Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 38.djvu/369

 Rh the swift marching raiders. Streight still had Forrest's two big guns! The Confederates had been compelled to unhitch their horses from the saplings.

That night the fight was renewed, Forrest, as always, leading the assault in person. The encounter became so spirited and so desperate that the participants grappled hand to hand. When he could no longer withstand the attack, Streight ordered retreat, leaving Forrest his covered guns, which, however, had prudently-been spiked. At once, with renewed eagerness, the Confederates were upon the heels of their fleeing foe. Late in the night, under the light of a full moon, there was fighting, following an ambuscade, and again more fighting following another ambuscade.

Assured of thwarting Streight's plans, Forrest allowed his men a brief respite for rest, and while they slept the raiders descended the eastern slope of the mountain, and on May-day entered the little town of Bluntsville, took a little rest, a goodly number of mules and horses, and then their departure.

By afternoon Forrest rode in and fell upon the Federal rear guard with vigor. Ten miles further away, on the banks of the Black Warrior, Streight was again forced to take his stand and fight in order to secure a crossing over this swift and dangerous stream.

The following morning the raiders reached Black Creek, "a crooked, deep and sluggish stream, with precipitous clay banks and mud bottoms," which has its source on Lookout Mountain, "the southern limit of which range is less than one mile to the north."

Before reaching the bridge which crossed Black Creek there was an unpretentious country home owned and occupied by the widow Sansom and her two daughters. This home was entered by the dreaded "Yankees," and thoroughly searched for firearms and saddles. The only son and protector of the home was far away in a Confederate command fighting for the Stars and Bars. The indignity of this invasion was keenly resented by the three lone women, and to appease their fears the raiders' chief placed a guard around the house "for their protection." Emma, the young sixteen-year-old daughter, true to the traditional "high spirits" of mortals possessing red hair, was still in high dudgeon