The Runner and the Swamp Fox

He divided his force, sending men out on each flank. The main force surprised the Union pickets and captured them without a shot. Dickison went to Pat and gave Pat his orders.

Pat watched as the building was surrounded, then entered with drawn sword. The Federals were at breakfast and Pat walked up to two officers at a table. He smiled, "Gentlemen, this building is surrounded and the town is in our hands, you have one minute to surrender before you are annihilated. If you wish to save the lives of your men and yourselves, please have your men place their arms in a pile by the door as they exit the building and form in ranks to the right." Pat did an about-face and marched toward the door. One of the officers screamed, "No, wait, we surrender. Don't shoot! Please don't shoot." The Yankee soldiers placed their weapons beside the door and filed out to be searched and placed in ranks. There were 60 Union men and two officers. Dickison's men entered the building and happily finished eating the Yankee breakfast.

A civilian rode up on a lathered horse and told them that a large enemy force had started South from Palatka at dawn. Dickison gathered the prisoners and their arms, confiscated several more boats and crossed the river. The Union force found an empty town.

Pat and most of the command rested back on the west bank of the St. Johns. The next morning Captain Dickison called his men together and asked for 25 volunteers for a mission. Every man in the Company stepped forward. Dickison picked 25 and profusely thanked the rest. Pat was one of those picked.

The company boarded the flatboats again and proceeded upstream to the south and crossed the River again at Little Lake George. These flat boats were either rowed or poled and could carry a dozen troopers and their horses. Hiding the boats with three men to guard them, Capt. Dickison moved towards the small village of Saunders. Saunders was reported to harbor a Federal picket force protecting the road between Welaka and Volusia. As the Confederates neared the village they saw several campfires surrounded by men. Dickison sent Lieutenant Mc Eaddy in to demand their surrender.

Mc Eaddy was in among the Union Soldiers before they realized he was not one of theirs. The Lieutenant presented the men with a letter of surrender for the Federal commander to sign; adding that the camp was surrounded by the Confederate Army. Believing the trick the Union officer agreed to surrender. Captain Dickison and several men entered the camp and gathered all the weapons and supplies and hurried their captives to the boats. The Fereral officers were amazed to learn that their force of 26 soldiers and 6 cavalry had surrendered without a shot being fire to only ten confederates.

Meanwhile Pat and Captain Dickison's son, Sergeant Charlie Dickison, a good friend of Pat's, stormed a farm house occupied by enemy men. These Union men didn't resist either. This detachment started to join the Captain but saw a troop of Federal Cavalry on the road ahead of them. They followed another road to the river and crossed further upstream and marched another fifteen miles to the Rebel Camp.

The capture of Welaka and Saunders, which left the Detachment of Federal troops in Volusia apparently cut off from supply and reinforcement, surprised and dismayed the Union commanders. The Union commander dispatched parts of the 17th Connecticut Regiment and the 75th Ohio Mounted Infantry to regain control of the countryside.

Pat and Charlie were sent home to rest for several days. They were warned that would be raiding across the river when they returned. They knew that summer was almost upon them. They knew the Yankees had little or no knowledge of the problems of waging war in Florida in the summer. Roads that were good in fall and winter were often impassable after a summer rain. Infantry was often in knee deep water for days at a time. Horses did not last very long in the water.

Forage grasses were underwater. Vast 'Prairies' were under a foot of water. Grain, required to feed the horses, was carried in wagons. On the wet roads a wagon could only carry half as much in the mud. Normally Union Commanders were expected to do the standard '4o miles a day on beans and hay.' from both infantry and cavalry. Not so here. 6 or 7 miles was a good day on summer roads. The next day was worse. On the third day the troops were at half strength and that was when Johnny Reb would attack.

The confederate soldier usually provided his own mount. He was only a few miles from home, he could carry food for a couple of days in the form of homemade sausages and pemmican and dried fruits and meats. His horse was acclimated to the native grasses and only required a handful of grain to stay in good condition. the Rebel Cavalry claimed that their horses grew webbed hooves during the summer.

