After Bill’s complete recovery he returned to the states and
volunteered his services to Gen. Curtis, who had command of the
army in Missouri, as a scout and spy. He was enrolled in the early
part of 1863, and at once sent upon a dangerous mission. Gen. Price
was preparing to enter Missouri, and it became very necessary for
Gen. Curtis to have reliable information of the intentions of the
Confederate General. Bill went to Kansas City, where he was furnished
a horse, and allowed to exercise his judgment in reaching the enemy’s
lines. Accordingly, he rode through Kansas and the Indian Territory in
order to reach Arkansas from the south. He assumed the name of Bill
Barnes, and enlisted in a regiment of mounted rangers at a small town
south of Little Rock. The regiment was attached to Price’s command, and
shortly afterwards he was made one of Price’s orderlies. This gave him
all the facilities desired to obtain information, which he managed,
in many ways, to communicate to Gen. Curtis. In 1864 Price began his
retreat from Missouri and made his last stand by forming a junction
with Shelby on Sugar creek, about twenty miles below Newtonia, in
McDonald county. Gen. Curtis had, by forced marches, reached the creek
at nearly the same time, and both forces were preparing for battle. It
was now time for Bill to leave the Confederates, but no opportunity
was presented. A river, or creek, lay between the two armies, and any
effort to cross would certainly be detected.
On the 23d of October, and the day Bill formed the intention of making
a bold effort to cross the lines, Gen. Price directed him to carry
orders to Gen. Shelby instructing him where and when to make the attack
on Curtis, and how to conduct the movement. This instruction made
matters worse for Bill, and he determined to take the chances of life
or death in evading the Confederate army and placing the orders in Gen.
Curtis’ hands. He rode furiously back and lost no time in challenging a
bragadocio sergeant to ride with him, for a wager, nearest the enemy’s
lines. The sergeant tried to back out, but the boys began to hoot him
so that their respective horses were wagered as to who could cross
the open space and ride down to the creek. The two started off on a
dash and soon the bullets from the Union forces were whistling around
them. Bill kept as far from his partner as possible, and made his horse
rear and plunge in order to attract the attention of the Union forces.
They rode down to the creek together, when the Union men discovered
Bill and shouted to him. This aroused the suspicion of the sergeant,
who attempted to draw his pistol, but Bill’s eye was on him, and in a
flash a ball went crashing through his brain. Bill grabbed the bit of
the dead sergeant’s horse and plunged into the stream, which at the
time was considerably swollen. The Confederates now saw what was up,
and although the Union forces commenced a brisk fire, the Confederates
seemed determined to kill Bill, the bullets falling around him like
hail; but he managed to reach the opposite shore with his own and the
dead sergeant’s horse without receiving any injury. Bill was taken into
Gen. Curtis’ tent and afterwards publicly thanked for his daring and
valuable services.