Frightened by a dead Colonel--Burns Confederate corn in face
of the enemy--Gets into a tight place--A frightened
Major--Captures information--A headstrong Captain gobbled
up--Captures a rebel Provost-marshal General--Encounter
with General Ross' cavalry--A strange adventure--Races with
a rebel Colonel--A hard-hearted woman.
The next service that I performed was in the month of February, 1864. It
was in that month that General Sherman made what is known as the
"Meridian raid." I accompanied the expedition. The second day out from
Vicksburg, General McPherson sent me to watch the movements of Wirt
Adams, who was hovering about our right flank with a battalion of
cavalry. I found a movement in progress to attack the ordnance and
supply train, which I reported in time to prevent; it was handsomely
effected by the 11th Illinois Cavalry. At night the army halted at
Baker's Creek.
There an incident occurred that I can never forget. I expected to go
home with my regiment on veteran furlough as soon as the campaign that
we were then on was completed. I had felt desirous of procuring a
complete Confederate Colonel's uniform to take home with me as a trophy.
I had already secured every thing except a coat. When I had completed
my day's ride, and secured my horse for the night, it had got to be so
late as 9 o'clock. Passing along the line to find somebody that would
lend me some tobacco--which, by the way, was a scarce article then--I
met a soldier, who said, "Bunker, didn't I hear you say that you wanted
a rebel Colonel's coat?"
"Yes."
"There was a rebel Colonel killed on the skirmish line in front to-day."
"Was there! Where is he?"
"Go up the ditch yonder, to the left, till you come to the end of it;
then take a hollow that leads away to your left. The first body that you
come to is a dead private; the next is that of a Colonel."
The night was very dark, but my desires to obtain the coat were so
strong that they overcame all fear, so I started out. I found the hollow
described with less difficulty than I had expected. Coming to the dead
private, I said, "Good evening, Johnnie! You'll get cold there, won't
you?" A few steps further brought me to another body. "Good evening,
Colonel!" said I. He made no reply. I continued: "You are going down
below, where it is warm, and when we get back from this raid I am going
up north, where it is cold; you have got a good coat and I want it.
Since it is so warm down where you are going that you don't need it,
what objections can you have to my taking it?"
The Colonel made no reply.
"Well, Colonel, they say, when sparking old maids, that silence gives
consent so I guess I'll take it."
He lay on his back, with his feet crossed, and one arm laying across his
breast. His boots were already gone. Taking hold of his arm and raising
it up, I found that it was limber. Said I, "You haven't had your
furlough long, have you, Colonel?" He made no reply. I set the body up,
and got down upon my knees in front of it, and commenced to take off the
coat. A gasp and a convulsive spring forward brought the Colonel's open
mouth suddenly against my face. Unearthly horror seized me; with one
bound I was on my feet, and the next thing that I knew I was in camp. To
say that I was frightened is no description of my feelings. Had a demon
from the infernal regions placed his gnashing jaws against my face, I
could not have been more horrified. I covered myself in my blankets, and
cold tremors crept over me for hours after. Every attempt to court sleep
would force through my mind a vivid recollection of every mean thing
that I had ever done, followed by all the stories of ghosts and
hobgoblins that I had ever heard. I have had no desire since to obtain a
rebel Colonel's coat.
The next morning the march was resumed. Nothing of particular interest
occurred, save the usual skirmishing, foraging, and burning consequent
upon such expeditions, for several days. After we had crossed Pearl
River, I was kept constantly on the flanks, scouting and foraging. I
usually had a squad of men with me. At Jonesboro I was sent out on the
left flank, with a squad of eight men. A few miles out from Jonesboro,
the road leading to Hillsboro forks. The straight and most direct road
leads through seven miles of swamp, and is known as the "lower road."
The right-hand road leads to the south, around the swamp, and is called
the "upper road." The latter was the one taken by the army in its route
to Hillsboro. When I left the troops in the morning, I did not know that
there was more than one road leading to that place. The consequence was,
I kept to the left of the lower road, which carried me entirely too far
from the main force of the army for safety.
After traveling about eight miles, we came to a cross-road. Our course,
thus far, had not been confined to any road, but lay across the fields.
