from Harrisonburg. Colonel Mumford received the note, set out alone, and, at the appointed hour, entered Mount Crawford, which, at that late hour of the night, looked dark and deserted. The moon was shining, however, and at the head of the street, in the middle of the highway, a solitary figure on horseback awaited him, motionless and in silence. The hand of the figure went up to his cap, and in the curt, familiar tones of Jackson, came the words:

"Ah, colonel! here you are. What news from the front?" "All quiet, general," replied Colonel Mumford. "Good! Now I wish you to produce upon the enemy the impression that I am going to advance."

The

And Jackson gave his orders in detail, after which the figures parted, and went different ways-Jackson back to Port Republic, Colonel Mumford to Harrisonburg. following is the manner in which Colonel Mumford carried out his orders:-

At Ilarrisonburg were a number of Federal surgeons, who had come with twenty-five or thirty ambulances to carry away the wounded officers and men who had been abandoned at that point by General Fremont in his retreat. These were informed by Colonel Mumford, that before he could give them permission to do so, he must ascertain the wishes of General Jackson; and, with this reply, he left them, to carry out the rest of the scheme. There was attached to his command, as an independent, a well known gentleman of that region named William Gilmer; and to this gentleman, ever ready for a good, practical joke, was intrusted the execution of the plot. The Federal surgeons occupied an apartment next to the room used by Colonel Mumford for his headquarters, and only a thin partition divided them. Every word uttered in one room, could be heard in the other, and

this fact was well known to Colonel Mumford, who gave Mr. Gilmer his instructions in a loud tone, dispatched him apparently to General Jackson, and then awaited the issue of his scheme.

Some hours having elapsed since they had been assured that General Jackson's wishes would be ascertained, the surgeons, all at once, heard a courier mounting the stairs, his spurs and sabre clanking as he ascended. They moved quickly to the partition, and placed their ears close to the cracks as it was expected they would. The courier entered, the surgeons bent lower, and determined not to lose a word. "Well," said Colonel Mumford, in a voice which he knew could be heard, "what does General Jackson say?"

"He told me to tell you," replied Mr. Gilmer, in his loud and sonorous voice, "that the wounded Yankees are not to be taken away, and the surgeons are to be sent back with the message that he can take care of their wounded in their own hospitals. He is coming right on himself with heavy reënforcements. Whiting's division is up, IIood is coming. The whole road from here to Staunton is perfectly lined with troops, and so crowded that I could hardly ride along."

Such was the highly important dialogue which the Federal surgeons, listening with breathless attention, overheard. When Colonel Mumford sent for them, every man was on the other side of the room from the partition. They were ushered in, and briefly informed that they could return with their ambulances, that General Jackson had instructed him to say, that their wounded would be cared for in the Confederate hospitals.

The surgeons returned without delay, communicated the important intelligence they had overheard to General Fremont, and that night the whole Federal army fell back to

Strasburg, where they began to intrench against the anticipated attack.

Jackson was, meanwhile, on his way to the Chickahominy. -Cooke's Life of Jackson.

A THRILLING EVENT.

ON Thursday, September 10, 1863, while General Forrest was at Lafayette, Georgia, he was ordered to Ringgold for the purpose of checking the enemy, reported to be marching in large force in that direction. Picking up about four hundred of his command, he marched off with all the promptitude of his ardent and enthusiastic nature. Here he found Vancleve's corps, consisting of seventeen thousand infantry and cavalry. Skirmishing immediately commenced, General Forrest fighting them at every step, as he slowly fell back. For two days did the unequal conflict continue, and notwithstanding the disparity of numbers, the loss on either side was about the same. General Forrest retired to Tunnel Hill about four o'clock, and in an hour the enemy was in sight, when one of the most gallant and thrilling incidents of the war occurred. The enemy's advancing column marched on -right on-and the cloud of dust, and the huge parapher. nalia which they displayed, made them look indeed “terri ble as an army with banners." On reaching the apex of the hill, a short pause was perceptible; but skirmishers being thrown out on the right and left, on they came. In every ambush, behind every knoll, and house, and tree, could be seen a blue coat, slyly, cautiously sneaking up like a hungry wolf in search of its prey. General Forrest levelled his

trusty gun at the nearest one. The smoke from his gun seemed only to exasperate the infuriated foe, and to inspire them with anxiety either to capture or destroy the small but defiant squad of Confederates, and for this purpose a hundred guns opened upon them, while a dozen Yankees rnshed across the railroad for the purpose of getting still closer. As they crossed the track, General Forrest looked still farther up, and he saw a couple of Confederate soldiers coming down the road, unaware of the approach of the enemy, and the immediate danger that surrounded them. The impudence of the Yankees that had crossed the railroad, and were seen crawling in the woods, together with the peril that surrounded the two Confederate soldiers approaching, was more than General Forrest could stand. Hastily calling to his side five of his escort, he told them that his imperilled soldiers must be rescued, and that the insolent squad that had crossed the road must be captured. With coolness and self-possession, but with a loud and cheering shout, he ordered his little squad to the charge. In the midst of the iron hail that rained upon them, they rushed on. Every man forgot his own danger. The soldier stooped over his musket, or leaned upon his horse, absorbed in the scene. Dressed in a huge duster, General Forrest, as he dashed on in his fierce purpose, looked infernal. There was a sudden pause; then their heads were curtained in by the wreathing smoke of their own guns. The Yankees were seen retreating back across the road, and the Confederate soldiers rescued from death. From the hillside, a volley of musketry was now poured upon the small squad. Having accom plished their purpose, they turned to retreat, but three of the seven were wounded. A ball struck General Forrest near the spine, within an inch of the wound he received at Shiloh,

inflicting a painful but not dangerous wound; while two of his escort were wounded-one in the back of the head, the other in the arm.

DON'T BELIEVE IT.

ATTACHED to one of the Confederate regiments at the siege of Yorktown, were two negro servants—one Jake, by name, a very wicked fellow, the other, called Thomas, a most enthusiastic Methodist. One day, while the Federals were shelling the works at Wynne's Mill, Jake, who was an arrant coward, started off at full speed, for a safe place in the rear. On the way he was stopped by Thomas, with:

"Whar you agwine, Jake?"

"Gwine to gib out de way o' dem bungs" (bombs), was the reply.

Jake," said his companion
Ef you was a Christian, like

"You's a wicked nigger, solemnly, "dat's what you is. me, you'd know dat dem ar' shells can't hurt you; dat Providence is pintin' (pointing) every one ob 'em."

"Umph!" grunted Jake, incredulously. "You can't fool me dat way. Dar's too much powder in dem things, for de Lord to be meddlin' wid 'em."

Upon another occasion, Jake declared that the whiz of a minie bullet was the worst sound he ever listened to.

"Dey comes along, sah," he exclaimed, "sayin' 'Whar is you? Whar is you?' and 'fore de Lord, sah, I wouldn't say 'here I is,' for nuffin in de world!"