“Pierre, I’ve got to tell you that this has been the best meal of my army life. I would like you to stay with me as my personal cook. How about it?”
“Sir, eef corporal Beauregard stays weeth you then so do I.”
“Corporal Beauregard? Oh yes, young Daniel! Daniel where is this Federal payroll that you said you would be handing over to me?”
Daniel actually said that he was going to hand it to President Jefferson Davis but Quantrill had given him a letter for the general who took possession of the money so he must have understood that Daniel might never reach the President.
Daniel handed over the letter for Lee to read. Lee perused it and said.
“This Captain Quantrill is mighty ambitious. He expects this money to buy him a majority as a formal commission in the Confederate Army. That will not happen any time soon but there is a commission that will arise out of the delivery of this money. Let’s see it, corporal.”
Daniel extracted the packages wrapped in wallpaper and handed them over.
“Gee, boss,” Jake exclaimed. “You mean to tell me that we been carrying this here dough all the way down to Texas? Hell, no wonder the Federal Cavalry done chased after us.”
“Sorry Jake. I gave my word to Captain Quantrill that I would tell nobody about it.”
“This is a fine haul, Corporal. It is all in Yankee money and will be very useful when we start to push into Yankee territory. Now I am going to tell you about the commission that arises from the delivery of this money. It will not go to Captain Quantrill as he expected. It is going to go to you, Corporal Beauregard. I am making you up to full lieutenant, son. I traveled down here on horseback accompanied by my staff, all of whom are now suffering from stomach cramps which I suspect came from the food served in the engineer’s mess. I have to get back immediately to Virginia and I cannot go unattended. I want the three of you to travel with me and to continue to guard this considerable sum that we have here. Chamont you will be a sergeant cook from now on and Smith will be a corporal so both of you will continue under Lieutenant Beauregard.”
“Thank you sir!” Daniel said. “When do we leave?”
“I am going to tell my staff that I am leaving and that they must follow as soon as their condition allows. If Corporal Smith will come with me he can pack for me and lead my packhorse. We will meet you here as soon as possible if you will clear your camp in the meanwhile and be ready to ride.”
Daniel and Pierre hurriedly cleared their camp, repacked the money and waited for the General to return but it was close to sundown before Lee arrived, dressed in civilian attire. Daniel had already packed his corporal’s uniform away.
“I apologize for the length of time it has taken, men. I had to get off several telegrams letting President Davis and others know of my change of plans. We have wasted enough time. Let’s ride.”
Jake rode ahead as the scout, Daniel accompanied General Lee and Pierre brought up the rear. They rode until it was too dark to continue which fortunately brought them close to a campsite they had used on the way south. Daniel was able to find it and they settled down for the night following their customary guard routine.
They were well off the road to Waco since they had traveled down by using compass headings and were returning the same way.
Daniel heard hoof-beats during his watch and climbed the ridge to see what he could see in the stygian darkness. The moon was hidden behind cloud and the sun had not begun to rise, so sound was Daniel’s only guide. The hoof-beats were definitely coming south and the sound was that of a cavalry troop since there were too many horses to represent a small group of travelers. Daniel was worried. Having the senior Confederate general with him did not make for ease of mind.
He woke Pierre since he had enjoyed the longest sleep.
“Pierre, a lot of riders are coming in this direction. To be safe, I want you to re-saddle the horses. Do not disturb the general or Jake as yet until we know for sure what we are dealing with. It is entirely possible that they will simply pass us by. I am going to load every weapon we have and prepare to fight them off if it becomes necessary.”
“But Daniel, ‘ow would anyone know zat we are ‘ere? We are nowhere near zee road.”
“I do not know that, Pierre but I do know that the general sent off telegrams telling his headquarters in Virginia and President Jefferson Davis that he would be returning to Virginia immediately. Yankees know how to tap telegraph lines and if I were them, I would certainly tap any lines to Jefferson Davis.”
“But ‘ow would zey know where to find us? We are ‘ere in the middle of Texas where the Yankees cannot do as zey please. ‘ow could zey get a cavalry troop down ‘ere to attack us?”
“I do not know, Pierre. Right now it sounds like magic but we cannot afford to take chances. Get those horses ready.”
“Yes sir! Lieutenant, sir.” Pierre said mockingly, but he still jumped up to get the job done.
Daniel was damping down the fire when General Lee came up beside him.
“What is going on lieutenant?
“Sir, if you listen really hard you will hear the sound of a least a cavalry troop of horses approaching us. I do not know whether it is my imagination nor do I have any idea how anyone could know where we are but I do not want to take any chances. I’ve had the horses saddled in case we have to make a run for it.”
“Good plan, lieutenant! Now while we are waiting to find out if your suspicions are correct, sit down and tell me all the possible circumstances that could account for them finding us here in the middle of nowhere.”
“First off, General, you sent out a whole lot of telegrams to President Davis and others telling them that you were returning to Virginia.”
“That I did, but the telegrams were in code.”
