THE RIVERLAWN CAVALRY CHANGES BASE
The first thing Major Lyon did when he reached the road, and the
disappearance of the Texans was no longer mysterious, was to take from
his pocket his map of the county. He found the hill road, and the one
where they stood.
"If the sentinel who reported that he could hear the Rangers snore in
the bog told the truth, the enemy got some rest last night," said the
major, addressing Captain Gordon.
"But he did not hear them snore; that was absurd," replied the captain.
"If they had been snoring, he could not have heard them; for they were
at work too far from him. If he heard anything, it must have been the
bubbling of the brook; but probably it was all in his imagination. But
what is the point in regard to the snoring, Major Lyon?"
"If the Rangers worked all night, and did not get any sleep, they are
too tired and sleepy this morning to make a long march," replied the
commander.
"Then you think they have camped at some place not far from us?" asked
the captain.
"I only think it is possible they have done so. Captain Dingfield
appeared to be badly wounded, from all reports; and I doubt if there is
as much strategy in his brain to-day as he had yesterday. I shall not
make a business of pursuing him."
"It would be a good thing for this part of the State if he could be
cleaned out entirely, bagged, and his company sent to Louisville as
prisoners," suggested Captain Gordon.
"No doubt of it; but it would be hardly consistent with the orders I
have just received for me to delay in this section to carry out your
idea. We are more needed elsewhere than here."
"Then we are to march on a sort of roving commission to the eastward,
where the Confederates are breaking through from Tennessee, it appears."
"It amounts to that, though my orders are very explicit," replied the
major, as he led the way back to the narrow pass where the company had
been halted. "The situation here is not so bad as it was. We have saved
the bridge; and the Home Guards which arrived there last night are
described as consisting of good men, who will be mustered into a
Kentucky regiment as soon as circumstances permit; and Captain Woodward,
who commands it, is an old soldier, and likely to be made a colonel."
"Then the bridge will be safe."
"It can be better defended by infantry than by cavalry alone; both would
do better than either. Captain Dingfield and his bridge-burners have
been sent to the north, and I have no doubt he intends to join them
there. To follow him would keep me some days, if not a week, from the
more pressing duty assigned to me," reasoned the commander.
"I understand it better now," added the captain.
"I have been informed that troops have been sent to the vicinity of
Munfordville, in Hart County, where the railroad bridge has been partly
destroyed, though a temporary structure has been built to replace it. I
think Dingfield means to go there, and complete the work others failed
to finish."
"I hope we shall find the guerillas, or whatever they are; and I believe
our boys will soon make an end of them," said the captain with
enthusiasm. "Your orders permit you to go where you please, Major."
"They do; for it was not possible for those charged with the protection
of the State to inform me definitely where the guerillas were to be
found, as they are continually changing their locality, though I have
some papers to aid me. I am not a little surprised at the confidence
placed in me by my superiors, who send me on a mission with no definite
instructions."
"All the details of the fights at Riverlawn and its vicinity are known
to them; for I have taken care that they should not be ignorant in
regard to you."
"But I have just become a soldier," added the major modestly.
"Then it runs in the blood, and it has got as far down as Deck," said
Captain Gordon, laughing, as they came to the company.
The party mounted, and rode back at a gallop to the camp. The cooks of
the company had prepared an unusually good breakfast, which was disposed
of with a relish, stimulated by three days' feeding from the haversacks
of the troopers. As soon as it was finished, the order was given to
"break camp;" and, as it had been hardly more than a bivouac, the work
was speedily accomplished, and the two companies were soon in line.
While these preparations were in progress, the major was studying his
county map. What little baggage had been taken from the wagons was soon
loaded again. There was little for the officers to do, after the orders
had been given.
"We are about ready to march," said Captain Gordon, approaching the
commander, who had seated himself on a log near the road.
"I am all ready," replied the major, as he glanced at Artie, who was
holding his horse near him. "Of course Dingfield followed this by-road,
which will take him to another by which he can reach Munfordville, if he
is going there. We will take the same road; and if the Rangers are
resting themselves in camp after the fatigues of the day and night, we
may have a chance to pay our respects to them."
"I should like one more slap at them; for they ran away so rapidly that
I did not get a fair hit at them," added the captain.
"But they are brave men, and we outnumber them two to one. Truman says
they fought like tigers on the east road."
"That is true, and that is the reason I should like to meet them again;
for I believe there is not a braver or more reliable body of men in the
Union army than the Riverlawn Cavalry; and I am not a Kentuckian
either."
"Neither am I by birth, though I am by adoption; and I am precisely of
your opinion in regard to our men," added the major as he mounted his
horse; and his orderlies did the same.
Deck was at home again in the saddle; for Ceph had come to the camp with
the second company. After the prisoners at the bridge had been disposed
of, the wounded had been cared for by sending them in one of the
captured wagons to Riverlawn, consigned to the care of Levi Bedford; for
a hospital had been established there for the wounded in the battles
with the ruffians.
