Four Years a Scout and Spy: "General Bunker", One of Lieut. General Grant's Most Daring and Successful Scouts, Being a Narrative of ... the Experience of Corporal Ruggles During Four Years' Service as a Scout and Spy for the Federal ArmyDowns, E. C. (Edward C.)
History
Four Years a Scout and Spy: "General Bunker", One of Lieut. General Grant's Most Daring and Successful Scouts, Being a Narrative of ... the Experience of Corporal Ruggles During Four Years' Service as a Scout and Spy for the Federal Army
Downs, E. C. (Edward C.)
Ruggles, Lorain, 1823-1902; United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Personal narratives
"They'll be down here directly, then, I reckon. I had better get out of
this. Won't you let me get on behind you and ride across?"
"Yes, come this way." He rode alongside of a bank of earth, and I
straddled the mule, behind him. We crossed the stream, and had ascended
the bank on the opposite side, when, discovering the Lincolnites, with
their carbines leveled at us, he exclaimed, "Whoa, mule! Captured, by
G--d! Both of us! I swear, that's too bad! Here I am, within five miles
of my command, and captured!"
"That's a fact, Captain, but we can't help it now. I expect we had
better ride on up; it's no place to trade jack-knives here!" So we went
on.
"Whew!" said the Major, "that's the way I like to see you come; when you
come, come double!"
We rode up to the Major, who ordered us to dismount, and, taking
possession of the mules, he said, pointing to the group he had already
captured: "There, you had better go right down there, out of sight;
that's the best place for you. How do you like my trap, Captain?"
"I think it's a very good one; it caught me mighty nice!"
He felt sold over his capture, and doubly so when he learned that _I_
had _enticed_ him into the trap. The Major having succeeded in
entrapping eighteen "very fine" rebs, we returned with the brigade to
Bolivar.
On the 3d day of October, General Price attacked General Rosecrans at
Corinth, Miss., and, after a severe engagement, was defeated and
compelled to retreat. General Hurlbut immediately marched the troops
under his command to General Rosecrans' assistance. On his way, he met
the rebel army on its retreat, while it was crossing the Hatchee River,
and completely routed it.
A few days after the return of General Hurlbut's command to Bolivar, he
sent me out to find where the scattered fragments of General Price's
army were concentrating. I was allowed to take a man with me, and was
requested to make the trip as quickly as possible. As I was about
leaving the General's quarters, he called to me, "Here, come back!" I
went back, and he continued: "I want you to understand that you are to
work for me now. I don't want you to tattle on the picket line. I have
been told that you have sometimes reported to your Colonel; you might as
well report to a _corporal_ as to a Colonel, unless he sends you out. I
want you to report to me."
"General, explain to me, if you please, what that means. I have never
reported to a Colonel but once."
"Well, _that's once_ too much. That's the reason the detachment of
Armstrong's cavalry was not captured, that you reported to General Ross,
the other day."
I begged the General's pardon, and promised to do better. I have been
very careful since not to report to any body but the officer that sent
me out.
I selected Sergeant E. W. Quackenbush, of the 20th Ohio, to accompany
me. He had been with me on previous scouts. We were on foot, disguised
like rebel soldiers belonging to artillery.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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