Who Goes There?

e poor s

sleep upon th

atch in darkness

akes

, and went to sleep quickly. When I awo

at my left the sky was reddening. I aroused Nick,

kitchen or garden; everything was bare. I asked Nick if he could manage in any way to get

"Dey'll go a long ways to-day," said Nick; "ain

und. We crossed the road and went to the low hills. From a tree I could see the village of Warwick about a mile or so to the west, with the

e way through the woods until we could get near th

imber, through an opening in which, ran the road at our left. At long in

othing but an outpost; and I was considering whether it would not be best to turn this position on the north, reach the river as rapidly as possible, and make for Lee's Mill,

pped, and remained a few moments without dismounting;

falling into ranks. Now came a squadron of cavalry from down the road; they passed through the picket-line, and were soon lost to sight. The

ore, I confess, with the hope of appeasing hunger, Nick and I now cautiously approached the aband

he remains of straw beds; some brush arbours--improvised shelters--were standin

mber to the north; it ended with

een us and the river in this

ell you git down in

is it cultivate

it is, but mos

e soldiers on this

an 'lon

es

w; but dey is some mo' up on dis side, up higher, u

s it to Le

mos' fo

the river abo

eep down be

deep here?"

de comes up t

uthern soldiers

own dat-awa

breastworks bel

wucks straks off to de J

what

e Mulber

e river here, there

ain't no use t

bel outposts to their main line beyond the Warwick, and that I could easily and alone reach the riv

n't believe I shall n

ne to gimme da

y if you will attend closely to what I tell yo

as

the Union army at Newport N

as

sharp on the road and not

ok sharp,"

too; I hope you will meet some Uni

ok sharp,"

y a note for me to

as

er that I had picked up in the reb

way if you meet any

as

diers, you must give thi

as

must tell him that the Southern soldiers are leaving Warw

'n' but look sharp, en' I won't do no

r dollar, Nick. Good-by

at once, and I

ld be sufficient protection to the rebels behind it, and I would waste no time in examining its course here. Through the undergrowth I crept, sometimes on my hands and knees, and whenever I saw an opening in the woods before me, I paused long and looked well before either crossing or flanking it. After a while I reached heavy timber in the low ground, which I supposed lay along the river. At my left was a cleared field,

ear that I had been rash in coming through the open. Soon I struck the river, which

here could be little need for Confederate fortifica

I heard firing far to my rear, and won

went, but for fully three hours I kept on and found no river again. I felt sure that I had leaned too far to the east, and was about to turn square to my left and seek the river, when I saw before me a smaller stream flowing westward. I did not understand. I knew th

re must be a great angle in the river belo

ough narrow; I could hear a drum beating. A road, a narrow country road, ran seemingly straight into the water. Only a few steps to my left there was an elbow of the road, I moved to this elbow, keeping in the bushes, a

he ordinary needs of the country would require a ferry, and there was no ferry. I had looked long and closely, and was sure there was no ferry, and was almost as sure that there never

een a good road before the rebels came; when they fortified their lines they

lution of what at first had seemed a mystery, for I f

, thought I, if my solution is correct, we shall shortly see another da

line of works seemed nearly straight, at least much more nearly so than the river was. To attack the Confed

grier; yet I cast about me to see if there was any way to get relief. I blamed myself for not having brought food from camp. I had made up my mind to remain this night nea

to me from every consideration. I would, then, make my way carefully down the river to Lee's Mill, and if possible finish my work before sunset; but my hunger was so great that I thought it advisable to first seek food. So, deferring my further progress down t

well worn from recent use. I had been walking for nearly a mile when I heard a noise behind me--clearly the noise of horses coming. I lay flat behind a bush which grew by a fallen

soon I came to a clearing; in this clearing was what the Southern people call a s

ee horses, one of them gray, with saddles on their backs. I was not more than fifty yards

n, and there were clouds in the west, but the sun had not yet gone down, and there would yet be a

into the house, with her pail of water. Now the sound of men's voices could be heard, and the stam

