by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER XXIX
THE RIVERLAWN CAVALRY CHANGES BASE
The first thing Major Lyon did when he reached the road, and thedisappearance of the Texans was no longer mysterious, was to take fromhis pocket his map of the county. He found the hill road, and the onewhere they stood.
"If the sentinel who reported that he could hear the Rangers snore inthe bog told the truth, the enemy got some rest last night," said themajor, addressing Captain Gordon.
"But he did not hear them snore; that was absurd," replied the captain."If they had been snoring, he could not have heard them; for they wereat work too far from him. If he heard anything, it must have been thebubbling of the brook; but probably it was all in his imagination. Butwhat is the point in regard to the snoring, Major Lyon?"
"If the Rangers worked all night, and did not get any sleep, they aretoo tired and sleepy this morning to make a long march," replied thecommander.
"Then you think they have camped at some place not far from us?" askedthe captain.
"I only think it is possible they have done so. Captain Dingfieldappeared to be badly wounded, from all reports; and I doubt if there isas much strategy in his brain to-day as he had yesterday. I shall notmake a business of pursuing him."
"It would be a good thing for this part of the State if he could becleaned out entirely, bagged, and his company sent to Louisville asprisoners," suggested Captain Gordon.
"No doubt of it; but it would be hardly consistent with the orders Ihave just received for me to delay in this section to carry out youridea. We are more needed elsewhere than here."
"Then we are to march on a sort of roving commission to the eastward,where the Confederates are breaking through from Tennessee, it appears."
"It amounts to that, though my orders are very explicit," replied themajor, as he led the way back to the narrow pass where the company hadbeen halted. "The situation here is not so bad as it was. We have savedthe bridge; and the Home Guards which arrived there last night aredescribed as consisting of good men, who will be mustered into aKentucky regiment as soon as circumstances permit; and Captain Woodward,who commands it, is an old soldier, and likely to be made a colonel."
"Then the bridge will be safe."
"It can be better defended by infantry than by cavalry alone; both woulddo better than either. Captain Dingfield and his bridge-burners havebeen sent to the north, and I have no doubt he intends to join themthere. To follow him would keep me some days, if not a week, from themore pressing duty assigned to me," reasoned the commander.
"I understand it better now," added the captain.
"I have been informed that troops have been sent to the vicinity ofMunfordville, in Hart County, where the railroad bridge has been partlydestroyed, though a temporary structure has been built to replace it. Ithink Dingfield means to go there, and complete the work others failedto finish."
"I hope we shall find the guerillas, or whatever they are; and I believeour boys will soon make an end of them," said the captain withenthusiasm. "Your orders permit you to go where you please, Major."
"They do; for it was not possible for those charged with the protectionof the State to inform me definitely where the guerillas were to befound, as they are continually changing their locality, though I havesome papers to aid me. I am not a little surprised at the confidenceplaced in me by my superiors, who send me on a mission with no definiteinstructions."
"All the details of the fights at Riverlawn and its vicinity are knownto them; for I have taken care that they should not be ignorant inregard to you."
"But I have just become a soldier," added the major modestly.
"Then it runs in the blood, and it has got as far down as Deck," saidCaptain Gordon, laughing, as they came to the company.
The party mounted, and rode back at a gallop to the camp. The cooks ofthe company had prepared an unusually good breakfast, which was disposedof with a relish, stimulated by three days' feeding from the haversacksof the troopers. As soon as it was finished, the order was given to"break camp;" and, as it had been hardly more than a bivouac, the workwas speedily accomplished, and the two companies were soon in line.
While these preparations were in progress, the major was studying hiscounty map. What little baggage had been taken from the wagons was soonloaded again. There was little for the officers to do, after the ordershad been given.
"We are about ready to march," said Captain Gordon, approaching thecommander, who had seated himself on a log near the road.
"I am all ready," replied the major, as he glanced at Artie, who washolding his horse near him. "Of course Dingfield followed this by-road,which will take him to another by which he can reach Munfordville, if heis going there. We will take the same road; and if the Rangers areresting themselves in camp after the fatigues of the day and night, wemay have a chance to pay our respects to them."
"I should like one more slap at them; for they ran away so rapidly thatI did not get a fair hit at them," added the captain.
"But they are brave men, and we outnumber them two to one. Truman saysthey fought like tigers on the east road."
"That is true, and that is the reason I should like to meet them again;for I believe there is not a braver or more reliable body of men in theUnion army than the Riverlawn Cavalry; and I am not a Kentuckianeither."
"Neither am I by birth, though I am by adoption; and I am precisely ofyour opinion in regard to our men," added the major as he mounted hishorse; and his orderlies did the same.
Deck was at home again in the saddle; for Ceph had come to the camp withthe second company. After the prisoners at the bridge had been disposedof, the wounded had been cared for by sending them in one of thecaptured wagons to Riverlawn, consigned to the care of Levi Bedford; fora hospital had been established there for the wounded in the battleswith the ruffians.
