Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

"If a Yankee deserts to our side and fights agin yo' ons, what happens to he unjfyo' ?aptur' .him?" "He'd besbot?" was the blunt reply. **But s'posin be un also played spy fur our side?" "He'd be bung instead of shot! Do you know of such a case?" "Reckon I do, and I feel it my docty to tell yo' about bim. jist tell yo'r gineral to inquar among the prisoners fur a man named Kenton--Royal Ken? ton. He cm's a Yankee deserter and a spy fur Gineral Jackson!" "But why do you tell of it?" queried tho surgeon. " 'Cause it ain't a fair deal." Half an hour later Kenton was taken before General Shields under the charge ; made by Baxter. The latter bad over? reached himself. Had only the two been captured it would have been a dif? ferent matter, but there were 20 of the guards who gave testimony in favor of Kenton, though it came from mest of them grudgingly. A search of his per? son brought to light a pass from Gen? eral Jackson in which be was mentioned as a scoot. "While you are cleared of the charge, " said the general after a long examination, "bow does it come about that you, a northern man. are found in the Confederate ranks?" "I enlisted in the cause of Virginia, my adopted state," was the reply. . "But the cause of Virginia was and is unjust. She is guilty of treason. Every one of you under arms is a traitor to the government. The principle is so plain-that no one need doubt." "But there are doubts, sir. A large proportion of the northern people are doubtful, and some of the most influen? tial of the northern papers contend for the light of secession." The general could not gainsay that. Tho government was rushing troops into the field, and battles were being fought, but the principle was still being discussed, and men eminent as jurists, statesmen and journalists were still di? vided. Kenton was dismissed to be re? turned to his fellow prisoners. Only one guard accompanied him. Half way between headquarters and the spot where the prisoners were be? ing held under guard they encoun? tered two men bringing in a wounded man on a stretcher. The victim proved to be the guard's brother. For a mo* Royal Kenton a prisoner. ment he forgot bis prisoner, and when he had recovered from bis esci tem ent over the discovery he no longer bad a prisoner. Kenton had walked o?? into the darkness and made good his escape. And now as the night drew on apace aDd the cold rain steadily beat down upon the battlefield parties of men went forth in search of the wounded. Tb ey cared not for the dead. At the front ! there is but little sentiment or sympa thy fer the wounded. They are cared for because many of them will recover to fight in some other battle. They were found in the open fields, in the furrows half full of water, in the deeper ditches skirting the forest, among the trees and bushes dripping with the rainfall. Some cried out in the darkness with rfc i broken voices of lost children; others prayed or cursed or wept. And here and there, with their faces buried in the grass or dirt or with faces upturned to the sk;.* of night and eyes half open, were dead men, a thousand or more. The morrow would do for them. Tb? dead of a battlefield ask nothing. The living give them a covering of a few inches of blood soaked soil, and give that grudgingly. CHAPTER XI. As before stated, Ike Baxter belonged to the class known at that time and still referred to as "poor whites." Through the efforts of bis wife be bad managed to hold onto a small farm just outside of Winchester, left him by his father, but it is doubtful if her argu? ments would have carried the day had any one made a cash offer for the few acres. While Ike always referred to himself as broken down by hard work, about five days out of every week had been spent tramping around the coun? try with bis gun or discussing "Yan? kees" and "niggers" in the village bar? rooms with others of his ilk. Accord? ing to hisownjybne Of argument, he was a martyr. Ill lock bad always followed him, even to the birth and death of triplets. RIGHTED I894 BY AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION Mrs. Baxter also had a constitutional and ready made grievance. If she had been allowed to have her way about things, she always argued, they would long ago have been rich and owned nig? gers, "Yes, sah, real niggers and mo' or fewer $75 mewls." Ike Baxter had also been granted a furlough, and according to the stories ho told after reaching home the battle of Bull Bun wonld not have, been a vic? tory without him. When anything was said about Kenton, he was prompt in replying:. "Durn fbe Yankee! But we uns has got our eyes open now, and be un can't play us no mo' tricks!" . He was so outspoken in his language, and his language was so bitter that Lawyer Williams and others were given an inkling of tho true state of affairs. The