sonal advancement, only carried
on the wave of popular enthusiasm. But from the beginning his quality
had been felt; he had risen from grade to grade, and now with a detached
body of horse and flying artillery his exploits were beginning to
attract the attention of corps commanders on both sides, to the
gratulation of friends and the growing respect of foes. He seemed
endowed with the wings of the wind; to-day he was tearing up railroad
tracks in the lowlands to impede the reinforcements of an army;
to-morrow the force sent with the express intention of placing a period
to those mischievous activities heard of his feats in burning
bridges and cutting trestles in remote sections of the mountains. The
probabilities could keep no terms with him, and he baffled prophecy.
He had a quick invention--a talent for expedients. He appeared suddenly
when least expected and where his presence seemed impossible. He had a
gift of military intuition. He seemed to know the enemy's plans before
they were matured; and ere a move was made to put them into execution he
was on the ground with troublous obstacles to forestall the event in
its very inception. He maintained a discipline to many commanders
impossible. His troops had a unity of spirit that might well animate an
individual. They endured long fasts, made wonderful forced marches on
occasion--all day in the saddle and nodding to the pommel all night; it
was even said they fought to such exhaustion that when dismounted the
front rank, lying in line of battle prone upon the ground, would fall
asleep between volleys, and that the second rank, kneeling to fire above
them, had orders to stir them with their carbines to insure regularity
of the musketry. He had the humbler yet even more necessary
equipment for military success. He could forage his troops in barren
opportunities; they somehow kept clothed and armed at the minimum of
expense. Did he lack ammunition--he made shift to capture a supply for
his little Par-rott guns that barked like fierce dogs at the rear-guard
of an enemy or protected his own retreat when it jumped with his plans
to compass a speedy withdrawal himself. His horses were well groomed,
well fed, fine travellers, and many showed the brand U.S., for he could
mount his troop when need required from the corrals of an unsuspecting
encampment. He was the ideal guerilla, of infinite service to his
faction in small, significant operations of disproportioned importance.

W