The column moved down the road, and turned into that which the Rangershad used in their escape. As the right of the line approached the houseof the farmer, that worthy presented himself before the officers; and heappeared to be mad enough to swallow half-a-dozen Yankees. Possibly hethought the squadron had started in pursuit of the Texans.
"I want to know who's ter pay me for that dog o' mine some o' you unskilled last night," he broke out, walking along by the side of the majorand Captain Gordon. "That critter was wuth a hund'ed dollars, and that'swhat I want you uns to pay me before you go any furder."
"Are you a loyal citizen of the United States?" asked Major Lyon.
"I'm nothin' o' that sort!" replied the native, who began to heap cursesand maledictions on the government. "The' ain't no United States! She'sdone busted all to pieces!"
The major made no reply, and had not even stopped his horse. The fellowfollowed him; but he took no further notice of the irate Secessionist,rather to the amusement of Captain Gordon and others within hearing. Butthe farmer was soon tired of addressing one who treated him with silentcontempt, and seated himself on a stump to observe the procession.
Two skilful scouts, one of whom was Life Knox, had already been sentforward to search for any indications of the camp of the Texans. Thesquadron soon reached another road running through a valley. The majorhad learned from his map that it connected with the east road in onedirection, and the hill-road in the other.
The column halted to wait for the return of the scouts. Knox and hiscompanion soon appeared, and reported that he had followed this road toits junction with the hill-road, without seeing anything of the enemy.
"They ain't within ten miles of here," added the Kentuckian. "I got so Iknow the tracks o' them Texas hosses, and I follered 'em five miles.They don't want nothin' more o' the Riverlawn Cavalry."
This information settled the point so far as the Rangers were concerned,and nothing was seen of them, though they appeared in some skirmishesfarther north. The Indian craft of Knox had proved to be very useful,and he was a great favorite with both officers and men. The march wasresumed; but the events of the next two days on the road a
re not ofinterest enough to be reported. At the end of this time the squadronwere in the territory described in the orders of the commander, andactive work was expected.
Just before sunset the battalion halted on the outskirts of a smallvillage, and went into camp there. The American flag was hoisted on apole planted for the purpose, in order that the inhabitants of thevicinity might make no mistake in regard to the character of the force.Not only the negroes and loungers to be found in every village flockedto the camp, but some of the influential citizens appeared on theground. The guard kept them outside of the lines. A person onhorse-back, who had the air and manner of the genuine Kentuckygentleman, attracted the attention of Major Lyon, who was desirous ofobtaining information on the spot in regard to the sentiments of thepeople.
"Who is the gentleman on horse-back?" he asked of a well-dressed negro,who looked like an intelligent man; for the commander suspected that hewas a Secessionist, though he had no reason for supposing that he wassuch.
"That is Colonel Coffee, sir, the biggest man in these parts," repliedthe colored man.
"How does he stand on the war question? Do you happen to know?"continued the major.
"Yes, sir," replied the man with a smile; "everybody within twenty milesof this village knows which side Colonel Coffee is on, sir."
"Well, which side is he on?" demanded the commander, who saw that thegentleman was approaching him.
"He's a Union man all over and all through; and the people are trying toget up a Home Guard to protect his place--that's the one you see on theside of the hill. We expect the gorillas down here."
"You have named them well, my friend," added the major with a laugh. "Doyou know where there are any of them?"
"No, sir; they are like flies, and don't make nests anywhere. I reckonColonel Coffee wants to speak to you, sir; for I suppose you are anofficer of this company," added the man, who retired at the approach ofthe great man of the locality.
The magnate of the county rode up to the major, and saluted him withcourtly grace; and though the latter was not brought up in adrawing-room, he was as polite as the occasion required.
"I am exceedingly happy to see that flag hoisted over a body of militaryin this county," said the colonel, with a cheerful smile, as he pointedwith his riding-whip at the emblem of the Union.
"I am very glad to be where there are those who appreciate the flag,"added the major.
"I am only sorry that you will find so few of them in thisneighborhood," returned the dignified Kentuckian. "We are threatened byroving bands of plunderers to the east and south of us, and for the lastweek I have expected to walk away from my place by the light of myburning house. I live in that one on the side of the hill."
"I hope we shall be able to put an end to this state of affairs at once,Colonel Coffee," replied the major.
"You know my name," said the magnate with a smile.
"I asked it of that negro."
"He is the village barber, and a very intelligent man. May I ask whom Ihave the honor to address?" inquired the colonel.
"Major Lyon, in command of a squadron of United States cavalry," repliedthe officer.
"I am very glad to see you, Major, personally, and especially to see youat Greeltop; for we are greatly in need of efficient protection,"returned the colonel. "I have heard all about you before."
"I am equally happy to meet you, Colonel Coffee; for I am at present inurgent need of full information in regard to the condition of affairs inthis section."
"I shall be pleased to have you dine with me, and we can talk overmatters at our leisure in my library."
Major Lyon excused himself from the dinner, and invited the colonel tohis tent, which had been set up by this time.