lawyer found opportunity to in? quire of Ike: "Didn't my nephew enlist of bis own accord, and is there a man in the com? pany who has exhibited more bravery and won more of a reputation?" *' What did he un rush in and rally at Bull Bun fur befo' Duke Wyle could git thar?' ' demanded Ike in reply. * ' He un just wanted to show off and make believe. And isn't he un givin us away to the Yanks all the time? And isn't he un talkin 'bout Gineral Jackson and holdin his head above us? And if he un gits the chance won't he un give up our hull army to Gineral McClellan? Oh, ! we uns has onr eyes open fur him!" JMrs. Baxter had got the idea from Ike's letters borne that he had not only won a crown of fame under fire, but was holding the whole Federal army in check. She.could read and write, but very poorly. She had picked up most of her information and all her military terms from others scarcely less ignorant. When Ike appeared in sight down the road, she ran to meet him and welcomed him with: "Hurrah fur Gineral Ike Baxter, who fit and fit till the Yankees dun run j away!" I "Don't yo* un know nothin ?' ' angrily ? demanded Ike as he came nearer, j "Didn't yo' un fit and fit?" "Of co'se I fit, but yo' needn't gab it all over Virginny and make other folks jealous!" " Wnar's yo'r stripes?" she asked. "What stripes?" "On yo'r arms-yo'r gineral stripes?" "I hain't no gineral!" "Yo'hain't? Why. I thought yo* was boss of the hull army! What's the matter yo' hain't no gineral?" "What's the matter yo' hain't got no sense in yo'r head?" "But yo' nu's a corporal!" "No." "A major?" "No." ? . "A leftenant?" "No." "Hain't yo' un nothin but jest com? mon folks?" she persisted. ! "No." "Didn't I aJlus say yo* un had no speerit about yo', and that's why we was allus pore and low down?" she bitterly exclaimed as they passed into the boase. "Ike Baxter, yo' hain't shucks! You un's low down, and yo' like to stay right thar! Everybody else is comin home with gineral's and cor? poral's and major's stripes on thar sleeves, but yo' bas dun let 'em walk yo' inter the mud and hain't got no speerit to resent it! If I'd gonedown thar, I'd 'a' come back as big as anybody! I've dun told everybody yo' un was a gin? eral, and now-now yo's only jest com? mon!" j Mrs. Baxter sat down and wept and | used her apron for a handkerchief. Ike j had expected just such a reception, and he had a plan to develop at the proper time. While she continued to weep he helped himself to a bite to eat from the cupboaid and maintained silence. "And why didn't they make a gin I eral of yo':" asked Mrs. Baxter after I about 10 minutes. j "If 3-0' un dun had any sense in yo' j head, I could tell yo'," he sullenly re plied. I "Sense! Sense! If I hain't got sense, j who has? rf it hadn't bin fur my sense, j we uns would hav bin right down to I tater skins y 'ars ago ! It's my sense that i has kept us outer the porehouse and let j us hold our heads up with the best of . 'em! Leastwise I've allus held my ! head up, even if yo' hain't!" "It's this way," said Ike as he con- j ! tinued to eat and reflect. "It's cor- ! j poral, sergeant, orderly sergeant, leften- ! j ant, captain, major, kernel and '?in- ; j eial. Takes a heap o' time to git up thar! Everybody has got to begin way ! down." "But yo's not even a corp-corporal j yit!" she exclaimed as one eye filled ? with tears of disappointment. "And what's the reason I hain't? Do yo' un remember that Yankee lawyer who lived yere-feller named Kenton?" "Seems like I did." "He un's to blame. Tried to git ns all captur'd at Bull Run. Tried to put all the officers down. Got in with Gin? eral Jackson and talked agin-us, par ticklarly me. Reckon he un said a heap 'bout yo','too, while heirn was at it. If it hadn't bin fur benn, I'd nev had stripes on my arms-heaps o' stripes and yo'd bin proud o' me. It's jest he un .that.kee ps me down. Weall bate he un, but bim's got Gineral Jackson on his side." "The pesky varmint!" she gasped, with uplifted hands. "He un's all to blame then?"' ."'AH to blame:" "Talked about me to Gineral Jack? son!. What could he un say?" T;Dunno, but I reckon De nu went on 'boat yo'r gwine b arfut to church and dippin snuff andgaddin 'bout and coni .plainin. He un rubbed it in on horb o' us powerful bard, most likely. Buto' that Gineral Jackson was as good as pie tome, but afterward be un wouldn't dun notice me 'tall!" "Then-then it's tho Yankee who dun keeps yo' all back?" she asked aft? er taking a couple of minutes for reflec? tion. "Jest he un alone," answered Ike as he finished bis snack. . "And yo1 all hain't got spunk nuff to drive be un out! Ike Ba:;.cr, yo' un allus did dun let folks walk yo' inter the mud, but I didn't reckon it V7?s as bad as this! Fur shaine on yo'!" "How's we all to drive he un when Gineral Jackson is in the way?" asked "Shoo, how you taTkl" Ike. "If I never git to be a gineral, it's