. Battles and leaders of the Civil War : being for the most part contributions by Union and Confederate officers, based upon "The Century war series." . s skill, and had added a direct request inperemptory form to have the way opened beforehim, which the Confederate conductor did not seefit to resist; and just before the pursuers arrivedat Calhoun we were again under way. Stoppingonce more to cut wires and tear up the track, wefelt a thrill of exhilaration to which we had longbeen strangers. The track was now clear beforeus to Chattanooga; and even west of that city wehail good reason to belie
. Battles and leaders of the Civil War : being for the most part contributions by Union and Confederate officers, based upon "The Century war series." . s skill, and had added a direct request inperemptory form to have the way opened beforehim, which the Confederate conductor did not seefit to resist; and just before the pursuers arrivedat Calhoun we were again under way. Stoppingonce more to cut wires and tear up the track, wefelt a thrill of exhilaration to which we had longbeen strangers. The track was now clear beforeus to Chattanooga; and even west of that city wehail good reason to believe that we would find noother train in the way till we had reached Mitchelslines. If one rail could now be lifted we would bein a few minutes at Oostenaula bridge, and, thatburned, the rest of the task would be little morethan simple manual labor, with the enemy abso-lutely powerless. We worked with a will. But. in a moment the tables wen- turned! Notfar behind we heard the scream of a locomotivebearing down upon us at lightning speed! Themen on board were in plain sight and well armed Two minutes — perhaps one — would have removedVOL. II. 46. llKSlFHS OFF THE TKACK. the rail at which we were toiling; then the gamewould have, been in our own hands, for there wasno other locomotive beyond that could be turnedback after us. But the most desperate effortswere in vain. The rail was simply bent, and wehurried to our engine and darted away, while re-morselessly after us thundered the enemy. Now the contestants were in clear view, and amost exciting race followed. Wishing to gain a littletime for the burning of the Oostenaula bridge wedropped one car, and shortly after, another; butthey were picked up anil pushed ahead to Resacastation. We were obliged to run over the high tres-tles and covered bridge at that point without a was the first failure in the work assigned us. The Confederates could not overtake and stopus on the road, but their aim was to keep closebehind so
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectuniteds, bookyear1887
