Activate Javascript or update your browser for the full Digital Library experience.
Previous Page
–
Next Page
OCR
«
~ minor object.
‘without fighting to the very last.
THE WAR
i
‘LIBRARY. °-
BATTIE SMrtomet;
—- On —
The War. Correspondent Among Guerrillas.
A Thrilling Tale of Perryville and Stone River,
BY HUGH ALLEN, OF THE N. ¥. PRESS.
CHAPTER I.
: THE CROSSROA DS TAVERN. «
Early one fall morning in 1862, while the mists yet hung over thé
Kentucky hills, there was a hasty trampling of many horses’ hoofs
and a large force of men clad in butternut suits that proclaimed
them Confederates, drew up in front’of an old building situated at
‘hb crossroads where the route to Louisville was intersected by a
That these men were not here without an object was apparent
from their actions.
No sooner had they come to a halt before the old tavern than a
few sharp orders were given, and men on both sides debouched
from the main body. . : :
These latter rode so as to at once surround the old building and
thus prevent any escape while some of their comrades. searched its
interior.
‘Lo do this they were obliged toleap a low fence and pass throngb
some bushes that grew to an unusual height, the season having
been prolific of weeds in this section of the country, |"
While carrying out orders, one of the men was so unfortunate as
. to catch the hammer of his carbine in an obtrusive twig. ,
The result was astonishing. . .
» There came a quick explosion that was like the clap ofa thun-
der-storm.
The bullet did no harm, but the report was fraught with disas,
ter to the cause of therebels, © +
It aroused the object of their wrathful search.
That object was no other than myself, Hugh Allen, simply a:war
correspondent of the New. York press.’
Because in my capacity of a news gleaner I had been enabled to
rerform more than one signal service to the rebels to such an ex-
tent that they had threatened to hang measaspy onsight. — -
Rumors to this effect had reached me, and while their dread did
not diminish my ardor in the least, they made me resolve ‘that I
would never fallinto the hands of Morgan and his rough- riders
it may perhaps be imagined how I felt when, upon’ being
aroused from the soundest sleep by this heavy carbine report, 1
sprang to the window of my room in the second story of the inn,
and, looking out, saw these grim men in gray surrounding the
house. .
Escape by flight was hopeless.
This was apparent at the first slanee, and the‘thought did ‘not
enter my mind again.
No sooner did I set eyes on the men than I came at once to the
conclusion that is was ne they sought and no other.
There is something decidedly unpleasant about being aroused
from sleep with a crash, and learning on the instant that the house
is surrounded by enemies who seek your blood,
My pulse beat with trip-hammer strokes, but otherwise I was
quite calm.
Death stared mein the face, but one grows even accustomed to
the looks of the grim monster, and I did not tremble worth a cent.
* Still, as every man with a healthy body loves life, my thoughts at
ounce flew toward escape.
I looked around the room.
‘There was not a sign of a prospect.
Besides the door and little window I could see nothing save a
cupboard or closet, into whose recesses I had not yet looked.
At times like this thought flies like lightning from the clouds,
, and action often keeps pace with thought.
I could hear the thumping on the door below, and the grunting
of the old landlord a3 he descended thestairs to let the rebel troop-
ersin, :
Ere five minutes they would overrun thie house—indeed, perhaps
_before three had passed the men of gray might be thundering at
my door.
I was well armed as usual, but knew full well that if I trusted to
my weapons the end was inevitable.” «
Even had [not been an object of unusual hatred to the rebel
soldiers, at that particular time I must have objected: strenously
toward being madea captive, for it chanced that during my pere-
grinations in search of news of a miscellaneous character to submit
tothe paper in New York with which I had the honor to be con-
nected, Thad managed to pick up some information which was of
a nature to rather startle the Union general, should I beso fortun-
tunate as to deliver it to him,
1 had partially disrobed when going to bed, although on account
of the hour at which I had arrived, and the closeness of the room,
which apparently had not been used for some time, I had simply
thrown myself on the hard bed and sought the slumber of which I
stood so much in need.