“General, we might have to assume that our code has been broken or betrayed by a Yankee sympathizer. The Federals would certainly tap any telegraphic line to President Jefferson Davis.”
“Very well, I will concede that possibility.”
“The next thing is that when we set out for Texas we found that we were being followed by a troop of Federal cavalry. We thought that they were after us since it was so soon after Quantrill’s payroll robbery. They followed us for a long while until we managed to outstrip them by traveling faster and for much longer hours than they did. But sir, what if they were not after us but had been sent into Texas to look for President Davis and you, having heard that you were going to Gonzales to inspect the new depot?”
“How would they have known.....oh yes, you are assuming that they have broken our telegraphic code. But wait a minute, if they are blindly riding to Gonzales, then we are in no danger because they do not know that we are here.”
“Sir, if I was sending a cavalry troop all the way into Texas, I would not simply give them orders and send them off. I would have them call at all major towns in the area where I would send coded telegrams to them directing them with the latest intelligence that I have available.”
“All of that is feasible, if somewhat far-fetched but a full troop of Federals in the Confederate heartland would soon draw attention to themselves.”
“Not if they had changed into Confederate uniforms once they were in our territory. No one would give them a second glance. What is more, they could even ask for help and directions and get them, freely given.”
“So you are saying that the Federal officer in charge of that troop has telegraphic instructions telling him where we are at any time?”
“The Yankees know that a man of your importance is going to call in at every telegraph office on his route to Virginia to keep his commander-in-chief apprised of his progress. When you do that, the Federal officer will be advised and he will have chance after chance to capture or kill you.”
“My word, lieutenant, your argument begins to have credence. How a
re we to put a stop to this devilishly clever plan?”
“In my opinion sir, I must kill the troop commander. It is unlikely that his second-in-command would have access to the codes necessary to continue this mission.”
“I am entirely gratified that I had the wisdom to commission you, lieutenant. Your place is in my intelligence division.”
“Thank you sir, but I still have not worked out how they could have so accurately pinpointed our present whereabouts.”
“I did reassure the President that I would be traveling north by compass-heading, avoiding all roads and that I would cable him as soon as I arrived in Waco.”
“Ah, that’s it sir, a direct line from Gonzales to Waco. All they had to do is follow the north-south line to Gonzales just as we are following the south-north line to Waco. They would have a good chance of finding us as soon as it is light. They have an Indian tracker with them.”
“I am convinced, lieutenant. Let’s get the hell off this south-north line immediately. How are we going to outfox that Indian tracker?”
“Sir, I suggest that we cut west until we hit the road to Waco. Once on the road, our tracks will be lost in the commercial traffic that keeps the road in constant use.”
“Very well, rouse Smith, we had better start moving.”
“Ah’m awake n’ up, sir, Ah cain’t sleep with all this heah chatter goin’ on.”
The four men rode out into the dark night heading west with Pierre dragging a bush behind them to blur their tracks. They rode hard until well after dawn when it started to rain and they came upon the road and turned north onto it.
“This rain might help to cover our tracks, lieutenant.” Lee said cheerfully.
“It’s very light General. We would need a lot more to fool the Indian tracker. He will watch to see if any tracks turn off the road before Waco and if they don’t their leader will check to see if we telegraph from Waco.”
“So what do you propose, lieutenant?”
“Sir, I suggest that we take one of two courses. The first is that we get a larger force than the Federal cavalry troop and fight them face-to-face or the second course is that we set up a trap for them in a position where I can get a good clear rifle shot at the man in command. I am convinced that once we take out that man, the threat will be neutralized.”
“The first course is no longer practical. We have moved all our fighting men up to Virginia. We have other troops here in Texas but they are not the seasoned fighters of which I would expect this Federal troop to consist.”
“That leaves us with the second course, sir. I believe that I know of a spot south of Dallas that would suit our purpose.”
“How do you propose to do it, lieutenant?”
“Sir, I propose to leave you in Waco where you will cable to the President that you shall travel to Dallas on a compass-heading from Waco. The rest of us will travel that route using your horse in case the tracker can identify it. There is a canyon where the Corporal will build a campfire at the northern end leaving the enemy to assume that we are encamped there. The troop should follow us up the canyon. We will be on the rim of the canyon and I should be able to get a good shot at the troop commander from there.”
“What if you miss the shot or even if you don’t and the second-in-command assaults the rim? You will be three men against a full cavalry troop.”
“As soon as the assault is begun we will ride off in three separate directions and meet up in Waco to report to you.”
“You will be taking an enormous risk, lieutenant.”
“If you are taken sir, the war will end, and the Federals will have won and the worst thing about it is that it will have been won in Texas, the safest state in the Confederation.”
“I guess it would be worth trying if you are sure that you can make good your escape from the canyon. What makes you feel that you can?”
“We will be returning to Waco and if they believe that you are with us, they will expect us to ride for Dallas. They will ride north to cut us off while we will be riding south.”
