it, and that it would
not do for me to endeavor to back out.
In the spring of 1864 the regiment was ordered to Tennessee, and we got
into Memphis just about the time that General Sturgis was so badly
whipped by General Forrest. General A. J. Smith re-organized the army to
operate against Forrest, and after marching to Tupalo, Mississippi, we
had an engagement with him and defeated him. This kind of fighting was
all new to me, being entirely different from any in which I had ever
before engaged. I soon became a non-commissioned officer, and was put on
detached service as a scout.
After skirmishing around the country with the rest of the army for some
little time, our regiment returned to Memphis, but was immediately
ordered to Cape Girardeau, in Missouri, as a confederate force under
General Price was then raiding that state. The command of which my
regiment was a part hurried to the front to intercept Price, and our
first fight with him occurred at Pilot Knob. From that time for nearly
six weeks we fought or skirmished every day.
I was still acting as a scout, when one day I rode ahead of the command,
some considerable distance, to pick up all possible information
concerning Price's movements. I was dressed in gray clothes, or Missouri
jeans, and on riding up to a farm-house and entering, I saw a man, also
dressed in gray costume, sitting at a table eating bread and milk. He
looked up as I entered, and startled me by saying:
"You little rascal, what are you doing in those 'secesh' clothes?" Judge
of my surprise when I recognized in the stranger my old friend and
partner, Wild Bill, disguised as a Confederate officer.
"I ask you the same question, sir," said I without the least hesitation.
"Hush! sit down and have some bread and milk, and we'll talk it all over
afterwards," said he.
I accepted the invitation and partook of the refreshments. Wild Bill
paid the woman of the house, and we went out to the gate where my horse
was standing.
"Billy, my boy," said he, "I am mighty glad to see you. I haven't seen or
heard of you since we got busted on that St. Louis' horse-race."
"What are you doing out here?" I asked.
"I am a scout under General McNiel. For the last few days I have been
with General Marmaduke's division of Price's army, in disguise as a
southern officer from Texas, as you see me now," said he.
"That's exactly the kind of business that I am out on to-day," said I;
"and I want to get some information concerning Price's movements."
"I'll give you all that I have;" and he then went on and told me all that
he knew regarding Price's intentions, and the number and condition of his
men. He then asked about my mother, and when he learned that she was dead
he was greatly surprised and grieved; he thought a great deal of her, for
she had treated him almost as one of her own children. He finally took
out a package, which he had concealed about his person, and handing it to
me he said:
"Here are some letters which I want you to give to General McNiel."
"All right," said I as I took them, "but where will I meet you again?"
"Never mind that," he replied; "I am getting so much valuable information
that I propose to stay a little while longer in this disguise." Thereupon
we shook hands and parted.
It is not necessary to say much concerning Price's raid in general, as
that event is a matter of recorded history. I am only relating the
incidents in which I was personally interested either as one of the
actors or as an observer.
Another interesting and I may say exciting episode happened to me a day
or two after my unexpected meeting with Wild Bill. I was riding with the
advance guard of our army, and wishing a drink of water, I stopped at a
farmhouse. There were no men about the premises, and no one excepting a
very fine and intellectual looking lady and her two daughters. They
seemed to be almost frightened to death at seeing me--a "yank"--appear
before them. I quieted their fears somewhat, and the mother then asked me
how far back the army was. When I told her it would be along shortly, she
expressed her fears that they would take everything on the premises. They
set me out a lunch and treated me rather kindly, so that I really began
to sympathize with them; for I knew that the soldiers would ransack their
house and confiscate everything they could lay their hands on. At last I
resolved to do what I could to protect them. After the generals and the
staff officers had passed by, I took it upon myself to be a sentry over
the house. When the command came along some of the men rushed up with the
intention of entering the place and carrying off all the desirable
plunder possible, and then tearing and breaking everything to pieces, as
they usually did along the line of march.
"Halt!" I shouted; "I have been placed here by the commanding officer as
a guard over this house, and no man must enter it."
This stopped the first squad; and seeing that my plan was a success, I
remained at my post during the passage of the entire command and kept out
all intruders.
It seemed as if the ladies could not thank me sufficiently for the
protection I had afforded them. They were perfectly aware of the fact
that I had acted without orders and entirely on my own responsibility,
and therefore they felt the more grateful. They urgently invited me to
remain a little while longer and partake of an excellent dinner which
they said they were preparing for me. I was pretty hungry about that
time, as our rations had been rather slim of late, and a good dinner was
a temptation I could not withstand, especially as it was to be served up
by such elegant ladies. While I was eating the meal, I was most agreeably
entertained by the young ladies, and before I had finished it the last of
the rear-guard must have been at least two miles from the house.
Suddenly three men entered the room, and I looked up and saw three
double-barreled shot-guns leveled straight at me. Before I could speak,
however, the mother and her daughters sprang between the men and me.
"Father! Boys! Lower your guns! You must not shoot this man," and similar
exclamations, were the cry of all three.
The guns were lowered, and then the men, who were the father and
brothers of the young ladies, were informed of what I had done for them.
It appeared that they had been concealed in the woods near by while the
army was passing, and on coming into the house and finding a Yankee
there, they determined to shoot him. Upon learning the facts, the old man
extended his hand to me, saying:
"I would not harm a hair of your head for the world; but it is best that
you stay here no longer, as your command is some distance from here now,
and you might be cut off by bushwhackers before reaching it."
Bidding them all good-bye, and with many thanks from the mother and
daughters, I mounted my horse and soon overtook the column, happy in the
thought that I had done a good deed, and with no regrets that I had saved
from pillage and destruction the home and property of a confederate and
his family.
Our command kept crowding against Price and his army until they were
pushed into the vicinity of Kansas City, where their further advance was
checked by United States troops from Kansas; and then was begun their
memorable and extraordinary retreat back into Kansas.
While both armies were drawn up in skirmish line near Fort Scott, Kansas,
two men on horseback were seen rapidly leaving the Confederate lines, and
suddenly they made a dash towards us. Instantly quick volleys were
discharged from the Confederates, who also began a pursuit, and some five
hundred shots were fired at the flying men. It was evident that they were
trying to reach our lines, but when within about a quarter of a mile of
us, one of them fell from his horse to rise no more. He had been fatally
shot. His companion galloped on unhurt, and seven companies of our
regiment charged out and met him, and checked his pursuers. The fugitive
was dressed in Confederate uniform, and as he rode into our lines I
recognized him as Wild Bill, the Union scout. He immediately sought
Generals Pleasanton and McNiel, with whom he held a consultation. He told
them that although Price made a bold showing on the front, by bringing
all his men into view, yet he was really a great deal weaker than the
appearance of his lines would indicate; and that he was then trying to
cross a difficult stream four miles from Fort Scott.
It was late in the afternoon, but General Pleasanton immediately ordered
an advance, and we charged in full force upon the rear of Price's army,
and drove it before us for two hours.
If Wild Bill could have made his successful dash into our lines earlier
in the day, the attack would have been made sooner, and greater results
might have been expected. The Confederates had suspected him of being a
spy for two or three days, and had watched him too closely to allow an
opportunity to get away from them sooner. His unfortunate companion who
had been shot, was a scout from Springfield, Missouri, whose name I
cannot now remember.
From this time on, Wild Bill and myself continued to scout together until
Price's army was driven south of the Arkansas River and the pursuit
abandoned. We then returned to Springfield, Missouri, for a rest and for
supplies, and Wild Bill and myself spent two weeks there in "having a
jolly good time," as some people would express it.