Puyallup Lee
New in Town
- Messages
- 35
- Location
- Puyallup, Washington
Section 9, page 2/5
"WHERE DUTY CALLS"
Here he comes with the same gray suit, but over it he has a dark coat, and with sturdy shoes, a pair of leggings, and a good brass spur on his heel for hard riding. He is making his way for the horses. Well, let's see him go over the corral fences, and we will go back to camp. As John reached the fence he paused and took off his hat, and ran his fingures up through his hair, stood still and raised his head and looked up at the moon, that was fast going down in the West. How can we hope to know what is in his thoughts, let's leave him, hoping that his courage and bravery will carry him through safely,----but listen, what was that he said, ---"For my commander, my conscience, and for justice," and turning his face to the North,---he lifted his hat, and said, "Lavina, I must go." And now he is leaping into the corral among the horses. At 11:30 that night, a little lean flanked brown mare, stood at General Marmedukes tent. While inside the General was saying, "Delzell, there is no such thing as directions to a scout. Destination is what we must try for, gain it by any means possible. Carry this to General Albert Sidney Johnston, and if you reach him, consider yourself in his Command, and may God be with you,-- But, if you are captured, be sure and destroy this, as it would greatly aid our enemies, should they obtain it." John took the packet, saluted and came outside, took the reins from the orderly, who was holding the horse, mounted and rode away. And before morning he was many miles to the South-east. Just as the day was breaking he came to a deserted house, he stopped and took a look at the surroundings----there was a small enclosure, that seemed to have been a sheep corral----in one corner was a shed, into this he led the horse, took off the saddle, and carried it into the house. What to do with the message? He did not dare go to sleep without hiding it, still it must be where he could get it in case of surprise.
Finally he slipped it into the sleeve of his shirt. Ate a couple of crackers out of his saddle pockets, and soon was dozing in sleep, yet, at every noise he opened his eyes, and either, listened a bit, or got up and looked about the house---at noon, or a little later, it begun to snow, great wet flakes, which was in favor of John. If there was enough fell, for if he could not travel so fast, at least he could travel more quietly, and not attract the attention that he noise of a horse would make on the road.
The God of Fates was with him the first week. He traveled most of the nights. When he traveled by day, he used by-paths and deserted roads, and avoided meeting anyone as much as possible. As he drew nearer the boundary line, between Arkansas, and Mississippi, he had to begin to enquire for Johnston's Army, but he felt that he was near enough South to be among Southern sympathizers, but one day he stopped at a house, and inquired his way, and after the woman had directed him, --She said, "You had better hide your horse today and not travel,--- for a band of Yankees are in these parts, and they question most everyone they meet about who they are, and their business. I will take your horse and put it away, and if anyone notices her, I can say she is a stray horse, and you can hide the saddle and yourself in the gin-house. You can cover up in the cotton-seed, and keep warm, while you sleep, I would not dare keep you in the house." John looked steadily at her for a few minutes and said,--"I will trust you as a friend, for it is important that I reach General Johnston." She took the reins and John took the saddle from the horse, and she pointed to the door of the Gin-house and said, "In there." Later she came out with steaming hot coffee, a corn pone and some cold boiled pork, and told him she would give alarm if any danger threatened, and that she had fed and watered the horse, and if he could, he should sleep until night-fall. She ask no questions.
John offered no information. So he dug a deep trench in the Cotton-seed, pulled a few sacks of burlap over him, and sleep as only a tired man can sleep.
Section 9, page 3/5
"WHERE DUTY CALLS"
It was dark when he opened his eye's, with a start, and heard the voice of a woman saying, "Get up,-- and away as soon as possible for my slave (Lige) came in from the timber at noon and saw your horse. I thought he was suspicious, so I would not let him go back to the timber, for fear that he would slip away and get spies---so I have kept my eye on him all afternoon, but only an hour ago, I slipped out and looked in his quarters and he was there, then, soon I went again, and he was gone. Your horse is ready, and here is food, but ride and ride hard because I fear for you. John took the food and thrust it into his saddle bags, and with a hasty "Good-bye" and "God Bless You", he mounted and was gone.