he nu's fault. If I git killed or captur'd, it's the same. Duke Wyle would make me sergeant to m orrer but fur that dod blasted Yank!" "Then if yo' doan' pay him ort I will!" exclaimed Mrs. Baxter as she rose up with a look of determination on her face. That's what Ike was waiting to hear. He was now ready to develop the little plan sketched out in Captain Wyle's tent before leaving camp. "I reckon yo' kin do it better'n we all if yo' want to try," he finally said. "Yo: know them stuck up Percys in town, cf co'se?' "Of co'se." . "He un's in luv with the gal." "I heard that yesterday." \ "If we all could brek it up, it would flatten he un out. Jest think of a south? ern gal luvin a reg'lar Yankee spy, and probably goin to marry bim, when she could bev Duke Wyle!" "Shoo, how you talki" *And ii we all could flatten him out I'd soon be a gineral and prance around on a hoss," continued Ike. "Drat him. but he talked about yo' to Gineral Jack? son, and that's what hurts me mo' than t'other!" "How kin I flatten him out?" she asked, ready to begin work at once. Ike slowly lighted bis pipe and sat down on the doorstep and made room for her beside him. He kept her wait? ing for another minute and then unfolds ed his plan. She listened patiently until he was through and then pointed out the obstacles here and there. He re? viewed the case and explained bow ev? erything was *to be overcome. Although an ignorant woman, she had a good deal of natural shrewdness in her com? position, and after the plan bad been gone over in detail for the third or fonrth time she said: "I'll try it anyhow. I hev allus dun hated Yanks like pizen, and that Per? cy gal is jest too stuck up fur anything! Might do her a heap o' good to come down a few p?rgs! If I flatten he un out, that will make yo' a gineral?" **I reckon." "And yo'll ride around on a critter and w'ar a cocked hat?" -Yes." "And buy me? two new kaliker dresses, a bonnet, a pa'r of shoes, a a" "Yo'll jest be richness and wealth and look like a queen!" said Ike as she hesi? tated. "Then I'll do it if I hev to walk through fire, and p'raps I'll ride around on a critter too!" CHAPTER XII. Panic does not always follow defeat. Indeed it seldom does. A battle is a checkerboard wherein all the spots are marked with blood. The checkers are men-men lying in reserve, men on the battle lines, men charging on flanks (tr center. The generals in command watch the board. If one makes a movo on the right or left, the other seeks to take ad? vantage of it. For the time being they shut their ears to the roar of battle, shut their eyes to the sight of dead and wounded. Beauregard halted at the threshold of victory at Shiloh. So with McClellan at Antietam. At Fred?r icksburg Lee permitted Burnside to re? treat afi .r defeat. At Gettysburg Meade did the same with Lee. Jackson had thrown himself against Shields at Kernstown on the right, on th? left, on the center. He could not break the line anywhere. He lett his dead along a front of a mile and a half, but the sacrifice was in vain. It was military tactics to re? treat-to fall back to a strong position and oblige Shields to attack him or give over his march up the valley. There is sometimes more generalship ina retreat than in an advance or in fighting a bat? tle. The trains must be saved, the broken and disorganized commands picked up and re-formed, the best troops sent to the rear to stand as a bulwark between the exhausted army and the en? thusiastic enemy. Jackson left nothing behind him-ar? tillery, wagons or muskets-worth gath? ering up and reporting. Most of his wounded were carried up the valley as he tell back. Shields followed slowly, and the rear guard had no righting to do. The panic of an army, of an army corps even, is a terrible sight, bnt the panic of a town is something which no one can fitly describe. The news of Jackson's defeat preceded him, and when he reached Winchester it was to find a town wild with fear and crazed by terror. War was young then. In after years the old town changed hands without a tremor, gathered up the dead off its streets and buried them as part of the regular programme. ? "Tho Yankees are coming ! The to\ j will be given np to sack! Winches! j is to be burned, and women and ch j dren must flee!" j So rose the cry from house to hons Some locked their doors and rode aw. on horseback or in their carriage Others left their doors wide open ai took the turnpike to the south on foi carrying whatever they had at first la hands on as a burden. Furniture w brought out and piled in the streets ai set fire to, and had not Jackson's a vance arrived as it did the people of t. town would have applied the torch their own ?ooftrees. The Yankee sc dier was popularly supposed to be wit out honor or pity-a ruffian who stopp? at no crime. Jackson paused torefre; his men and allay the excitement. Tho who had not