He was looking directly over my head; dropping his hand he said, "An hour high, yit." This man was nearer to me than the others were. I could less distinctly hear th

ount the gray horse, "yes, I reckin this i

rds, by reason of her shrill voice, as well as because she wa

was astride his horse; "you've not lost anything by me. If

said the woman; "I'm willin'

is two companions, shouted back: "Hit's not G

ll acquainted!" fired the

oing into the house. The woman stared at me. My gray civilian clothes caught her eye; evidently she

was a common gourd for a dipper. I quenched my thirst; then I said; "Madam, I

a-ridin' away from her

oices," said I;

of 'em; they et up most ev'ythi

said I, "and please b

, and speedily returned wi

ll they is

o potatoes?

on," she said; "bu

pound or two, a

ick to-day," she said, "an' won't be back tell night; an' you soldiers,

y the Yankees are coming. I don't suppose they will be he

go," she replied; "but I reckin they did

run off and left me so; I might have ridden behind one of them.

ve no call to stop tell they git to the ca

t to Lee's Mi

iously, and I feared th

e replied; "hain't

I answered. "How m

don't know; set

llar. Her eyes fastened on me

"you shall have more," showing

e replied; "but I was a-wo

little for hard

sight of it is cert'n

e's Mill before

fast enough," she said; "anyhow, yo

madam; I wish y

Mister,"

I heard her come to the door; she ra

big road, you'll be i

n as I got through the clearing, I struck off to the right through th

eived some corroboration from the firing heard in my rear later in the day; I had believed the Union troops advancing behind me; but afterward I had seen other rebels at the woma

pend the night in safety. For fear of being detected I dug a hole, with my knife, in the earth, and piled the loose earth around the hole; then I lighted a fire of dry sticks at the bottom. Night had not yet come, but it was very gloomy in this dense thicket surrounded by woods; I had little fear that any reflection or

y hands and made a bed. I had no covering, but the night was not c

a mountain brook with my mouth up stream and the water running throu

f my supper into my coat pocket, for my judgment told me that i

I suspect, for hour in and hour out, until just before day I saw the reflection of fire through the woods, and at the same time almost fell into a s

kely enough it was some rebel camp-fire; I had no idea whither I had wandered, I turned my back on the light, an

s on the north side of the trees. So I then turned westward, for I knew that I had crossed no road in my wanderings of the night, and I also knew that the main road from Warwick Court-House to Lee's Mill was at the west. A little at my left I saw a great tree with a sloping trunk, and I went to it for shelter; it was raining harder. When I reached the tree I saw a road just beyond. I sat

the road; they were Union sol

of the fact that an advancing line of o

ried one of them

e Lewis," said an officer, comin

e, halt! Skirmishers, fil

me to the

sir?" asked

, Eleventh Massa

thing of the ene

lost in the night, and I don't even know where I am now

went on i

ake me at once to the rear, and to report to General Davidson. I have

to advance. A section of artillery dashed by. I began to understand that, if

son. He was on horse, at the head

ick, Genera

your bu

sir, in the Eleve

he asked, still smiling,

ppose; at least, it had not reached Newport Ne

ere while your regiment i

precede my regiment on acc

re of your health, is it, by lyi

that the surgeon dismissed me,

ous. "You were at Newport Ne

ry camp. General McClellan had just arrived

g here? I think you ha

al; but I am not a Southerner; I c

se auth

cer; but I feared to do so, lest some complication should arise which would give trou

private enter

ll about i

e enemy lay behind it; that the fords had been destroyed by dams, and that there were no rebels on this

ar the rebel artil

river, but I admit that I am not sure of it. Night came on me yesterday before

ave you

what the wo

me that you are not decei

n give you any proof; I wish I could; perhap

nother courier, who rushed off to the rear. In a few minutes an officer rode up from the rear; he saluted G

come to the army ahead of my regiment, etc. To all these questions I gave brief and quick replies. Then the officer asked for a detailed account of my scout, which I gave h

d going,

a pencil?"

s,

the word going," he said, ha

I wrote the word, an

book from his pocket, and lo

ere is something in what he says.

eed rest and food; com

slept in Dr.