As we came to the cross-road we emerged from a piece of woodland. Half a
mile beyond us was a double log-house and several large rail-pens, which
we had learned were filled with Confederate corn. Three hundred yards to
the left of the corn we discovered a camp of two regiments of rebel
cavalry. These we tried to clear, by filing to the right and keeping
along in the timber to the west of the road. Less than a hundred yards
brought us to a small stream of water, whose banks were lined with a
dense growth of alders. The stream, after crossing the road, made its
way along to within fifty yards of the corn-crib. Taking advantage of
the cover afforded by the alders, one of my party waded down the shallow
stream until opposite the cribs, and then, under cover of the cribs,
made his way to them and set them on fire, and then retraced his steps.
Two miles further south, we came to a planter's house, where I found a
table spread for eighteen persons, and fried sausage figured
extensively in the meal, which was then nearly prepared.
"You've got the table set for some Johnnies, I reckon," said I to the
planter.
"No, sir; for none but our own family."
"I reckon you have; I'll go out and stand picket while my men come in
and eat." I went out and sent the men in to eat the sausage. As I was
about to step behind an ash-house that stood in the yard, the old man,
who had followed me out, stepped up to me and begged of me not to go
there. Said he, "If you do, you will surely get shot."
"You want to frighten the men away from that sausage," said I, still
determined to go there.
"No," said he, "I have never seen a man shot, and I don't want to see
you shot in my own yard; you will certainly get shot if you go there. If
you want to stand picket at all, go up into my garret and watch from the
window."
The old man turned so pale and looked so much in earnest, that I
concluded to take his advice. Instead of going into the front door I
went round to the back door; both doors were open. In the front end of
the hall sat the planter's daughter, waving a white handkerchief, and in
the field beyond, not more than three hundred yards distant, I saw a
line of Johnnies coming, hiding their approach as much as they could by
intervening objects. I said to the boys, "Grab the sausage, kick over
the table, and be off, for the rebs are on us." We took to the trees,
when quite a lively skirmish ensued, which lasted for several minutes.
The rebs then took to their horses, evidently bent on intercepting our
retreat on the cross-road. As soon as they were out of sight, we started
across the fields for the "lower Hillsboro" road, which proved to be
about a mile distant. There were eighteen of the rebs, and they had
evidently been watching the "lower road" for forage parties. We had been
coming up in their rear until we stopped to confiscate the sausage. On
reaching the road, I found that the troops had not passed that way, and
consequently must have taken some other. The fact now flashed upon my
mind that we were much further from our command than we had any idea of.
There was a brick church at the corner of the road. I got the boys into
that as quick as possible, and ordered them to knock out the windows.
While they were preparing for defense, I stood in the road and watched.
While the boys were getting ready, a Lieutenant and a private of the
Federal Signal Corps came up, each armed with revolvers, and soon after
several infantry soldiers, that had strayed away from their commands,
came in sight. I hurried them up, and had hardly got them into the
church when a party of rebs made their appearance. We opened on them
lively, and killed two of their number and wounded others, which caused
them to clear out and leave us. I knew it would not do to stay there
long, so we "lit out" to find the army, taking the cross-road to the
south. Being mounted, I rode on ahead, until I came to the upper road.
The 16th Corps had just passed, and the 17th was just coming into sight.
In a few minutes General McPherson and staff came up, and wanted to
know what the firing was about. I reported the situation of affairs.
Just then two of my squad, who had brought up the rear at a distance of
three hundred yards behind the rest, came up on the run, with
information that two regiments of rebel cavalry were coming. The General
ordered a brigade of infantry into position on a double-quick. They were
hardly in line before the rebs commenced firing. A lively engagement
ensued, which lasted about thirty minutes, and resulted in a handsome
defeat of the enemy.
A march of three days more brought us to Decatur, Miss. The 16th Army
Corps passed on beyond the place to encamp for the night. As the rear of
their supply train was passing out of the place it was attacked, and one
man and twenty-six mules were killed. The 17th Corps encamped for the
night at Decatur. The next morning General Leggett sent me out on a road
running south from the place, to ascertain whether there was a rebel
force near. I had only gone half a mile before I discovered, a short
distance ahead of me, a squad of rebs. I returned to report the fact to
General Leggett, and as I was passing the first line of our troops,
Major Fry, of the 20th Ohio, said to me, "Bunker, what is there out
there?"
