CHAPTER XXIII.
Sent for by General Grant—Instructions—Crosses Black River—Is captured by rebel cavalry—Sent to General DeVieu—The interview—Passes as Johnston's spy—The attempt to escape—The pursuit—Fired at by Federal pickets—Again fired at by the enemy—The pursuers driven back—Again fired at by Federal pickets—The alarm—Reports to General Osterhaus—Reports to General Grant.
While the siege was progressing, General Johnston was engaged in concentrating a large Confederate force, to attack General Grant in the rear and force him to raise the siege of Vicksburg, and thereby relieve General Pemberton and his forces.
General Grant, in the mean time, had been considerably reinforced, and had formed a line of defense from the Black River bridge north-west along Clear and Bear Creeks, across to the Yazoo River at Haines' Bluff, and a heavy force was stationed along that line to resist any attempt on the part of the enemy to raise the siege.
The difficulty of rapidly crossing Black River with a large force below the bridge, rendered it necessary to keep a force stationed on the line running from the bridge to the Mississippi River below Vicksburg; for the enemy, once across, would run a very poor chance of recrossing without destruction. A constant watch was kept up by our scouts, however, to see whether the enemy would attempt to cross there.
Some time toward the latter part of June, General Grant sent for me, and requested me to make a trip across Black River, and find out whether the enemy was making any attempt or movement indicative of crossing.
I was instructed to cross at the bridge, through General Osterhaus' lines, and take the road to Fifteen-mile Creek, and, if I met with nothing to prevent, to go on to the creek and remain there two days, and at the end of that time return. If I discovered any movement of importance while on my way, I was to report it immediately.
The General cautioned me not to go inside of the enemy's lines, because it was a critical time, and if I did I would probably lose my life. He told me that several scouts had been sent out for the same purpose, and that none of them agreed in their reports. He told me that he was extremely anxious to know what the enemy was doing there, and what were his intentions, and charged me to be very cautious, so that I might return.
I was handed an order to General Osterhaus, to the effect that I was to be passed out of his lines, and when I returned I was to be immediately sent to General Osterhaus, under guard, and whatever I reported to him was to be immediately telegraphed to General Grant.
I carried the order to General Osterhaus, at Black River, who, when he had read it, sent me, under guard, to the picket line, with instructions to the officer in command of the pickets to pass me out. The picket line was on the east side of the river.
As I left the river, I was very particular to notice minutely the roads and fences and the features of the ground. About a mile from the bridge, on the road that leads to Edwards' Station, the Fifteen-mile Creek road turns off to the right. At the corners of the road the reserve pickets were stationed. About a quarter of a mile from the reserve, the road turns square to the left, and, at a distance of about one hundred yards further on, it turns back again square to the right. At that point the vedettes were stationed. On the left-hand side of the road, going out from the reserve to the vedettes, was a hedge fence. From the vedettes, in a straight line across to the reserve, was an open field, and the fence had been torn down or removed to allow the cavalry a chance to charge across it, if necessary.
Before leaving the pickets, I told the Lieutenant in command of the guards that I should not come back that night, unless I was driven back, and that if I came back I should come on the run, and that I would have no gun in my hands, nor any thing else that might be taken for one. I also requested him to describe to each man in person, as he took his post as vedette, my dress, so that there could be no mistake about who I was and no cause for firing into me. The Lieutenant instructed his men as I requested him; and besides, I found that several of them knew me, which very much relieved my fears about being fired at. I was on foot and dressed like a citizen.
Supposing that I had made all the necessary arrangements for my safety in case I was driven back, I started out. About half a mile from the vedettes, the road crossed a low piece of ground, and had been filled in with brush and rails, while wet, to keep wagons from miring, but the dry weather had dried up the mud and left the rails and brush bare, rendering it extremely difficult to cross without making a great deal of noise.
I had gone but a short distance after crossing it, when I heard a cracking of brush behind me, and turned to see what it was. The reader can judge my surprise when I saw, in the road behind me, fourteen rebel cavalry. I was ordered to halt, which I did, and they, at the same time, dismounted.