My first thought, therefore, was to slipinto my clothes as rapidly
as possible.
As I turned from the window to grasp the garments my eye fell
upon the closet door, |
With one bound I reached the closet, turned the button that held
the door shut, and pulled the latter open.
There was not much light in the room, but my ¢.-es must have
been sharpened by eagerness, for I saw all I wanted to, and could
not help giving vent to a cry of astonishment.
Freaven was kind to me.
could I have the dearest wish of my heart granted it could not
have exceeded this good luck.
There, hanging upona couple of pegs was a complete Confederaté
uniform, and an ofiicer’s at that.
To snatch them down was the work of an instant.
They fitted me very well, a fact which I was not long in ascer-
taining, and which gave me considerable, satisfaction, foran ill-fit
might have utterly ruined wiav pians I had made.
I had only time to hastily transfer my weapons and a few arti
cles of importance from the old suit to that borrowed for the oc-
easion, and pullona pair of military boots with spurs attached,
when I heard heavy footsteps and gruff voices in the hall with-
out.
Quietly I drew back the bolt, leaving the door unlocked, and
after one glance around the room to see that none of my cast off
garments were in sight to betray me, I crept upon the bed again.
Hardly had I done so than a hand touched the knob of the door.
At the same instant came the landlord’s voice.
“Wo use o’ enterin’ thar, gentlemen. That thar room ts hired
by Major Breckenridge, and no guests are ever putinit. Linsist
thatthe man ye waut ain’there. Sol Kingsby’s my name, and
General Bragg kin vouch foritthat I’m a good secesh, Zor I’ve
sent him news more’n once about some move of the cursed Yan-
kxees, and thar artn’f none o’ the breed could sleep under my root
without his neck being im danger.”
" “That may all be, old man, we don’t doubt your loyalty to the
South one whit. Sol Kingsly is too well known to doubtit. At
thesame time, we have received positiveinformation that war- -
rants usin searching this house for arascally Yankeespy. You
may have been imposed upon, but we do not intend being duped.
Asforthis room being. Major Breckenridge’s I know the major
will not think harshly of us for searching it in the interests of the
Aart
South.” . ee
This voi:e evidentiy belongea to the leader of the guerrillas, and
I judged ‘what manner of man he must. be from the tones, which
spoke of pompous pride in the great I.
“You don’t know the major then,I see. He's a terror when
roused up, and that’s why I don’t like to have ye enter his room.
Butif ye will, why goon. Wait here tillI run downtothe bar
an’ get the key.”
“Why, the key is herein thelock. Are you blind a6 a badger?"
said the gruff soldier, suspiciously.
This was my time. :
J knew that they were about to enter the room with the next
second, and thatI could strike home by acting as though just
aroused from sleep at that moment.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, with my hair rumpled as fero-
ciously as possible, I waited unti: the door opened to admit the sol,
dier and landlord, when I spraag erect.
I fancy I must have presented quite a formidable appearance at
that moment, with my wenderful uniform, the heavy saber dang.
ling at my heels, the revolversin my belt, my hair standing on
end, like the quills of the fretful porcupine, and a lowering look
upon my face.
With the lieutewaut and ‘andlora there entered about half a
dozen soldiers—?.t least they got as far as the door and their pres
ence told that cho officer had not expected to obtain an easy vio-
tory, which J cook a3 2 compliment to myself.
“What iv tke fiend’s name does this intrusion mean?
lasked tbe question with allthe flerceness I could command,
glaring, ather than looking, first at the landlord, and then at the
Jieutenant. *
It was a critical moment. :
Several things were in my favor I knew.
Iu the first place the landlord wasin deadly fear of the major,
whose personality I now represented, and should I in any way
luok like this party, the whole thing would be decided with him.
Ou the other hand the rebel lieutenant was of a bullying nature,
and I knew that such men wero always impressed by one in
igher command.
Isaw thelandlord start back.