"There are rebs out there."
"How far?"
"Not more than half a mile."
"Pshaw! Bunker, you are mistaken; there can't be rebs that near."
"Perhaps you had better go and see, if you don't believe it."
The Major mounted his black stallion and went out. The road was crooked,
and lined on both sides with a heavy growth of pine underbrush, so that
it was impossible to see far. He hadn't been gone long enough to have
rode half a mile, when he was seen coming back with his horse under full
spur, and at its utmost speed, with hat in hand, shouting at the top of
his voice, "Fall in! Fall in! Fall in!" From the Major's actions, we all
supposed that a large force of rebs were about to attack us. The troops
instantly fell in, when a company was sent out to find the cause of
alarm, and discovered seven men that had given chase to the Major.
Officers sometimes get frightened as well as enlisted men.
General Leggett then gave me a squad of twenty-six men and sent me out
on a road to the south-east of town. Two miles out I saw a citizen
fleeing from his house to the woods, as if alarmed at our approach. I
gave chase and soon caught up with him. Brandishing my revolver, I said
to him, "Daddy, you have got to tell me one thing or I will kill you
right here; now tell me the truth."
"Well, what is it?"
"Where were you going, and what were you going for?"
"There are six hundred State militia down in the woods, about three
quarters of a mile from here; I was afraid of you all, and I was going
down there for protection."
"You belong to them, I suppose?"
"No, sir."
"What are the militia doing there?"
"They are going to attack your supply train."
"That's a fact, is it?"
"Yes, and they are going to do it right quick."
"It was the militia that killed the mules last night, I suppose."
"No, it was the citizens of the town."
"Did you have a hand in it?"
"No, sir; but my brother did. I'll tell you how it was done. Before the
Yankee force came up, the citizens of the town met on the public square,
and joined hands around the Confederate pole, with the Confederate
colors flying, and swore by Almighty God that they would resist the
march of the Yankees through the place, or every man would die in the
attempt. As soon as the Yankee advance made its appearance, they all
fled to the woods. As the rear of the train came up, they rallied and
made the attack; but as soon as they saw other troops coming, they again
fled."
I returned to General Leggett, to report the information that I had
gained. I found him still in Decatur, superintending the departure of
troops. The train was already moving out. I told him what was up. Said
he, "They dare not attack it; and if they do, there a'n't enough of them
to wake up one side of it."
"I guess they will try it, General."
At that instant the crack of rifles was heard, which increased in
frequency until the firing was quite lively.
"They are at it, I guess," said the General. "I must see about that." So
out we went to the scene of action. The guards were doing bravely, but
the presence of the General inspired them with new courage, and they
pitched into the militia like so many tigers, and whipped them without
any reinforcements to assist them.
At Meridian, General McPherson sent me out alone to hunt up a grist-mill
that was suitable to grind corn for the army. It was rendered necessary
because of our having advanced into the enemy's country one hundred and
fifty miles from our base of supplies, which compelled us to subsist
upon the products of the country.
Two miles out from Meridian I found a mill, but it needed some repairs.
The man who kept it told me that there was another, six miles further
out, that was in good running order. I went out to find it, but had gone
only about a mile, when I discovered rebel forces of both infantry and
cavalry. From appearances, I judged them to be quite strong. I then
retraced my steps toward camp. On my way, I met a Captain, with a detail
of forty men, going after forage. I advised him to go back. I told him
that if he undertook to go on the rebs would gobble him up. He insisted
upon having his own way, and went on. Two men of company K, of the 17th
Illinois Infantry, who knew me, heard what I said to the Captain, and,
not liking very well to be captured, fell back a short distance to the
rear of the squad, and watched the motion of things. The result was, the
Captain and his men were surprised and all gobbled up without making
any resistance, except the two that fell back, and they made a narrow
escape.
After leaving the Captain, I hurried back and reported to General
McPherson, who sent out a force of cavalry as quickly as possible to
support the Captain, or release him if captured. The assistance,
however, was too late. The rebs had departed with their prisoners.
We staid at Meridian two days, which time we spent in gathering supplies
and devastating the country. The object of the raid was to impoverish
the country as much as possible, and it was successfully accomplished.
The destruction of property could not have been more complete. At the
expiration of two days the army retraced its way eighteen miles, and
then made another halt of two days, to rest the teams.