There I was, captured almost within sight of our own pickets. It was no time to show timidity, so I resolved upon a bold expedient.
"Who are you?" said one of the cavalry.
"I am a Confederate soldier."
"Have you got a pass?"
"No, sir."
"What are you doing here?"
"Gentlemen, I don't know as this is any of your business. I am a Confederate soldier, and I have business here, and all that you have to do is to send me, under guard, to general head-quarters."
One of the men, seemingly commander of the squad—I could not tell whether an officer or a private—ordered two of the men to take me to Gen. DeVieu.
They took me on in the same direction that I had been traveling. Not a word was exchanged between us on the way. I watched narrowly every feature of the road and the country as we went, determined, if possible, to make my way back that night.
About five miles from where I was captured, and nearly seven miles from Black River bridge, we came to General DeVieu's head-quarters. They were situated near the crossing of the roads, where the road from Baldwin's Ferry (below Black River bridge) to Edwards' Station crosses the one that I was on.
When we arrived at General DeVieu's quarters, one of the guards went in, and I heard him say to the General, "We have got a man out there that we captured close to the Yankee lines, without a pass, and he says that he is a Confederate soldier. We could not find out his business, but he told us to bring him to you, and we have done so."
"Well, have him come in," said the General.
The guard came out, and told me to go in. As I entered, I took off my hat, and, saluting him, I looked him in the face with as much composure as though I had been his commanding officer.
"Where have you been?" he inquired.
"I have been inside of the Yankee lines about Vicksburg."
"Where do you belong?"
"I belong to General Price's army."
"What were you doing here?"
"I am now under orders from General Johnston to reconnoiter thoroughly about the Yankee lines at Vicksburg. I have done so, and I am now on my way to report to General Johnston."
"Have you got any pass, or any papers to show that?"
"No, sir, I haven't got the scratch of a pen about me; but, General, if you will go with me to General Johnston's Adjutant-General I can show you papers in his office that will tell you who I am and what my business is."
"What is your name?"
"Lorain Ruggles, sir; I am a brother to General Ruggles."
"Ah! A brother of General Ruggles!"
"Yes, sir."
"Well, what is the news about Vicksburg?"
"General, if you insist upon it, I shall have to tell you, because you are my superior officer, but my instructions from General Johnston were to reconnoiter thoroughly, and get all the information that I could, and then to report to him and to him only, and I reckon that he'll not like to have me report to any body else."
"Ah! I beg your pardon, Mr. Ruggles. Excuse me! I don't want you to violate your instructions. I won't ask you any further questions about it. Do you wish to go right on to General Johnston's head-quarters?"
"General, I have been considerably exposed, and a little short of rations for several days, and have traveled about on foot a great deal, and am very much fatigued; and if it would be agreeable to your good will and pleasure, I would like to remain in your brigade over night, and then go out to General Johnston's head-quarters to-morrow."
"Very well, you can stay; any of those orderlies out there will give you something to eat. I shall send two men out to head-quarters in the morning, and, if you like, you can go with them."
"Thank you, General; I shall be very glad of company!"
It was about 2 o'clock in the afternoon when I arrived there. The orderlies gave me some dinner and also some supper. I improved my time, in conversation with the officers and men, in picking up information.
The force stationed there was a brigade of Texas cavalry, about 1,200 strong. Their business was to watch the Baldwin's Ferry road for any attempt of General Grant's forces to cross and get to the rear of General Johnston.
The brigade was destitute of tents, except six at head-quarters, and the men slept at night without shelter.
About 9 o'clock in the evening, I laid down on a pile of corn in the husk, in company with a lot of soldiers, and feigned to be asleep. I reflected upon my situation, and of the best means of making my escape. I was satisfied that it would be dangerous for me to wait till morning and start with the orderlies for General Johnston's head-quarters. No suspicion had as yet been excited. The soldiers were all asleep, and the whole camp was quiet. About midnight I got up, as if to relieve the necessities of nature, and went to a piece of woods about a hundred yards distant, and returned. My movements did not seem to have disturbed any one. The moon shone brightly, and the night was very light. The moon had not yet reached its meridian, but made a long shadow on the ground. I again laid down upon the corn-pile, where I lay until 2 o'clock, when I arose. The moon was then favorable and made but a short shadow, and every thing was quiet. I again visited the woods.