Chapter Ten
They arrived in Waco and instead of making a reservation for the General at a hotel, Daniel sought out a private home that took in paying guests. After some enquiries he found a widow living on the outskirts of the town center who offered rooms and meals at a reasonable rate. Daniel installed Lee in this establishment under the name of Mr Roberts and after once more suggesting that no telegraphic communication at all should be made from Waco, Daniel rode off with his three men and Lee’s horse, leaving his packhorse behind for Lee’s use.
Jake rode the general’s horse and Jake’s customary mount was used as a packhorse. They rode along the compass-heading between Waco and Dallas knowing that the Federal troop was likely to do the same. They rode hard and fast as fugitives were likely to do until they reached the point where they must vary from the direct Waco-Dallas line to be able to reach the canyon that Daniel had in mind.
They rode to the canyon taking care to leave an easy trail to follow as would do men who were in a hurry.
Daniel chose his positions carefully. He placed the false camp at the foot of a cliff from the crest of which he would have a commanding field of fire with very little personal exposure and an escape route to the south. Should the Union cavalry troops try to attack they would have a long ride up the canyon to the north only to find the way to the cliff top barred by a rocky incline only scalable on foot.
They positioned themselves at the southern mouth of the canyon where they could watch for the arrival of the enemy while they were still a good distance away.
They had hardly completed their preparations, when Daniel spotted the troop through his telescope and sent Jake up the canyon to set the camp fire in the false camp.
“As soon as you have done that Jake, ride to the north mouth of the canyon and turn left. If you turn right you will come to that rocky incline and you will not be able to get your horse up it.”
“Sure boss, where we gonna meet up when it is all over?”
“As we are returning to Waco, we will meet up at the Widow Watson’s establishment.”
Daniel and Pierre rode to the cliff-top from where they could see Jake piling wood onto the fire he had made and the smoke from the fire rising into the air as a clear-cut signal that someone was camping in this remote spot.
Jake made sure that the fire would keep burning for a good long while by stacking logs around it and then he climbed into his saddle and rode north up the canyon.
Daniel settled into his prone position at the lip of the cliff as soon as he heard Pierre’s whistle telling him that the cavalry had entered the south mouth of the canyon.
It took several minutes before the cavalry troop came into sight. As expected they were dressed in Confederate grey but the Indian tracker had never worn a uniform and he still rode the same pinto pony that Daniel had seen before they had entered Texas.
Daniel sighted his rifle onto the Major at the head of the troop just as the man raised his hand for the troop to halt.
Daniel fired and the Major slumped off his horse. Daniel re-loaded as the troop dismounted and scattered. There were a number of shots coming from the north end of the canyon. This turned the troop’s attention to that direction giving Daniel a shot at the sergeant who exposed himself while shouting orders. The shot bowled the sergeant over as two men scuttled forward to check the prone major.
Daniel shot the Indian tracker as he rushed to help the sergeant who was struggling to sit up.
More shots came from the north of the canyon and Jake rode back into view to be received by a hail of bullets from the nervous Union troopers. Jake was plucked from his saddle by the Yankee fire and lay in an unmoving heap.
In the meanwhile Pierre had taken a few shots of his own and had downed one trooper and winged another.
&nbs
p; Daniel re-loaded and signaled to Pierre that they should get out of there.
They withdrew from the lip of the cliff and ran down to their horses. Without Jake there each man had to lead a packhorse.
“I theenk zat Jake ‘as, ‘ow you say? Bought it.”
“I am afraid so Pierre. I saw at least four bullets strike his body and they did not stop even after he went down. Those Yankees must have sent a detachment to circle around to the north of us and they caught Jake coming out of the north mouth of the canyon. You and I are lucky that they did not circle around on the eastern side else we would have had a real fight on our hands.”
They rode south back toward the canyon mouth only to find yet another detachment stationed there. Fortunately, their sudden and apparently unexpected arrival caught the six men under a corporal relaxing in the shade while they smoked tobacco.
Daniel accounted for three of them with his pistol while Pierre shot one with his rifle and ran down the corporal with his horse.
A single shot was fired by the enemy and this struck Pierre in the shoulder as he pulled away from riding down the corporal.
“Pierre are you hit?”
“Oui, mon ami, je suis.”
“How bad is it? Can you ride?”
“I theenk I can ride, at least unteel we are away from zose Yankee cochons.”
They rode hard and Daniel checked frequently for pursuers but found none.
“I think that we have lost them. Do you want to rest?”
“Non! Non! Let us keep going unteel eet ‘urts too much.”
They rode until dark when they made camp. Pierre insisted on keeping the first watch but by midnight he could hold out no longer and woke Daniel.
“Daniel, I apologise but zee pain ees too much. I theenk zat I weel pass out.”
“Lie down, Pierre. I have some whisky in my pack. I’ll check your wound and pour some on it.”
“Eet weel be bettair eef you pour some een my mout’.”
The Texican Way Page 8