From that place, Colonel Potts, of the 32d Ohio Infantry, (since a
Brevet Major-General,) in command of the Ohio Brigade, was sent with
fifty-six wagons to the north of our line of march after supplies. I
went with him. He ordered me to ride on some distance in advance, and
see what I could find.
Twelve miles out, I came to a plantation that looked as if it belonged
to a man in wealthy circumstances. As I came in sight of the house, I
saw two men go in. The house stood in a yard inclosed by a picket-fence;
behind the house was a small oak grove. Halting in front of the gate, I
shouted. Two men came out, and one of them inquired what I wanted.
"I want you to come out to the gate," I replied.
"Go along to your command," he continued; "you have no business here.
Your command has just passed the corner yonder, out of sight. I don't
want you straggling back and prowling around my premises. I am
Provost-marshal General of this district, and I order you to go on."
"Oh, come out here. I am no straggler. I have got some news to tell you
about the _Yankees, and it's good news, too_."
At that they both came out into the road. As the Marshal closed the
gate, and stepped away from it, I reined my horse between him and the
gate, and, quickly presenting my revolver, told them that they were my
prisoners, and if they made any attempt to get away I'd kill them both
on the spot. I then marched them back till I met Colonel Potts.
"What have you got here?" he inquired.
"The Provost-marshal General."
"Is that your rank, sir?" he inquired of the prisoner.
"Yes, sir."
"What is your name?"
"Davis, sir; Doctor Davis, they call me."
"What is your name?" (addressing the other.)
"My name is Davis; I am a brother of the doctor."
"What is your rank?"
"I am a private in the 35th Mississippi Regiment."
"What are you doing here?"
"I am on furlough. Here it is," said he, pulling it out and handing it
to the Colonel.
I told the Colonel that it was only a few rods to the doctor's house; so
he brought them along to the house, where they were turned over to my
care. I now discovered, for the first time, that there were several
persons chained to the trees in the little grove behind the house.
Leaving my prisoners with a guard, I went to find out who they were. I
found that they had iron collars around their necks, to which the chains
were made fast. They said they were Union people, and lived in the
country about there, and that they had fled from conscription, and
Doctor Davis had hunted them down with bloodhounds, and then chained
them there. I went to the doctor and asked him who he had got chained up
in the grove. He said, "They are Confederate soldiers that have deserted
their regiments. I captured them, and fastened them that way for
safe-keeping, until I could return them to their commands."
I made him give me his keys, and then I unlocked the Union men, and put
one of the iron collars on Doctor Davis' neck, and locked him to the
hind end of one of the wagons. The doctor's brother cried, and said he
would rather see him shot than treated that way, and begged of me to let
him go. I told him that such treatment was no worse for rebs than it was
for good Union men. I had hardly stepped away from the doctor when the
Union men pitched into him, and I guess they would have killed him in a
very few minutes if I had not interfered. I was very sorry afterward
that I didn't let them do him justice.
We loaded the fifty-six wagons with oats, corn, and bacon, from the
doctor's plantation, and then burned every thing that was left. While
the wagons were being loaded, some Indians that lived near by came to
us, and seeing that I had the doctor chained, said: "Bad man; very bad
man. Be glad he's gone."
As soon as I reached camp, I reported to General McPherson who I had
captured. He said, "Doctor Davis is notorious for his cruelty to loyal
people. Bring your prisoner in."
While I was gone for the prisoner, General Sherman and General Logan
came over, and were there when I entered with him. General Sherman asked
him a few questions, and then gave him a most severe upbraiding for his
barbarous cruelty. When the Generals had all given him a piece of their
minds, he was turned over to me to take care of, with permission to kill
him if I wanted to.
The next morning I took him out into the woods alone, to see what I
could do toward scaring him. I chained him to a tree, and then, drawing
my revolver, told him that I was going to kill him. He begged of me to
spare his life.
"Yes," said I, "the ox is yours now; why didn't you think of that when
loyal men begged of you for mercy? You have no time to beg; you had
better go to praying."