Had you listened closely you could have heard the clatter of the little lean flanked brown mare, (that John was riding) as her feet clattered over the stones in the hard roads, when---two "Blue-coats" dismounted and came into the yard. A knock at the door, and Mrs. Savage opened it in time to see "Lige" slipping among the shrubbery to his quarters.
"Whats your business?" she asked, as one of them put his foot on the door-step and started to enter.
"We are informed that you are sheltering a strange man. We have come to search your place," they said.
To gain time and detain them longer, Mrs. Savage said, "Who gave you this information?" And she smiled, not to be affable, but at the secret knowledge that the one they were wanting, was getting farther and farther away all the while.
"Well, we got pretty good reason for thinking a man is here, as a stray horse was in your barn to-day."
"Well, yes there was. It came to the barn-yard gate this morning, and I let it in thinking perhaps the owner would come hunting for it, and sure enough just at dark a man came by and asked for a strange horse. I went for my "Black" Lige, but he was gone so I let him go get about an hour ago. You are at liberty to search."
Her willingness to have them search, must have convinced the men that he was not there, and they evidently didn't believe all her story, for they hastly mounted and rode away, taking the road that John had taken.
Little did John think he was so closely followed, or he would have used the cruel brass spur on his heel sooner. He had not rode more than a couple of miles, until he heard horses coming up the road behind him. He touched his mares flank for the first time, with the brass spur, he was so sorry to have to do it. She plunged foreward in surprise but for the next half mile she did her best, but John could tell that the horses behind were gaining.
And knew that his hard riding would only attract attention. So he came to a deep woods, he dismounted and snatched the food out of the saddle-bags, turned the little mares head down a ravine, and done what he had never done before. He gave his horse a hard kick with his spur-heel, and sent her down the deep ravine while he took up over the bluff. Soon he heard shouts of "Halt, Halt," called down the ravine as the little brown mare scuddled away over the rocks.
He knew that they were too close to run, so he dropped close to a log, and got ready to destroy the precious message. Soon the men were near enough to hear their words. John lay as still as death listening.
"Well, what do you say, shall we follow? He might get in a crevice of the bluff, and get both of us, and we are not sure he is anyone important. Let's let him alone. Maybe its some country bumppin going to see his girl, and just get scared; the woman said he had been gone for half hour at least.
Section 9, page 4/5
"WHERE DUTY CALLS"
John began to breath easier, when the other one said, "How I would have loved to got a shot at him. Anyway wait. Hush! Look over yonder by that bluff. Isn't that a man?" " Ha, Ha," laughed the other, you surely have an imagination! All I see is a log. Do you suppose that poor Devil would be that close and lie still?
Come on. You are getting so vain about your marksmanship. You will soon shoot me." "Well, I suppose it's no use fooling any longer, unless we had more to go on than that fool Black's story, but nevertheless I am going to take a shot at that log just to see."
Poor John, it look super-human courage to lay quiet. Before he left camp he had wrapped the package in oiled paper partly to protect it also with a view of it's burning quickly, should he wish to destroy it. He held the package in one hand and the match in the other, intending if he was hit, to strike the match. BANG! went the revolver, and a splash of fire seemed to hit John's elbow.
Yet he lay still, and did not strike the match. A loud "Ha, Ha," rang out on the still night air, and the voice of a man saying, "Surrender log-head to Corporal Ephriam Green." Then they mounted their horses and rode away. One man still laughing and teasing his companion.
After the sounds of their horses had died away, John sat up and found his coat sleeve wet with blood. He removed his coat and tied his handkerchief tight above the wound and soon saw that the blood was stopping. He sat still and collected his thoughts and tried to plan. If this section of the country had spies working in it, the best thing he could do was to get out and not try to get medical help. He wondered how far his horse had strayed, and if he could find her. For he began to feelweak from the loss of blood.