fled decided to remai: though fearful of consequences, but tl general excitement scarcely abated. The Percys were among the first hear of Jackson's defeat and the nev that the Federal army was foliowir him up and would soon be in Winche ter. They were excited, but not terrifie? "We will remain right here, and v shall not be disturbed, " said Marian : her mother. "The Federals have n< burned towns elsewhere nor made W? on women and children, and they wi not do so here. We have no cause to 1 afraid." Neither had they, but circumstana which could not be foreseen soon cause a change in the programme. Arnon Jackson's troops was the remnant < the Shenandoah guards. All the hon: servants about the Percy mansion wei colored people and slaves. Like othei of their color, the general excitemei had made them half crazy. They ha left the house for the street to see an hear and were ready to catch up an believe the most absurd tales. Thei were two men and four women. Bud who was a young man of 25, joined party of the fleeing inhabitants burr) ing up the valley. Uncle Ben, as h was called, was a man of 50, born an reared in the Percy family, and thong I sharing to some extent in the genera excitement he would not leave his pos of duty. He had said to the femal servants: "I nebber dun did see no Yankees i: all my life, but I hain't gwine to b afraid an run away. I didn't bring OJ dis wah. I hain't killed nobody. Wha dem Yapkees want to hurt me fur Miss Marian hain't skeered. Her mad 3er hain't skeered. If dey hain't skeered what yo' all want to be skeered fur?" The four women were on a street cor Der in a group when Captain Wy h passed by and recognized them as be longing to the Percy family. He ha< heard from the gossips of the town lon? ago that Kenton was to carry off th< prize. He had written to Marian wi tl considerable fervor and without men tioning the news, and she had replied ix a very brief and formal manner. T< revenge himself on a woman was quit? foreign to his nature, but as he saw th< four servants and noted their state o: alarm he remembered that he and Ik< Baxter had a plan to carry out. Ter minutes later one of his company was saying to the colored women: "The Yankees are only a couple ci miles away! If you all don't hurry, you will be taken prisoners, and thal means that every one of you will b< burned at the stake! They shoot dowr white folks and burn niggers!" That was sufficient to start them ofl to join the fleeing throng. Not one ol them returned to the house. Jacksor sent out couriers to advise the panic stricken people to return, but hundreds had gone too far to be overtaken. Among them were the four women. Shields entered Winchester without opposition. Within an hour the excitement had sub j sided. The Yankee soldiers had neither i horns nor hoofs. No one was molested i nor made afraid. Where timid women j requested it guards were placed at their j doors, and instead of the merchants be I ing robbed and ruined, as most of them j had fully expected, their properties ; were safely cared for. ! "Didn't I dun told yod all so!" ex ! claimed Uncle Ben on the street that j evening as he was out looking for tbe j missing servants. "Yankees am jist de i same folks as anybody. I'ze bin lookin j at heaps of 'em, an I can't see no differ ! ence. All dem folks who got skeered I an run'd away was fools! Yankees j hain't gwine ter hurt nobody onless yo' ! unbehave yo'self fust!" j Captain Wyle knew where to find Ike i Baxter's wife. She had moved into ! town two weeks before, leaving the farm ? to take care of itself. That was one of i the points in the plan presented by Ike ; and accepted by her. She knew that j Jackson had been beaten and was on the j retreat, but she did not know of the i fate of Ike and many of his comrades. ! Some of those who escaped beth death j and capture had seen Ike go down, and ! it was certain he had fallen into Fed ! eral hands. Mrs. Baxter fell to sobbing ' as she heard the news from the captain, ! but her sorrow did not last long, j , "Drat that Ike fur a fool!" she sud . denly exclaimed as grief gave place to j indignation. "Didn't he un promise me last thing befo' bim went back that j if him ever got into anotber font he an would scrouch down &o the bullets ; would fly over him! ' It's all in him-al ; lus wantin and nevin his own way spite j of all I kin do!" i "Ike and the others would havo been I all right if they had not been betrayed, " j observed the captain, j "Shoo, that's what Ike was afraid of! i Was it that Yankee agin-that Lawyer ! Ke- jn?" I The captain nodded his head. "Ike bates him. So do I. If he un j hadn't stood in Ike's way, Ike would I bev bin a gineial befo' this. The onery ' skunk, to betray his own comrades! If ! I could git hands on he un, I'd kill him! I'll never rest till I hev his life, i even if Ike lets up!" "Have you seen the-the Percys late ? ly?" asked the captain as Mrs. Baxter j got ready for another wavo of sorrow, j "Did Ike tell yo'?" she whispered. "Partly." "I've bin tryin to do as we planned, but couldn't fetch it. Ike thought as I might get a place in the house, but ! they uns hev got too many niggers fuh j that." "All their women have cnt and ron -not one left. If you should happen to offer your services there now, I think they'd he accepted." "Shoo, nigger women all gone?" "I know it for a fact." "I'll go over thar this very houri" said Mrs. Baxter as she reached for her sunbonnet. "Capting, was Ike right when he said this yere Yankee stood in his way?" " Yes, he wa?." "Was he right when he said if we uns'could get the Percy gal to hate him he would bother nobodv no mo'?" "Yes." "If the Yankee was shot or killed or sunthin, would Ike ride around on a critter and dangle a sword?" "It's quite likely. What plan have you got?" "Jest leave that to mel Mebbe I haven't got any, and mebbe. I've got a heap of 'em!" "Here is what you are to remem? ber," he said as he rose up to go. "If "Would Ike ride around on a critter and dangle a sword?" it hadn't been for Kenton, not a man in ? our company would have been killed or captured." "And what becum of he un?" "*Oh, he was' captured, too, but of course that was all a trick. However, I don't want you to say anything as coming from me. You needn't even say you have seen me." "I understand. Ike sa*d yo' was after the gal too. I hope yo'll git her. Do yo' reckon Ike was killed?" "I'm quite sure he wasn't." "Tlrm I'll see bim agin?" "Yes, after a bit.' "Pore, pore Ike!" wailed the wife as her apron went up to her eyes. "He had his streaks-he was shiftless-but he never complained. He was onery. about some things, but good as pie about others. He wasn't wuth shucks at farm work, but as fur knowin all about mewls, why" She looked up, but the captain had disappeared. CHANTER XIII. Jackson retreated no farther than Strasburg. Shields advanced no farther than Winchester. Prisoners captured during the first year of the war were not held long. Within 30 days from the battle of Kernstown those members of Captain Wyle's company who had been taken prisoners were exchanged. Ike Baxter was among them. Twp days after the battle Kenton bad reported to his company at Strasburg. It was known that he was captured with the others, and his truthful story of his escape found no believers except Steve Brayton. While the others de? clared that his escape was all arranged for by his Yankee friends, Steve gave him his hand and said : "It's gettin porty hot fur yo' around yere, Kenton, 'cordin to what I see and hear. If yo' could surround and cap tur' a hull Yankee army and turn it over to us, the boys would think yo' un had some game to play. Reckon yo' know whar it all starts from?" "I think I do." "Can't no two fellers love the same gal without sunthin bustin sooner or later. I kin jest shet my eyes and see what the captain is layin fur. He nn's achin powerful bad to hev yo' killed off or driv out or used up in some way. He wouldn't hev minded if half of us had bin wiped out down thar if yo'd bin one of the dead." Two or three days after Jackson reached Strasburg Captain Wyle had an interview with him. None of his own company knew it, and what passed could only be inferred from circum? stances which developed later on. It "was announced that it had been decided to reorganize the guards as a cavalry company, and in the course of a week this change was effected, much to the satisfaction of the men. Just as it was finished Royal Kenton was ordereil to report to Jackson again. He found the ! same stern, low spoken, plain looking j man and received the same quiet greet- j ing. The general adverted to the brav- ! ery of the guards at Kernstown, and then to Kenton's capture and ' escape and asked for the details. The latter at once realized that some one who pro? fessed to know all about it and who was seeking his injury had reported to the general. He, however, proceeded to give the particulars not cu ly of his es- j cape and his efforts to rejoin his com mand, but of the charges brought j against him by Ike Baxter and the in- i terview with General Shields. This por? tion of his adventure he had not spoken of to any one on rejoining his company. Jackson seemed to be thinking very se? riously as Kenton talked. The facts j just related no doubt surprised him and | perhaps gave a different turn to affairs. ? After awhile he said : "General Banks is pushing up the j valley with a large force. I wish you j to scout along his front and secure all j possible information of value. Can you set out at once?" "Within half an hour, sir," was | Kenton's reply. "And do you wish acompanion?" "I think I can do better alone, but if you think two might do better than one I shall" ^ "Do as you think best, but report to . the captain of