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

by E. C. Downs

I made the journey alone and on horseback, dressed as a citizen. For the last year and a half of my service, I very rarely wore any thing but a citizen's dress. I occupied five days in making the journey, and got through to General Grierson's head-quarters without having experienced a single incident of interest. That kind of scouting was dry business to me. It is excitement that makes the life of a scout interesting.

I made several trips of from twenty to sixty miles inland for General Grierson, but none of them was attended with any incident. The fact was, the war was over, and there was nothing for a scout to do. General Kirby Smith had before this surrendered his command, and there was no regularly organized Confederate force to contend with. The only disturbance was from lawless, evil-disposed persons, who roamed over the country, robbing both loyal and disloyal alike, their sole object being plunder.

In September General Grierson sent me alone to the Upper Colorado, a distance of four hundred miles, with instructions to see whether the rebs were concentrating a force or fortifying at any point along the river. I made the trip on horseback, in my usual citizen's dress. Very much of the distance was sparsely settled, which rendered my journey at least a lonesome one. A naturalist, no doubt, would have found in that route enough to have made a volume interesting, but to me nothing was of so much interest as the end of my journey. During the entire route it was the same dull monotony day after day.

On my return, and when within four days' ride of Columbus, I fell in with a party of outlaws numbering forty men. They wore uniforms exactly like General Grierson's cavalry, and had United States saddles and carbines. At first I supposed that they were a detachment of his command, but fortunately I discovered my mistake before having told who I was. They plundered indiscriminately, but left the impression, wherever they went, that they were a detachment of United States troops, acting under General Grierson's orders. I traveled with them three days.

As soon as I found out what they were I proposed to join their organization. This I did for my own safety. I represented myself as having been a planter in Mississippi, and that I had lost all my property by the war—a part of it by the Confederate army and a part of it by the Lincoln army; and I also told them that I was determined to get my property back in some way, and did not care a d—m how nor who I got it from. My proposition was accepted, and it was arranged that I should go on to Columbus and transact some business that I had there, and, if possible, secure by some means, fair or foul, a uniform, saddle, and carbine, and then return to a certain plantation that they would show me in our route.

The last day that I was with them, we passed the plantation to which I was to return when I had completed my business at Columbus. Toward night they plundered a rich planter who had never been at heart really disloyal. He had acted with the Confederate Government simply because compelled to, but at his earliest opportunity had taken the required oath. As the outlaws were taking his property, he remonstrated, and told them that he was a Union man, and that General Grierson had promised to protect him. They told him that he was no Union man, but a d—d lying secesh. They insulted him shamefully, and then, having secured what plunder they wanted, made their way off, leaving him to suppose that the outrage had been committed by Federal cavalry.

During my ride with them I became quite familiar with their countenances, and also learned where several of them resided. I also found out that they did not, except when on a plundering expedition, remain in a body, but separated to their homes, meeting occasionally, however, to arrange for new expeditions, but never twice in the same place, lest their haunts might be discovered. Shortly after plundering the planter that I have mentioned, they turned off on another road and left me to pursue my journey alone.

After repeating to General Grierson the result of my trip, I mentioned the incident about the outlaws, and their having plundered the planter, but did not tell him that I had agreed to return to them. The day following my report, the planter came in with complaint to General Grierson that his cavalry had plundered him of his horses and mules, and other property, and also had shamefully insulted him.

General Grierson was surprised to hear such complaints, and told the man that he must be mistaken; but he insisted that he knew they were his men; they had United States uniforms, saddles, and carbines exactly like his men. The General then called the Adjutant, to know whether he had sent a detachment out, but none had been sent. The planter still insisted that it was United States cavalry that committed the outrage. Recalling to mind what I had reported to him the day before, the General mistrusted who had done it and sent for me. I at once recognized the planter as the one whom I had seen plundered by the outlaws.

The next day I accompanied a detachment of cavalry, in disguise, to hunt up the outlaws. We proceeded at once to the residences of those that I had learned, and were so fortunate as to find them at home, all of whom we captured. I took good care to be seen by them as little as possible. I do not think I was recognized by any of the number that we captured. Every one of them were loud in their declarations of good behavior, and expressed astonishment that they should be so treated. The arrest of a part of the band put a damper upon the rest, and they cleared out, or ceased their operations. I heard of no more complaints during the time I remained there.