He got to his feet and started to go down into the ravine. How weak and sick he felt. He stopped and depated with himself if he should destroy the message, much hardship already that he was almost to the source of the small spring. He crept along cautionsly not wanting to make any noise, and was almost upon the little mare standing resting after she had had a drink. Before John ever took a drink he patted her little neck and said, "Little girl, I hated to treat you so, but you are better off than I am, for I have got a "Yankee" bullet in me." He took a drink of the cool water and bathed his face and head, and soon he felt the sick sensations leaving, but the arm was swelling, and getting oh, so sore! He put the message back in its proper place, and once more sat astride the little brown mare, and soon crossed the river at Memphis, and three days later, a gaunt, dirty, unshaven, sick man rode into General Sidney Johnston's Camp, and asked where the Generals Head quarters were, and upon being directed, went in and saluted with his left hand. The General looked up and saw he was at the point of exhaustion and motioned him to a seat. John pulled the precious message from his blouse, and fell as he extended it to him.
When the sun was rising next morning, John raised up and was pushed back on his pillow, and then he remembered the message.
"Oh, where did I put it?" he began to ask.
"It's safe, you made it all right. But it was a close shave for you. Do you think you can stand to have me look at your arm, or tell how it happened."
The doctor walked from the line of beds, which had been placed in an old school house, talking to the sick and wounded. And in about an hour he came again to John. Now John had been trying to decide what to do. As he heard the doctor say, "We will have to take his arm off," and nodded in his direction--so when the doctor had looked at his arm, and told him it was infected and would have to be amputated--
Section 9, page 5/5
"WHERE DUTY CALLS"
John said, "You dress it. I'll take the pain and risk it don't come off."
And when the doctor cut the bandages and tried to get toe bullet, he said, "Its impossible to get it as its in the joint."
John said, "Leave it, I can carry that much lead!" When the doctor came in again with a dose of medicine, John took the spoon and said, "I believe this is an opiate, to put me to sleep, and if I wake and this arm is not here, (touching his shoulder) then I can still use the left one." And he touched the Army Holster which held his revolver, that was hanging on the post of his bed. And into those tired, suffering eye's came a look that the Army Surgeon understood---
John woke late in the afternoon, and was told that General Johnston wanted to talk with him as soon as possible. "Send him in," said John.
And as the General was leaving an hour later,--- John said, "Will you grant me a favor?"
"Certainly" said the General.
"Well," said John, "See to it that they don't saw this off." pointing to his arm. Whereupon the General laughed and said, "Sure, we want to keep all of such fellows as you. They are needed in the Southern Army."
So John turned over and began to fight for life and health.
John went to sleep resting on the promises of General Johnston that the arm was not to be amputated. But he never saw the General again. For acting on the contents of the message that John had brought from General Marmeduke, he decided to crush Grant's army that was moving up the Tennessee River to join General Buell, who was bringing another Union force over from Nashville. And on April 6th 1862, he struck at Grants army at Shiloh, Tenn. forcing them back, though the Union forces fought stubbornly; at night they were in a perilous position. But during the night General Buell arrived, and when the morning came Grant renewed the fight, recovering the lost territory of the day before and at last drove the Confederate Army away, and when the hotly contested field was left to the Federals, among the slain, lay the great and beloved leader of the Confederates, General Albert Sydnay Johnston.
Soon after the battle of Shilo, John was able to leave the hospital and found himself transfered with some more recruits and men, (who like himself had recovered from wounds), to the command of General Bragg, and during the remainder of 1862, he was in charge of an aminution train for the bullet he received on the journey to Corinth, had imbedded itself in the elbow joint, not allowing the joint to straighten. So we leave him until we go find Lavina once more.
"He holds no parley with unmanly fears,
Where duty bids he confidently steers.
Races a thousand dangers at her call,
And trusting to his God he surmounts them all.
