ank; the hand
that came from the apple basket fired the cocked pistol almost before the
sentry knew it, and the picket fell dead.

The reserve stood as if stupefied.

That night I gave Quantrell, for Col. Hays, a plan showing the condition
of affairs in Independence.

The morning of the 11th the attack was made and Col. Buell, his force shot
to pieces, surrendered.

The apple-woman's expedition had been a success.

7. LONE JACK

It was in August, 1862, nearly a year after the party at Col. Mockbee's,
that I was formally enrolled in the army of the Confederate States of
America by Col. Gideon W. Thompson. I was eighteen, and for some little
time had been assisting Col. Hays in recruiting a regiment around my old
home.

It was within a day or two after the surrender of Buell at Independence
that I was elected as first lieutenant in Capt. Jarrette's company in Col.
Upton B. Hays' regiment, which was a part of the brigade of Gen. Joseph O.
Shelby.

We took the oath, perhaps 300 of us, down on Luther Mason's farm, a few
miles from where I now write, where Col. Hays had encamped after
Independence.

Millions of boys and men have read with rising hair the terrible "black
oath" which was supposed to have been taken by these brave fighters, but
of which they never heard, nor I, until I read it in books published long
after the war.

When Col. Hays camped on the Cowherd, White, Howard and Younger farms,
Quantrell had been left to guard the approaches to Kansas City, and to
prevent the escape to that point of news from the scattered Confederate
commands which were recruiting in western Missouri. At the same time he
was obtaining from the Chicago and St. Louis papers and other sources,
information about the northern armies, which was conveyed by couriers to
Confederate officers in the south, and he kept concealed along the
Missouri river skiffs and ferry boats to enable the Confederate officers,
recruiting north of the river, to have free access to the south.

The night that I was enlisted, I was sent by Col. Hays to meet Cols.
Cockrell, Coffee, Tracy, Jackman and Hunter, who, with the remnants of
regiments that had been shattered in various battles through the south,
were headed toward Col. Hays' command.

It was Col. Hays' plan for them to join him the fifteenth, and after a
day's rest, the entire command would attack Kansas City, and, among other
advantages resulting from victory there, secure possess