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(2 THE WAR LIBRARY
DOWN IN DIXIE: Already in my past career I had been } miles below, where they crossed without op-
, wounded several times, and once quite seri-.| position. :
——or,—— ously. . As they came galloping down the roa
, Besides this I had twice fallen into the | the rebels seeing that they had been neatl
Perilous Adventures of a War Cor-| hands of the Johnny Rebs, not through any } flanked, retreated in haste in the directioi:
respondent. morbid desire on my part tofigure as a hero, | of Orange Corrt House, followed by our
A Thrilling Story of Stoneman’s Raid and
Gettysburg.
BY UGH ALLAN.
{Of the New York Press.]
rtrene
CHAPTER I.
STONEMAN’S RAID.
“Richards !""
“‘That’s me, Colonel Kilpatrick.”
“Weare off on a big raid. If you want
news of an exciting character for your New
York paper, and at the same time see the
heart of rebeldom, get a horse and come
with me.”
* But the horse, colonel ?"”
“ Buy the poorest animul you can find, for
it won’t be many hours before you havea
chance of exchanging him for the best steed
ou ever laid eyes on, as we intend raiding
he stables of Richmond.”
With these last words Colonel—afterward
general—Kilpatrick turned away, laughing
at my incredulous and astonished look,
I had been an army correspondent for
some years—in fact, ever since the breaking
outof the war.
r During this time it can be imagined that I
saw a good deal of service.
I know of no position in the army where
& man may see as much of a battleas the
office of correspondent for some large news-
aper.
p Ro do his duty faithfully he saust see the
whole of the battle, comparatively speak-
ing, and be in the thickest of the fray.
No danger is too great for a zealous war
correspondent, and those who read the
lowing accounts of the most desperate bat-
- tlesin Virginia little suspect at what a ter-
rible risk those records were gained.
I had always tried to do my duty regard-
less of any personal risk.
It may be put down as a fact, therefore,
that by this time I had become inured to
danger, and rather enjoyed than otherwise,
the peculiar sensation caused by the whist-
ling of bullets around my head, the shriek-
of shells overhead and all the frightful
noises that characterized a battle.
When Colonel Kilpatrick left me, I no
longer remained inactive.
I had long know this officer, and had seen
him leading his bold riders into action more
than once,
He was considered the most dashing
among all cavalry leaders, ready to enter
upon any dare-devil deed, and yet withal
possessed of a certain amount of caution
which would do much toward bringing his
men out of a tight place.
His words had astonished me.
From any other man I should have deem-
ed the matter a hoax, but even such a reck-
less movement was not entirely foreign to a
man of Kilpatrick’s caliber.
After he had left me I considered the mat-
ter 2 moment.
I was not longin arriving at the conclu-
sion that even if the colonel had been hum-
Lassure you, but because circumstances were
against me.
On both of these occasions I had escaped
without being sent to one of their vile
prisons, for which I had much to be thank-
ful for.
The first time my escape had been due
solely to my own exertions, for taking ad-
vantage of the abstraction of the man in
gray left to guard me,I gave him a rap
over the head that dazed him, and before he
could collect his senses, 1 had snatched his
revolver from his belt and covered him.
Leaving the fellow bound, I managed to
gain the Union lines in safety.
In the second instance it came near being
a serious business with me, for I chanced to
fallinto the hands of a squad of guerrillas
who were ignorant of the office of war cor-
respondent, and finding things upon me
pertaining to my work, at once leaped to the
conclusion that [ was a spy.
The wretches were fierce for my blood,
and nothing would suit them but that I
must die at once. ‘
In vain I protested, endeavoring to ex-
plain my position.
They may have comprehended their mis-
take, but this did not relieve their animos-
ity, for they hated the papers of the North
like poison, and while they might have
pardoned aspy, they could never think for
an instant of leaving one of those hated cor-
respondents live to continue his task of in-
citing the North to further action by pict-
uring the barbarous treatment of the poor
negro in the South.
Thad given up all hope of escape and re-
signed myself to death, when, like a meteor
flashing across the nidnight sky, so abrupt
was their coming, a squad of Union cavalry-
men dashed down upon us.
Immediately the situation was changed.
Instead of being a prisoner on the eve of
execution I was free as air, while my late
captors were fleeing in all directions, hotly
pursued by the Federal cavalry.
Iam not a vicious man, by any means;
but assure youl took no little pleasure in
the fact that nine out of the dozen men who
formed the rebel squad were shot down in
their tracks or else taken prisoner to meet
a worse fate, perhaps, for they were one and
all well known guerrillas who had committed
no end of murders.
When we rode forth under the lead of the
gallant Major-general Stoneman, there was
not one man, officer or private, who knew
the real object of the movement except the
commander himself, so much of a secret had
Hooker’s designs been made.
Formerly the cavalry of the Army of the
Potomac had been divided up, a portion act-
ing with each brigade; but when Burnside,
before he was succeeded by Hooker, began
an entire reorganization of the cavalry, and
Hooker completed it by forming a cavalry
corps under Stoneman, consisting of three
divisions, commanded respectively by Gregg,
Pleasunton and Averill.
Hooker was moving on Chancellorsville,
and one of his plans was to destroy Lee’s
supplies and to cut hiscommunications with
Richmond.
bugging me, there was a desperate expedi-
tion on foot, and I would do well to heed his
advice and get ready.