---Cowper.
Lee
"WHERE DUTY CALLS"
Here he comes with the same gray suit, but over it he has a dark coat, and with sturdy shoes, a pair of leggings, and a good brass spur on his heel for hard riding. He is making his way for the horses. Well, let's see him go over the corral fences, and we will go back to camp. As John reached the fence he paused and took off his hat, and ran his fingures up through his hair, stood still and raised his head and looked up at the moon, that was fast going down in the West. How can we hope to know what is in his thoughts, let's leave him, hoping that his courage and bravery will carry him through safely,----but listen, what was that he said, ---"For my commander, my conscience, and for justice," and turning his face to the North,---he lifted his hat, and said, "Lavina, I must go." And now he is leaping into the corral among the horses. At 11:30 that night, a little lean flanked brown mare, stood at General Marmedukes tent. While inside the General was saying, "Delzell, there is no such thing as directions to a scout. Destination is what we must try for, gain it by any means possible. Carry this to General Albert Sidney Johnston, and if you reach him, consider yourself in his Command, and may God be with you,-- But, if you are captured, be sure and destroy this, as it would greatly aid our enemies, should they obtain it." John took the packet, saluted and came outside, took the reins from the orderly, who was holding the horse, mounted and rode away. And before morning he was many miles to the South-east. Just as the day was breaking he came to a deserted house, he stopped and took a look at the surroundings----there was a small enclosure, that seemed to have been a sheep corral----in one corner was a shed, into this he led the horse, took off the saddle, and carried it into the house. What to do with the message? He did not dare go to sleep without hiding it, still it must be where he could get it in case of surprise.
Finally he slipped it into the sleeve of his shirt. Ate a couple of crackers out of his saddle pockets, and soon was dozing in sleep, yet, at every noise he opened his eyes, and either, listened a bit, or got up and looked about the house---at noon, or a little later, it begun to snow, great wet flakes, which was in favor of John. If there was enough fell, for if he could not travel so fast, at least he could travel more quietly, and not attract the attention that he noise of a horse would make on the road.
The God of Fates was with him the first week. He traveled most of the nights. When he traveled by day, he used by-paths and deserted roads, and avoided meeting anyone as much as possible. As he drew nearer the boundary line, between Arkansas, and Mississippi, he had to begin to enquire for Johnston's Army, but he felt that he was near enough South to be among Southern sympathizers, but one day he stopped at a house, and inquired his way, and after the woman had directed him, --She said, "You had better hide your horse today and not travel,--- for a band of Yankees are in these parts, and they question most everyone they meet about who they are, and their business. I will take your horse and put it away, and if anyone notices her, I can say she is a stray horse, and you can hide the saddle and yourself in the gin-house. You can cover up in the cotton-seed, and keep warm, while you sleep, I would not dare keep you in the house." John looked steadily at her for a few minutes and said,--"I will trust you as a friend, for it is important that I reach General Johnston." She took the reins and John took the saddle from the horse, and she pointed to the door of the Gin-house and said, "In there." Later she came out with steaming hot coffee, a corn pone and some cold boiled pork, and told him she would give alarm if any danger threatened, and that she had fed and watered the horse, and if he could, he should sleep until night-fall. She ask no questions.
John offered no information. So he dug a deep trench in the Cotton-seed, pulled a few sacks of burlap over him, and sleep as only a tired man can sleep.
Section 9, page 3/5
"WHERE DUTY CALLS"
It was dark when he opened his eye's, with a start, and heard the voice of a woman saying, "Get up,-- and away as soon as possible for my slave (Lige) came in from the timber at noon and saw your horse. I thought he was suspicious, so I would not let him go back to the timber, for fear that he would slip away and get spies---so I have kept my eye on him all afternoon, but only an hour ago, I slipped out and looked in his quarters and he was there, then, soon I went again, and he was gone. Your horse is ready, and here is food, but ride and ride hard because I fear for you. John took the food and thrust it into his saddle bags, and with a hasty "Good-bye" and "God Bless You", he mounted and was gone.