The column moved down the road, and turned into that which the Rangers
had used in their escape. As the right of the line approached the house
of the farmer, that worthy presented himself before the officers; and he
appeared to be mad enough to swallow half-a-dozen Yankees. Possibly he
thought the squadron had started in pursuit of the Texans.
"I want to know who's ter pay me for that dog o' mine some o' you uns
killed last night," he broke out, walking along by the side of the major
and Captain Gordon. "That critter was wuth a hund'ed dollars, and that's
what I want you uns to pay me before you go any furder."
"Are you a loyal citizen of the United States?" asked Major Lyon.
"I'm nothin' o' that sort!" replied the native, who began to heap curses
and maledictions on the government. "The' ain't no United States! She's
done busted all to pieces!"
The major made no reply, and had not even stopped his horse. The fellow
followed him; but he took no further notice of the irate Secessionist,
rather to the amusement of Captain Gordon and others within hearing. But
the farmer was soon tired of addressing one who treated him with silent
contempt, and seated himself on a stump to observe the procession.
Two skilful scouts, one of whom was Life Knox, had already been sent
forward to search for any indications of the camp of the Texans. The
squadron soon reached another road running through a valley. The major
had learned from his map that it connected with the east road in one
direction, and the hill-road in the other.
The column halted to wait for the return of the scouts. Knox and his
companion soon appeared, and reported that he had followed this road to
its junction with the hill-road, without seeing anything of the enemy.
"They ain't within ten miles of here," added the Kentuckian. "I got so I
know the tracks o' them Texas hosses, and I follered 'em five miles.
They don't want nothin' more o' the Riverlawn Cavalry."
This information settled the point so far as the Rangers were concerned,
and nothing was seen of them, though they appeared in some skirmishes
farther north. The Indian craft of Knox had proved to be very useful,
and he was a great favorite with both officers and men. The march was
resumed; but the events of the next two days on the road are not of
interest enough to be reported. At the end of this time the squadron
were in the territory described in the orders of the commander, and
active work was expected.
Just before sunset the battalion halted on the outskirts of a small
village, and went into camp there. The American flag was hoisted on a
pole planted for the purpose, in order that the inhabitants of the
vicinity might make no mistake in regard to the character of the force.
Not only the negroes and loungers to be found in every village flocked
to the camp, but some of the influential citizens appeared on the
ground. The guard kept them outside of the lines. A person on
horse-back, who had the air and manner of the genuine Kentucky
gentleman, attracted the attention of Major Lyon, who was desirous of
obtaining information on the spot in regard to the sentiments of the
people.
"Who is the gentleman on horse-back?" he asked of a well-dressed negro,
who looked like an intelligent man; for the commander suspected that he
was a Secessionist, though he had no reason for supposing that he was
such.
"That is Colonel Coffee, sir, the biggest man in these parts," replied
the colored man.
"How does he stand on the war question? Do you happen to know?"
continued the major.
"Yes, sir," replied the man with a smile; "everybody within twenty miles
of this village knows which side Colonel Coffee is on, sir."
"Well, which side is he on?" demanded the commander, who saw that the
gentleman was approaching him.
"He's a Union man all over and all through; and the people are trying to
get up a Home Guard to protect his place--that's the one you see on the
side of the hill. We expect the gorillas down here."
"You have named them well, my friend," added the major with a laugh. "Do
you know where there are any of them?"
"No, sir; they are like flies, and don't make nests anywhere. I reckon
Colonel Coffee wants to speak to you, sir; for I suppose you are an
officer of this company," added the man, who retired at the approach of
the great man of the locality.
The magnate of the county rode up to the major, and saluted him with
courtly grace; and though the latter was not brought up in a
drawing-room, he was as polite as the occasion required.
"I am exceedingly happy to see that flag hoisted over a body of military
in this county," said the colonel, with a cheerful smile, as he pointed
with his riding-whip at the emblem of the Union.
"I am very glad to be where there are those who appreciate the flag,"
added the major.
"I am only sorry that you will find so few of them in this
neighborhood," returned the dignified Kentuckian. "We are threatened by
roving bands of plunderers to the east and south of us, and for the last
week I have expected to walk away from my place by the light of my
burning house. I live in that one on the side of the hill."
"I hope we shall be able to put an end to this state of affairs at once,
Colonel Coffee," replied the major.
"You know my name," said the magnate with a smile.
"I asked it of that negro."
"He is the village barber, and a very intelligent man. May I ask whom I
have the honor to address?" inquired the colonel.
"Major Lyon, in command of a squadron of United States cavalry," replied
the officer.
"I am very glad to see you, Major, personally, and especially to see you
at Greeltop; for we are greatly in need of efficient protection,"
returned the colonel. "I have heard all about you before."
"I am equally happy to meet you, Colonel Coffee; for I am at present in
urgent need of full information in regard to the condition of affairs in
this section."
"I shall be pleased to have you dine with me, and we can talk over
matters at our leisure in my library."
Major Lyon excused himself from the dinner, and invited the colonel to
his tent, which had been set up by this time.