He plead and cried, and finally prayed. As much as he deserved death, I
hadn't the heart to kill him; so I returned him to his place behind the
wagon. He was made to travel all the way to Vicksburg with the collar
and chain fast to his neck. Sometimes the driver would stop his team,
and wait till the teams ahead would go three or four hundred yards. Then
he would crack up his team, and make the doctor run to keep up, and,
while running, he would have to hold on to the chain with both hands, to
keep it from dragging him by the neck. At Vicksburg he was tried by
court-martial, and sentenced to confinement on Johnson's Island.
When the army arrived at Jonesboro, on its return, General McPherson
sent me, with a squad of nine men, into the country to hunt up forage.
We were all mounted. When we had gone about eight miles to the
north-west, we came to a small stream that flowed within deep
perpendicular banks, and a few yards beyond the stream we came to a
house, where we dismounted. I went to the stable in search of horses and
mules. On returning to the yard, in front of the house, I found my men
gathered in a circle around a young lady that had come out of the house.
She was dressed extravagantly gay and rich, evidently in expectation of
a visit from somebody. Her gay appearance had had something to do in
gathering the men around her.
"Boys," said I, "don't you know better than to huddle together in that
way for bushwhackers to shoot at? One shot would kill two or three of
you."
"That's so, Bunker," said they, scattering out.
"What are you dressed up so nice for?" said I to the lady. "Who's coming
to see you?"
"I a'n't dressed up; this is my every-day attire."
"You needn't lie to me in that way; there is somebody coming to see
you, and if you don't tell me who it is, I'll burn your house down."
"Perhaps, if you stay here long enough, you will find out who it is."
"Whereabouts is General Ross' command?"
"He is not far from here."
"Well, where is he?"
"Down in the woods yonder."
"Come on, boys, we'll go down and see!"
We mounted and rode down into the woods; there I discovered a great many
fresh horse-tracks. I ordered the boys to dismount and form a skirmish
line. We had hardly got into position, when a Confederate General made
his appearance on a rise of ground in our front, a hundred yards
distant, coming toward us. When he had ascended fairly to the top of the
hill, he halted to look. He was the richest dressed General that I ever
saw. His uniform was heavily trimmed with gold lace, and his saddle,
bridle, and holsters were mounted with gold. The General was straight,
and well proportioned, and made a splendid appearance. I presumed that
it was General Ross, on his way to visit the young lady.
"Jim," said I to the man nearest me, whom I knew to be a good shot, "why
don't you shoot that General?"
Jim fired, but missed him. We gave chase, and fired twelve or fifteen
shots at him, but, in the excitement of the occasion, we all missed him.
We followed about forty rods, then returned to our horses, recrossed the
bridge, tore it up, stationed ourselves behind trees, and waited for
the approach of the enemy, who, I felt sure, would give chase. We had
not waited long until the expected enemy came. We opened fire on them as
they came up, which was kept up by us for several minutes, and returned
with equal vigor by them. Finding they made no impression on us, they
withdrew. Suspecting that they knew of some other place to cross the
stream, I told the boys to "light out." We were hardly in saddle till we
saw the rebels coming from another direction. They had crossed the
creek, intent on our capture. Away we went, and the rebs after us. It
was now nip and tuck who had the fastest horses. Fortunately for us,
during our absence the 16th Corps had moved out on the road that we were
on, and gone into camp, and we had only about three miles to ride before
we ran into our own lines. The rebs kept up the chase until they were
fired into by our pickets. I never learned whether we injured any of the
rebs or not; my own men received no injury.
Two days' further marching brought the army within four miles of Pearl
River Swamp, where it halted to lay a pontoon bridge across Pearl River.
While the army was waiting, I was ordered by General Leggett to get a
detail of eighteen men from the 32d Ohio Infantry, in addition to which
I had a squad of nine that had been on detail with me for several days.
With these I was to go after forage, and be ready to start at daylight
the next morning. I got horses for my men, and had them all ready that
night. In the morning we started for General Leggett's head-quarters
for special instructions. On the way I met a Lieutenant of the 23d
Indiana Infantry, with a detail of ninety men, all mounted. He said to
me, "Bunker, what is your detail for?"
I told him that I was going after forage. He said, "I am ordered to take
command of all forage parties to-day. You and your men fall in with me."