Had you listened closely you could have heard the clatter of the little lean flanked brown mare, (that John was riding) as her feet clattered over the stones in the hard roads, when---two "Blue-coats" dismounted and came into the yard. A knock at the door, and Mrs. Savage opened it in time to see "Lige" slipping among the shrubbery to his quarters.
"Whats your business?" she asked, as one of them put his foot on the door-step and started to enter.
"We are informed that you are sheltering a strange man. We have come to search your place," they said.
To gain time and detain them longer, Mrs. Savage said, "Who gave you this information?" And she smiled, not to be affable, but at the secret knowledge that the one they were wanting, was getting farther and farther away all the while.
"Well, we got pretty good reason for thinking a man is here, as a stray horse was in your barn to-day."
"Well, yes there was. It came to the barn-yard gate this morning, and I let it in thinking perhaps the owner would come hunting for it, and sure enough just at dark a man came by and asked for a strange horse. I went for my "Black" Lige, but he was gone so I let him go get about an hour ago. You are at liberty to search."
Her willingness to have them search, must have convinced the men that he was not there, and they evidently didn't believe all her story, for they hastly mounted and rode away, taking the road that John had taken.
Little did John think he was so closely followed, or he would have used the cruel brass spur on his heel sooner. He had not rode more than a couple of miles, until he heard horses coming up the road behind him. He touched his mares flank for the first time, with the brass spur, he was so sorry to have to do it. She plunged foreward in surprise but for the next half mile she did her best, but John could tell that the horses behind were gaining.
And knew that his hard riding would only attract attention. So he came to a deep woods, he dismounted and snatched the food out of the saddle-bags, turned the little mares head down a ravine, and done what he had never done before. He gave his horse a hard kick with his spur-heel, and sent her down the deep ravine while he took up over the bluff. Soon he heard shouts of "Halt, Halt," called down the ravine as the little brown mare scuddled away over the rocks.
He knew that they were too close to run, so he dropped close to a log, and got ready to destroy the precious message. Soon the men were near enough to hear their words. John lay as still as death listening.
"Well, what do you say, shall we follow? He might get in a crevice of the bluff, and get both of us, and we are not sure he is anyone important. Let's let him alone. Maybe its some country bumppin going to see his girl, and just get scared; the woman said he had been gone for half hour at least.
Section 9, page 4/5
"WHERE DUTY CALLS"
John began to breath easier, when the other one said, "How I would have loved to got a shot at him. Anyway wait. Hush! Look over yonder by that bluff. Isn't that a man?" " Ha, Ha," laughed the other, you surely have an imagination! All I see is a log. Do you suppose that poor Devil would be that close and lie still?
Come on. You are getting so vain about your marksmanship. You will soon shoot me." "Well, I suppose it's no use fooling any longer, unless we had more to go on than that fool Black's story, but nevertheless I am going to take a shot at that log just to see."
Poor John, it look super-human courage to lay quiet. Before he left camp he had wrapped the package in oiled paper partly to protect it also with a view of it's burning quickly, should he wish to destroy it. He held the package in one hand and the match in the other, intending if he was hit, to strike the match. BANG! went the revolver, and a splash of fire seemed to hit John's elbow.
Yet he lay still, and did not strike the match. A loud "Ha, Ha," rang out on the still night air, and the voice of a man saying, "Surrender log-head to Corporal Ephriam Green." Then they mounted their horses and rode away. One man still laughing and teasing his companion.
After the sounds of their horses had died away, John sat up and found his coat sleeve wet with blood. He removed his coat and tied his handkerchief tight above the wound and soon saw that the blood was stopping. He sat still and collected his thoughts and tried to plan. If this section of the country had spies working in it, the best thing he could do was to get out and not try to get medical help. He wondered how far his horse had strayed, and if he could find her. For he began to feelweak from the loss of blood.