As I entered, I looked back and all was quiet. As the guards brought me in, I had noticed that there was but one picket-post in the direction that I wished to return, and that one was stationed in the road about half a mile from the rebel camp. I resolved to try an escape at all hazards.
I made a detour large enough to insure safety from the pickets, moving forward as rapidly as possible through the brush, without making any noise, until I gained the road that I had come out on, and then I sped along as fast as I could run.
I had on light shoes, and made very little noise as I went, and avoided stepping upon any thing that would make any disturbance.
When I reached the place in the road filled with rails and brush, near where I had been captured, I slackened my pace, and walked carefully across it. I had become tired from running so far; my close proximity to our own pickets considerably relieved my fears, and I moved along more leisurely than I had done.
When about two hundred yards from the bad place in the road, I was startled by the sound of horses crossing it. I looked back, and there came a squad of twelve or fourteen cavalry, as fast as their horses could run.
I dashed ahead at the top of my speed, when, within about one hundred yards of our pickets, "Bang! bang! bang!" went their pieces.
"For God's sake, don't shoot! It's me!" I shouted.
"Bang! bang!" went the carbines of my pursuers. The vedettes ran for the reserve. I fairly flew along, and the rebs after me, gaining rapidly. I kept straight after the vedettes till I had entered the field past the hedge fence; then I turned and followed it a few steps, and then plunged through it and crawled along on my hands and knees some distance in the weeds and grass by the side of it.
My pursuers dashed on across the field, firing at the vedettes as they went. The reserve was immediately in saddle, and returned the fire of the enemy. The chase now turned the other way, and the rebs were pursued by our pickets.
I kept on making a detour around to the rear of the reserve post before coming up, lest, from the confusion and excitement, I should again be fired at. Nearly all the reserve had joined in the chase, and but three or four men remained on the post.
As I came up to the rear of them, without any challenge to halt, "Bang! bang!" went their pieces.
"What in hell and d—nation are you doing?" I shouted. "You are determined to shoot me!"
"That's Bunker!" said one.
"No, by G—d, it a'n't!" said another, bringing his piece to a ready.
"For Christ's sake," I shouted, "don't shoot again! Are you determined to kill me?"
"Don't shoot! It is Bunker!" said the others. By this time they were convinced who it was, and allowed me to come up.
The alarm did not stop with the pickets, but extended across the river. An entire brigade turned out under arms, and orders were dispatched all along the lines to be in readiness to repel an attack from General Johnston.
I requested to be immediately sent to General Osterhaus, under guard, agreeable to General Grant's instructions; but the Lieutenant refused to let me go until daylight, and then sent me in without guard.
I reported to General Osterhaus, and explained to him where the rebel force was camped, and also its strength and what it was there for.
"Vare you stshay they are? On the Baldwin's Ferry road?" inquired the General.
"No; they are on the Fifteen-mile Creek road, near the crossing of the Edwards' Station and Baldwin's Ferry road."
"Vell, dat ish vot I stshay! On the Baldwin's Ferry road!"
I then marked out the position for him, and explained it, and still he insisted.
"Vell, dat ish vot I stshay! On the Baldwin's Ferry Road!"
He then telegraphed to General Grant as he understood it, and received, in reply, orders for me to return immediately.
I reported in person to General Grant, and told him the difficulty that I experienced in making General Osterhaus understand me. He replied, "I thought he did not understand you, so I ordered you back."
After explaining to the General the position, strength, and object of the enemy, he asked me if I was sure of that fact. I told him that I was, and that time would show whether I told him the truth or not. He then said that he would rest satisfied; so I returned to my quarters. The confidence he placed in my reports amply paid me for the danger that I had encountered. General Grant always paid his scouts well whenever they had done any thing deserving of special compensation. To pay me for this trip, soon after the Vicksburg campaign ended, General Grant gave me two hundred dollars and a furlough for thirty days.