L. P. Brockett, The camp, the battlefield, and the hospital: or, lights and shadows of the great rebellion

[162] hit, I heer'd some more calvary comina up the road, ana I war jest tellina the boys we'd hev ter make tracks, when the new fellers sprung the fence, ana come plumb at the secesh on a dead run. Thar warn't only thirty on 'em, yit the rebs didn't so much as make a stand, but skedaddled as ef old Rosey himself hed been arter 'em.

“And who were the new comers?”

“Some on Tinker Beaty's men. They'd heerd the firina nigh two mile off, ana come up, suspicionina how things wus.”

“But, are there Union bands there? I thought East Tennessee was overrun with rebel troops.” “Wall, hit ar; but thar's a small chance uv Union goorillas in Fentress ana Overton county. They hide in the mountins, ana light down on the rebs, now ana then, like death on a sick parson. Thar is places in them deestricts thet a hundred men kin hold agin ten thousand They know 'em all, 'case they wus raised thar, ana they know every bridle path through the woods, so it's well nigh unpossible ter kotch 'em. I reckon thar's a hundred on 'em, all mounted, ana beina as they haint no tents, nor wagins, nor camp fixin's, they git round mighty spry. Thar scouts is allers on the move, ana wharever thar's a showina, they pounce down on the rebs, cuttina 'em ter pieces. Thet's the how they git powder ana provisions. They never trouble peaceable folk, ana haint no sort oa 'spense ter guverment; but they does a heap uv damage ter the secesh.”

“ Well, they did you a ‘powerful’ good turn.”

“They did thet; but we lost one on our boys. He war only sixteen-brother ter thet feller thar,” pointing to a young man sitting opposite. “They hung his ”