sappeared to after leaving Weatherford? Many roads and trails led
out of Cleburne--some towards the railroads-- No mistake must be made--
A sudden inspiration seized me-- I woke up the Corporal-- "Corporal,
find me a two seated carriage or conveyance of some kind with
driver--'rake' the town--and get it here as soon as possible; rout out
the detachment--and report yourself mounted to me at the same time"--
"Never mind the expense"! In about 30 minutes Charlton was there with a
closely curtained-in two-seated carriage, carry-all, or Texas "hack",
with two mules, and a _one-legged driver_; also the entire detachment
mounted-- Amazement was on the faces of all-- What was the play?-- What
was the game being "pulled off" by the "Old Man"? "Corporal Charlton,
take your carbine and pistol and get in the front seat with the
driver"--and turning to the other Corporal--(Jones)--"You will take our
two led horses--and follow this 'hack'--never losing touch with it--but
always remaining as much as possible out of sight--about a mile or two
in the rear--concealing yourself as much as possible by the timber--
Keep your eyes on this 'hack'--_one flash_ of my handkerchief and you
will drop further back out of sight if it is open country; two flashes,
and you are to come up with your detachment and our led horses at a
run--remember, and always keep out of sight as much as possible"-- We
moved out on the Hillsboro road--inquiries were made all along but with
no satisfactory results-- We scoured the settlements, ranches and side
trails but without avail-- We had had a description given us, however,
of a certain two-horse team--with a number of men in it, which partially
filled the bill-- Feeling perfectly sure that they were breaking for the
railroad, either at Corsicana or Waxahatchie--yet it was feared that we
were on the wrong road-- The driver of our conveyance, or "dug out", it
seemed, had been a confederate soldier, and had lost a leg at Gettysburg
in the desperate charge of Longstreet's Corps on July 2--upon the "Round
Tops" and the "Peach Orchard"-- He had belonged to the Fifth Texas,
Robertson's "Texas Brigade", Hood's Division, and strange to record had
confronted the First Brigade--First Division, Fifth Corps, in which the
writer had served on that fateful day, and in that death-strewn spot. He
immediately _recognised an old enemy_, became extremely voluble, and
insisted upon fighting the battle "o'er again", with many a story and