The men, supposing it was all right, fell in, except one. I knew well
enough that he had lied. He wore shoulder-straps and I wore none. I was
vexed. I sat on my horse and watched his movements. He rode on to the
head of his command, with more assuming dignity than a Major-General
with a command of a hundred thousand men. He paid no attention to his
men, and they strung out behind long enough for a good sized regiment. I
told the man that had remained with me to go on, and tell the men of my
detail that I wanted them to run with me, and to drop back behind till I
came up. This they did, without being missed by the Lieutenant. I got
them all back but one man. The Lieutenant filed to the left at the first
left-hand road; I went on to the second left-hand road, and then filed
left. I calculated to let the Lieutenant have the outside track, and I
would forage inside his operations. After turning to the left, we went a
mile, and then took a track that led to the right, down through a field,
and then into a piece of woods, until we came to a creek, with a steep
bank on the side that we were on that was four feet down to the water.
We could only get our animals down the bank by pushing them. In this we
succeeded. The opposite bank we ascended without difficulty. We were
then about five miles from where the Lieutenant and I parted. Going on a
few yards further, I heard the sound of voices, and motioned to the boys
to stop. We listened, and could distinctly hear loud talking, and
occasionally such expressions as "thar," "you all," and "gwine," which
led us to conclude that we were coming upon a party of rebs. I knew that
Carson's cavalry was somewhere not far distant, and readily enough
suspected that the talking we heard was from his men. To retrace our
steps was impossible, owing to the nature of the opposite bank of the
stream. To remain long where we were was dangerous. "Boys," said I, "we
must do one of two things--either fight these rebs or go to
Andersonville. Which will you do?"
"Try 'em a whack, Bunker."
"Well, then, tie your horses, and get into a line of skirmishers, and
I'll ride cautiously forward and see what's there." I went so near that
I saw two Confederate soldiers and a nigger, clad in Confederate
uniform. This confirmed my suspicions that we had run into Carson's
cavalry. I concluded that our only hope lay in the trial of strategy.
From the voices that I heard, the party, whoever they were, greatly
outnumbered mine.
Having placed myself at the rear of my command, I shouted, at the top of
my voice, "ATTENTION BATTALION! COMPANY A, ON THE RIGHT, AND B, ON
THE LEFT, DEPLOY AS SKIRMISHERS! FORWARD--DOUBLE-QUICK--MARCH!" Away the
boys went. Then I shouted, "BATTALION--FORWARD--DOUBLE-QUICK--MARCH!" I
was the battalion. I kept on giving commands, as we advanced, as loud as
I could yell, as if I was commanding a full regiment of infantry. The
strategy had its effect. The party did not wait to see who we were, but
very unceremoniously "lit out." We only got sight of three persons; those
were the two Confederate soldiers and nigger that I have mentioned, who
remained behind for us to capture. We now found out that we had stampeded
a party of Federal soldiers. They had left two yoke of oxen and a wagon,
loaded with a barrel of sugar, a sack of flour, and nice hams. On top of
the load was a roll of carpeting. The fleeing party had left along their
line of flight great numbers of nice hams, that they had thrown away in
their efforts to escape. The three persons that we had captured had
hauled the stuff down into the woods that morning, to hide it from the
Yankees. A party of Federal soldiers had discovered the track, and
followed it up, and were in the act of appropriating the best of the
hams to their own use, when we surprised them. We took possession of the
property, and started on, keeping a plantation road that wound its way
round to the main road, on which the army was encamped.
Shortly before coming out on the main road, I halted my party to give
the oxen a chance to rest. While there, the 11th Illinois Cavalry and a
brigade of infantry were seen coming out on the road that we were on,
with battle-flags flying. Coming up to us, they halted. At the head of
the command, with the Colonel of the 11th Illinois Cavalry, was the
Lieutenant of the forage party and a private of the 23d Indiana
Infantry. Said the private to me:
"Bunker, was there a carpet on that wagon?"
"Yes; but we threw it away."
"Was there a barrel of sugar?"
"Yes."
"And a sack of flour?"
"Yes."
Turning to the Lieutenant, "Here is your wagon."
"Do you claim that wagon, Lieutenant?" I inquired.
"I don't know as it is my wagon."
"If it is, just say so; I don't know as one soldier is better than
another. These supplies are for this noble army. If they are yours, just
say so; then I'll tell how I came by them."
"I don't know as I care who has them; only I would like to have had one
of those hams for my dinner."
