ident, the capture of Calhoun and one
of his men by the Home Guards.

CHAPTER VI.

CAPTURED BY HOME GUARDS.

All through Kentucky during the war there were companies of troops known
as Home Guards. They were in reality the militia of the state. They in
many instances rendered valuable services, and did much to keep Kentucky
in the Union. If it had not been for them, the Federal government would
have been obliged to keep twice as many troops in the state as it did. Not
being under as strict discipline as the United States troops, they were
more dreaded by the Southern element than the regular army.

These Home Guards were very bitter, and lost no opportunity of harassing
those who clung to the cause of the South. Now and then there were bands
of these Guards that were nothing but bands of guerrillas who lived by
plundering, and they were frequently guilty of the most cold-blooded
murders. It was by such a band that Calhoun was captured. He had been
scouting toward Frankfort to see if the Federals were moving any
considerable body of troops from that place to attack Morgan. He found
them so frightened that they were not thinking of attacking Morgan; they
were bending every nerve to defend the city from an expected attack by
him. He was on his way back with the news that there was no danger from
the direction of Frankfort, when he was told that a band of Home Guards,
that were in fact a set of robbers, had their haunts in the rough, hilly
country to the south of him, and he determined to try to effect their
capture. After riding several miles, and hearing nothing of them, he
ordered a return to Midway.

The day was very hot, and coming to a cross-road, where several trees cast
their grateful shade and a little brook ran babbling by, he ordered his
men to halt and rest. The shade and the water were very acceptable to both
man and beast; dismounting, the men lay sprawling around in the shade.
Seeing a house standing on an eminence up the cross-road, Calhoun decided
to take one of his soldiers named Nevels, and ride up to it to see if he
could learn anything.

"Better let us all go, there is no telling what one may run into in this
country," said a sergeant named Graham, who in the absence of Calhoun
would be in command of the little company.

"No, Graham," answered Calhoun, "both men and horses are tired, and need
the little rest they are getting. I d