General Nelson's Scout 28
Fred gave a low whistle. "Well, General, if possible, I will try and
solve the problem, but it may be too hard for me."
"Have you any idea yet how they are captured?" asked the general.
"None at all. I must first look over the ground carefully, see how the
men are posted, talk with them, and then I may be able to form an idea."
Fred's first business was to ride out to where the post had been
captured during the night. This he did, noting the lay of the ground,
carefully looking for footprints not only in front, but in the rear of
where the men had been stationed. He then visited all the picket posts,
talked with the men, learned their habits on picket, whether they were
as watchful as they should be--in fact, not the slightest thing of
importance escaped his notice.
On his return from his tour of inspection, Fred said to General
Schoepf, "Well, General, I have my idea."
"What is it?" asked the general, greatly interested.
"Your pickets have been captured from the rear, not the front."
"What do you mean?" excitedly asked the general.
"I mean that some of the pickets are so placed that a wary foe could
creep in between the posts and come up in the rear, completely
surprising the men. I think I found evidence that the men captured last
night were taken in that way. I found, at least, six posts of which I
believe an enemy could get in the rear without detection, especially if
the land had been spied out."
"You astonish me," said the general. "But even if this is so, why does
not the sentinel give the alarm?"
"He may be in such a position that he dare not," answered Fred.
"What do you propose?"
"That a double force be put on the posts, half to watch the rear. It
will be my business to-night to see to that."
"Very well," replied General Schoepf. "I shall be very curious to see
how the plan works, and whether your idea is the correct one or not."
"I will not warrant it, General," replied Fred, "but there will be no
harm in trying."
Just before night Fred made a second round of the picket posts, and
made careful inquiry whether any one of the posts had been visited
during the day by any one from the outside.
All of the posts answered in the negative save one. The corporal of that
post said: "Why, a country boy was here to sell us some vegetables and
eggs."
"Ah!" replied Fred. "Was he a bright boy, and did he seem to notice
things closely?"
"On the contrary," said the corporal, "he appeared to be remarkably dull
and ignorant."
"Has the same boy been in the habit of selling vegetables to the
pickets?" asked Fred.
Come to think about it, the corporal believed he had heard such a boy
spoken of.
Then one of the men spoke up and said:
"You know Rankin was on the post that was taken in last night. He had a
letter come yesterday, and I took it out to him, and he told me of what
a fine supper they were going to have, saying they had bought some eggs
and a chicken of a boy."
"Jerusalem!" suddenly exclaimed the corporal, "that boy to-day walked to
the rear some little distance--made an excuse for going; he might not
have been such a fool as he looked."
"Thank you," replied Fred. "Corporal, I will be here a little after dark
with a squad of men to help you keep watch. In the mean time keep a
sharp lookout."
"That I will," answered the corporal. "Do you think that boy was a
spy?" he then asked, with much concern.
"I don't know," answered Fred. "But such a thing is possible. But if any
trouble occurs on the picket line to-night, it will be at this post."
That night Fred doubled the pickets on six posts which he considered the
most exposed. But the extra men were to guard the rear instead of the
front. The most explicit instructions were given, and they were
cautioned that they were to let no alarm at the front make them relax
their vigilance in the rear. Thirty yards in the rear of the post where
he was to watch Fred had noticed a small ravine which led down into a
wood. It was through this ravine that he concluded the enemy would creep
if they should try to gain the rear of the post. Fred posted his men so
as to watch this ravine. To the corporal who had charge of the post, he
said:
"My theory is, that some one comes up to your sentinel, and attracts his
attention by pretending to be a friend, or perhaps a deserter. This, of
course, will necessitate the sentinel's calling for you, and naturally
attract the attention of every man awake. While this is going on, a
party that has gained the rear unobserved will rush on you and be in
your midst before you know it, and you will be taken without a single
gun being fired."
The corporal and his men looked astonished.
"Zounds!" said one, "I believe it could be done."
"Now," continued Fred, "if you are hailed from the front to-night act
just as if you had not heard of this. I will take care of the rear."
When everything was prepared the soldiers, wrapped in their blankets,
sat down to wait for what might come. So intently did they listen that
the falling of a leaf would startle them. The hours passed slowly away.
There was a half-moon, but dark clouds swept across the sky, and only
now and then she looked forth, hiding her face again in a moment. Once
in a while a dash of cold rain would cause the sentinels to shiver and
sink their chins deeper into the collars of their great coats.
Midnight came, and still all was quiet. The soldiers not on guard lay
wrapped in their blankets, some of them in the land of dreams.
Off in the woods the hoot of an owl was heard. Instantly Fred was all
attention. A few minutes passed, and again the dismal "Whoo! whoo!" this
time much nearer. Fred aroused his men. Instantly they were all
attention, and every sense alert.
"Have you heard anything?" whispered the sergeant, next to him.
"Nothing but the suspicious hooting of an owl," whispered back Fred.
Then to the soldiers, "Perfectly still, men; not a sound."
So still were they that the beatings of their hearts could be heard.
Again the dismal hoot was heard, this time so near that it startled
them.
Then from the sentinel out in front came the short, sharp challenge,
"Who comes there?"
He was answered immediately. "A deserter who wishes to come into the
lines and give himself up."
"Stand! Corporal of the guard!"
The corporal went forward to receive the deserter. Now there came the
sound of swiftly advancing footsteps in front of the rear post, and dim
figures were seen through the darkness.
"Fire!" shouted Fred.
Seven rifles belched forth their contents, and for a moment the flashes
of the guns lighted up the scene, and then all was dark.
There were cries of pain, hoarse yells of surprise and anger, and then a
scattering volley returned.
"Use your revolvers," shouted Fred, and a rapid fire was opened.
"Fall back!" shouted a voice from the darkness. There were a few more
scattering shots, and all was still.
The deserter, who was so anxious to give himself up, the moment the
alarm was given fired at the sentinel and vanished in the darkness.
The sound of the firing created the wildest commotion in camp. The long
roll was beaten; the half-dressed, frightened soldiers came rolling out
of their tents, some without their guns, others without their cartridge
boxes; excited officers in their night clothes ran through the camp,
waving their bare swords and shouting: "Fall in, men, for God's sake,
fall in."
It was some minutes before the excitement abated, and every one was
asking, "What is it? what is it?"
The officer of the day, with a strong escort, came riding out to where
the firing was heard. Being challenged, he gave the countersign, and
then hurriedly asked what occasioned the firing.
"Oh," cheerfully responded Fred, "they tried to take us in, and got
taken in themselves."
An examination of the ground in front of where Fred's squad was
stationed revealed two Confederates still in death, and trails of blood
showed that others had been wounded.
"You can go to your quarters," said Fred to his men. "You will not be
needed again to-night; and, Lieutenant," said he, turning to the officer
of the day, "each and every one of these men deserves thanks for his steadiness and bravery."
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