My horse had been wounded in arecent af-
fair with the enemy,so thatI was notin
good condition to start off with the cavalry-
men.
Remembering Kilpatrick’s injunction, I
started out and soon purchased from a sut-
ler a dilapidated looking animal that would
affect the visibles of any one to look at,
and yet which showed signs of great en-
durance.
When the call of “‘boot and saddle” rang
through the camp I was ready, and rode
away at Kilpatrick’s side in company with
several other war correspondents.
Our method was to notice everything of
interest during the day,and when night
eame, around the glowing camp-fire tran-
scribeitinthe most glowing language for
the benefit of our Northern readers,
In the present case we expected to have
much indeed to write about.
hose who had never been in the Old
Dominion were always enger to read about
the manners and customs of the inhabi-
tants, besides the deep interest that al-
ways attaches to a raid into the enemy’s
country.
This duty was intrusted to the cavalry,
and how well they accomplished it I leave
for the reader to decide ere this story is com-
pleted.
y Before the march was begun all men or
horses unfit for the most active duty were
left behind, so that it wasasplendid force
hearty cheers. i
They were hotly pursued bya portion of
the Fifth cavalry, and some prisoners taken,
We now crossed the ford and encamped
in the deserted intrenchments of the Con-
federates, :
It had been the intention of the rebel gen-:
eral to give battle to Averill at Rapidau sta.
tion, but finding themselves flanked by this
movement of Greggs, they were compelled
to fall back in the direction of Gordonsville,
Averill crossed the stream, and driving
back those who opposed him, followed the
main body of the enemy almost to Gordons
ville.
His, of course, was only a feint to allow
our division to pass by unseen by the rebels
and get well on our way, : i
When this was accomplished Averill re
crossed the stream and rejoined Hooker. }
That might, the last in April, the ground
was cold und damp, yet the order was that
no fires were to be lighted, for fear of betray-
ing our position to the foe. i
s we had now fully embarked upon the
enterprise, we must endure any ‘hardship
that might arise for the good of the cause
we defended, i
It was a cheerless night. :
Irolled myself up in my blanket, and in
spite of the raw atmosphere and damp earth
was soon in the land of dreams, for the rough.
ride during the day had exhausted me té
such o degree that sleep. came rendily
enough. :
How long Ihad slumbered I had not the
faintest idea, when a hand gripped my
shoulder and a voice gave me to understand
that we were about to move. ;
I recognized the voice as belonging to my
fellow correspondent of the Times, and qur
etly arising, found the camp in the midst o!
that bustle which indicates a movement
yet all was done with a degree of silence on:
would have believed impossible considerinj
the number of men. {
Striking a match under the shelter of m)
blanket, I looked at the face of my watch. ;
.It was two o'clock. ;
After we were ready to move it was dis
covered that we had no guide, and until day.
light we remained there. i
‘hus four hours of time were wasted,
which might have been spent in sleep af
least, if not in moving forward. i
Soon after daylight, taking the road lead.
to Louisa Court House, we crossed
Mountain Run and reaching the Fredericks
burg plank road, proceeded along the north
fork of the North Anna, t
Detachments now overran the whole
country, taking every road and ath,
through fields and forests, dashing into ham-
lets to secure prisoners and food, and every:
where spreading the information that Hook:
erand his whole army were on the move,
then leading the people to believe that the
Army o e Potomac was making a swifs
descent upon the capital of the Southerw
Confederacy. :
Having thus far had little or no breakfast,
the cavalrymen helped themselves to any:
thing that suited their fancy in the line of
oultry, lamb or vegetables that bad Deen
ept over winter. :
hey invited themselves to breakfast
wherever they were, and no doubt the Vir
ginia farmers were terribly astonished af
their sudden appearance and the uncere
monious manner in which they joined th
family gathered nround the table.
For myself, in company with Lieutena
with which we started out on that April
ay. :
Dieasanton ’s division was to accompany
Hooker to Chancellorsville; Averill was to
cross the river at Rappahannock station and
move toward Gordonsville, so as to attract
the attention of the strong rebel force under
Fitz Hugh and Curtis Lee, while our division
under Gregg was selected_to perform the
work which was to cripple Lee.
When we arrived at Raccoon ford we were
brought to a standstill, for it was guarded
by a strong force of Confederates on the
other side, intrenched around the house of
Colonel Porter.
This looked indeed serious, but Gregg was
equal to the emergency.
ur column was halted in the woods, and
a brisk artillery fire opened upon the in-
Gaskell and several others, officers and co
respondents, we darted down upon an ix
lated farmhouse and were s0 lucky as to find
the family just in the act of seating them-
selves at the breakfast table. ‘|
We entered the house hastily, but ber,
gentlemen, uncovered when we found the
were ladies in the room.
comrades now began to look in my
rection as though by mutual consent I
constituted the spokesman of the party
honor I did not crave, but which, as I
discovered on former occasions, there —
no use in declining, so boldly stepping -
ward and bowing in the direction of
two ladies, I addressed myself tothe pla:
er, i rather elderly man with a severe fa; |
P'
trenehed rebels opposite, who replied with
spirit. .
While their attention was thus occupied a
who eyed us with no friendly looks.
“Begging your pardon for this rough | |
trusion, we ask permission to join you
your meal. The Army of the Potoma
aforce was secretly sent to a ford a few
marching upon Richmond and ns there is