He got to his feet and started to go down into the ravine. How weak and sick he felt. He stopped and depated with himself if he should destroy the message, much hardship already that he was almost to the source of the small spring. He crept along cautionsly not wanting to make any noise, and was almost upon the little mare standing resting after she had had a drink. Before John ever took a drink he patted her little neck and said, "Little girl, I hated to treat you so, but you are better off than I am, for I have got a "Yankee" bullet in me." He took a drink of the cool water and bathed his face and head, and soon he felt the sick sensations leaving, but the arm was swelling, and getting oh, so sore! He put the message back in its proper place, and once more sat astride the little brown mare, and soon crossed the river at Memphis, and three days later, a gaunt, dirty, unshaven, sick man rode into General Sidney Johnston's Camp, and asked where the Generals Head quarters were, and upon being directed, went in and saluted with his left hand. The General looked up and saw he was at the point of exhaustion and motioned him to a seat. John pulled the precious message from his blouse, and fell as he extended it to him.
When the sun was rising next morning, John raised up and was pushed back on his pillow, and then he remembered the message.
"Oh, where did I put it?" he began to ask.
"It's safe, you made it all right. But it was a close shave for you. Do you think you can stand to have me look at your arm, or tell how it happened."
The doctor walked from the line of beds, which had been placed in an old school house, talking to the sick and wounded. And in about an hour he came again to John. Now John had been trying to decide what to do. As he heard the doctor say, "We will have to take his arm off," and nodded in his direction--so when the doctor had looked at his arm, and told him it was infected and would have to be amputated--
Section 9, page 5/5
"WHERE DUTY CALLS"
John said, "You dress it. I'll take the pain and risk it don't come off."
And when the doctor cut the bandages and tried to get toe bullet, he said, "Its impossible to get it as its in the joint."
John said, "Leave it, I can carry that much lead!" When the doctor came in again with a dose of medicine, John took the spoon and said, "I believe this is an opiate, to put me to sleep, and if I wake and this arm is not here, (touching his shoulder) then I can still use the left one." And he touched the Army Holster which held his revolver, that was hanging on the post of his bed. And into those tired, suffering eye's came a look that the Army Surgeon understood---
John woke late in the afternoon, and was told that General Johnston wanted to talk with him as soon as possible. "Send him in," said John.
And as the General was leaving an hour later,--- John said, "Will you grant me a favor?"
"Certainly" said the General.
"Well," said John, "See to it that they don't saw this off." pointing to his arm. Whereupon the General laughed and said, "Sure, we want to keep all of such fellows as you. They are needed in the Southern Army."
So John turned over and began to fight for life and health.
John went to sleep resting on the promises of General Johnston that the arm was not to be amputated. But he never saw the General again. For acting on the contents of the message that John had brought from General Marmeduke, he decided to crush Grant's army that was moving up the Tennessee River to join General Buell, who was bringing another Union force over from Nashville. And on April 6th 1862, he struck at Grants army at Shiloh, Tenn. forcing them back, though the Union forces fought stubbornly; at night they were in a perilous position. But during the night General Buell arrived, and when the morning came Grant renewed the fight, recovering the lost territory of the day before and at last drove the Confederate Army away, and when the hotly contested field was left to the Federals, among the slain, lay the great and beloved leader of the Confederates, General Albert Sydnay Johnston.
Soon after the battle of Shilo, John was able to leave the hospital and found himself transfered with some more recruits and men, (who like himself had recovered from wounds), to the command of General Bragg, and during the remainder of 1862, he was in charge of an aminution train for the bullet he received on the journey to Corinth, had imbedded itself in the elbow joint, not allowing the joint to straighten. So we leave him until we go find Lavina once more.
"He holds no parley with unmanly fears,
Where duty bids he confidently steers.
Races a thousand dangers at her call,
And trusting to his God he surmounts them all.
---Cowper.
Lee