your company that you have been detailed." As Kenton left headquarters he felt that something was wrong. Just what it was lie conld net determine, but it seemed as if there were mistrust and suspicion. He bad been thoroughly loyal in making his previous observa? tions and reports, but. an enemy was at work to discredit him. He was fnUy satisfied of this as he left camp on his scout. After reporting to Captain Wyle, who treated him with strict military etiquette, he went to his tent to make a few preparations. He had left it and was making his way out of camp when he was overhauled by Steve Brayton^ who said : "The gineral is sendin yo' off on an? other scout? Yo' think yo' ar' goin alone, but yo' hain't, i've follered along to tell yo' that the captain has put Reube Parker on yo'r track. Yo' know Reube? He hain't bin abusin yo' with his month as much as some others, but he's down on yo' and playin into the hands of the captain. I tell yo' to look out fur bimi" Kenton turned white with anger- and started +o retrace his steps. ~"No, yo' don't, " said Steve as -he barred the way. "I fust took to yo' on account of yo'r sense, and ? hope you won't lose it now. Thar's a game bain. played, and yo' wanter come out on top!" "Is it possible that after what has passed they still continue to lc T: upon me as a traitor?" demanded Kenton in a voice broken with emotion. "They do, but it's fur an object, yo' see," replied Steve. "It's all on ac? count of the gal. If thaT was no gal, yo'd be the first lieutenant or mebbe captain of the company today. If thar was a gal and no war, yo' and Wyle would hev fit a duel over her befo' this. One would hev challenged t'other." "But, but"- stammered Kenton., boiling over to say something and yet not wishing to 'drag Marian Percy's name into the case. "It's jest this way," interrupted Steve: "Yo' un's got the inside track, and thar's but one way to keep it-play to win. Beat the captain at his own game. Go right along about yo'r big? ness, but keep an eye out fur Reube. He's put on yo'r track to sell yo' out, and he'll do his purtiest to please the captain." It was trn<3 that Banks was moving up the valley. He had an army five times as strong as Jackson's, and he meant to annihilate the latter before re-enforcements could reach him. Ken? ton had set out in good time. It takes an hour to move a regiment of men as? signed to a certain place on a march. It takes three hour3 for a brigade to march and countermarch and file out of jts camp onto the highway. Divisions ordered to move at 7 o'clock a. m. are* halting and lingering at noon. An army of 20,000 men with its artillery, bag? gage trains, ambulances, camp follow? ers and beef cattle is a gigantic sloth. It must open its eyes. It must wink and blink and nap again, lt must stretch and yawn and complain. It ia as if a huge tortoise was trying to work Joose from its shell. . Banks was getting ready for his move. Every report which Kenton received as he neared the front went to assure him of the fact. He was on foot, dodging from forest to forest and from field to field and betraying himself only to a few whom he knew could be trusted. After the first day out be became satis? fied that he was being dogged by Reube Parker. The latter must also have been provided with a pass to take bim through all Confederate lines, but though he hung to Kenton's trail he did not betray his presence except by accident.. Everywhere along Banks' front were evidences that a forward move was on the tapis, and before Ken? ton's work was finished he had secured a pretty fair estimate of the Federal strength. Banks knew that Confederate scouts and spies would be seeking in? formation, and he was guarding against them as much as possible by covering his front with scouting parties of cav? alry. TO BS CONTINUED. Mrs. A. Barnard, Bice Lake, Wisconsin. Solid Comfort Results from Taking Hood's Sarsaparilla j That Tired Feeling-Loss of Appe? tite -Weak and Faint. j ?' C. I. Hood & Co., Lowell, Mass. : "Gentlemen :-About three months ago I was overcome by that tired feeling. Felt dull and tired all the time. I caught a very bad cold In my head, which caused me much pain, and es? pecially about my right eye. I seemed to lose tte sense of smell and taste for three weeks, and my appetite-was entirely gone. I becaae so weak and faint I was not able to be up. My husband bought me three bottles of Hood's Sat Hoo&^Cures! saparilla and two boxes of Hood's Fills. I took these medicines, and am now strong. Do my own housework, have a good appetite and sleep with solid comfort I recommend Hood's Sarsa? parilla to all my friends for it gave me health." MRS. A. BARNARD, Bice Lake, Wisconsin. Hood's Pills cure liver ills, constipation, biliousness, jaundice, sick headache, indigestion. A large assortment of 25 and 50c Music Books and Musical Instructor at Kennedy's Book Store.