"Well, why didn't you save one of the hams that you threw away, if you
wanted one so bad?"
"I declare!" said the Colonel, "if this a'n't a pretty flirt! A brigade
of infantry and a battalion of cavalry sent out to attack _Bunker and
his squad_!"
The Colonel then moved with his command back to camp, and I reported
with my forage to General Leggett.
The next day I took out a squad of six men on a road leading to the
north-west. Two miles out I came to a cross-road leading down to Pearl
River. Near the corners stood a dwelling-house, and in the yard lay a
dead horse, which, from appearances, had been killed only a few minutes
before. Riding into the yard, and reining up to the door of the house, I
called the occupants out, who proved to be a widow lady and two
daughters. I inquired how the horse came to be killed in her yard. At
first she refused to tell. By threatening to burn her house, I succeeded
in drawing out the information that a Federal soldier had been there but
a few minutes, when a Confederate Colonel, an Adjutant, and a servant
rode into the yard; the servant was mounted on a mule. The Federal
soldier, seeing them, rushed out of the house and fired his piece at the
Adjutant, and then rushed at the Colonel with his bayonet. The shot
missed the Adjutant and killed his horse. The Colonel shot the soldier
in the right arm and disabled him. The Adjutant left the servant to
shift for himself, mounted the mule, and rode off with the Colonel
toward Pearl River. They hurried their prisoner off as fast as he could
go, without giving him time to tie up his wound. Having learned this, I
said, "Come on, boys! we can outrun a mule, and perhaps we can catch
them." Away we went, under full spur. A chase of a little over two miles
brought us in sight of a dwelling-house, where, by the roadside, was
hitched a horse and a mule, and sitting upon the porch was a Federal
soldier.
The Colonel and Adjutant had entered the house and called for a snack.
The man of the house replied, "Really, Colonel, I should like to get you
something to eat, but I am afraid the Yankees will be upon you before my
servants can get it ready."
[Illustration: SURRENDER, OR I'LL KILL YOU RIGHT HERE.]
"No they won't; they are afraid of me. The cowardly sons of b----s
dasn't follow me! I've got one of them now; if they come I'll get some
more."
The soldier, seeing us coming, and having heard the conversation, said:
"The Colonel is a brave man, indeed; but, by the looks of things out
here, he is gone up. Hearing that, they made a rush for their animals,
and we fired a volley from our revolvers, which killed the Adjutant
instantly. We emptied our revolvers at the Colonel; but in the
excitement of the occasion every shot missed, and he succeeded in
mounting his horse and starting off toward the river. By the time he was
in his saddle, I was within twenty feet of him. The chase was a
desperate one. The Colonel, at intervals of a few rods, would let drive
a back-handed shot toward me, until he had emptied his piece. My horse
would lay back his ears and open his mouth, and spring forward with all
his force, as if to catch hold of the Colonel's horse with his teeth. A
mile and a half brought us to the river. I had gained at least ten feet.
The Colonel's horse splashed into the water, and mine gave a leap and
came nearly up, and then outswam his, till I came near enough to strike
the Colonel on the back of the head with the butt of my revolver, which
considerably stunned him, and enabled me get his horse by the bridle.
"Surrender," said I, "or I'll kill you!"
"I'm your prisoner," said the Colonel.
"Bring him out," shouted the boys, who, by this time, had come up.
We conducted the prisoner back to the house, where we found the
soldier, still bleeding and very weak from the loss of blood. He
belonged to the 32d Ohio Infantry. He said that he had asked the woman
of the house for a rag with which to tie up his wound, which she refused
to give him, adding, "I hope you will bleed to death." We dressed the
wound as well as we could, and then took care of the woman's rags by
setting fire to the house and out-buildings. We then carried the soldier
to his regiment, and the Colonel to General McPherson's head-quarters.
After crossing Pearl River, very little occurred of interest in my
individual experience during the march back to Vicksburg. A great many
forage parties and straggling soldiers were gobbled up by the enemy
during the raid; but, though I was out with men under my charge nearly
every day, I never lost a man during the entire campaign, which lasted
thirty days. On the march from Canton to Vicksburg the troops were not
allowed to destroy property. The raid was a demonstration of the
feasibility of the plan of campaigning, which was afterward inaugurated
by General Sherman in the state of Georgia.