A few days after the raids on the east side of the river Captain Dickison and a detachment of 20 men departed to meet troops from the Sweetwater Branch area to raid the pickets around Palatka. Several hours after the detachment left Pat heard the alarm bell ringing from the church. Pat grabbed his pack and weapons, jumped on his horse and rode for the church. There was a dozen men on horseback ready to leave. A messenger was there who said they had discovered that the meeting at the Sweetwater was a trap to capture Dickison. Pat took one man with a very good horse, they decided to leave right away and gallop as fast as they could. After the horses gave out Pat would run on alone, leaving his horse and equipment with his companion.

Pat's horse began to falter a couple of miles before they turned east on the Hawthorn to Palatka Road. Pat quickly handed his boots, outer clothing, and other gear to the other horseman; who slowly followed behind. Pat started off slowly then picked up speed as he loosened up. Pat felt good and stretched out in a long ground eating stride. He felt as if his body and his mind were separated. Then he saw horsemen in the distance and went into a sprint. In another ten minutes two of the troopers turned around and rode towards him.

When they met, he yelled that the meeting was a Yankee trap. The two turned and raced down the road. Pat slowed a little and ran up to the detachment who had stopped. The Captain questioned him and then moved the detachment back to a side trail and into the pine forest. Dickison sent out scouts to see if they could discover what was going on.

Pat's horse and clothing arrived and he was ready for anything. The Detachment circled to the south on farm roads and captured three picket squads. They cut back to the north and waited for dark. After dark they rode through the trap the wrong way and were unchallenged. The rear guard of the Detachment found the Union pickets and captured them without a shot being fired. The company headed back home and dispersed.

Dickison had his scouts out roaming the area. Everything was quiet and Pat was joyfully welcomed by Mary, she told him that she believed she was pregnant. He was thrilled by this news, then he sobered, "Can we still make love?"

"Oh yes, Darling! Yes! We can make love for many months yet and then we can make love right up until I have the baby if you are gentle and careful. But right now I am your wife who offers you her body to do with as you wish."

Pat gently took Mary into his arms and softly kissed her lips. "I love you Mary, how long before you will be sure you are pregnant?"

"Sweetie, when I miss a few more of my 'monthlies', and my tummy starts to grow we will be positive. All the ladies here think I am pregnant. We just have to wait."

Pat grinned, "I know I just got home, but do you think we could take a nap for a while, I have been riding all day and all night and I am tired."

"Oh Honey, I'm so sorry! I have water heating for your bath, it should be ready any minute now. I had the tub put in our dressing room, Momma Heidi keeps one in her dressing room all the time now. I have one on order too."

There was a knock on the door. Mary rushed to answer it. There were five young men, each carrying two five gallon buckets of water. Mary directed then to pour all but two buckets in the tub and to leave the others. When they were gone she tested the water. She added cold water until she thought it was right.

Mary smiled, "Sweetie, take your clothes off and get in the tub, I will bathe you."

Pat grinned and hurriedly removed his clothes. He felt the water, just right! He climbed carefully in the tub. Mary rolled up her sleeves and smiled, approaching the tub with a crudely cut bar of white soap and a wash cloth. She picked up a dipper and poured water all over him. She wet the cloth and rubbed it over the bar of soap, then washed his shoulders and his back. She made him stand as she scrubbed the rest of him. She smiled as she washed every square inch of her husband. She poured water over his head and gently washed his hair too. She giggled when she washed inside and behind his ears. "There, my sweet loving husband, step out and I will dry you before we go to bed."

When she was through drying him he climbed in the bed and waited until she climbed in beside him. When she got to the bed she smiled tenderly at her lover, he was sound asleep! She pulled the covers over them and snuggled happily against him. His eyes fluttered, then slowly opened. He looked into her eyes, pulled her closer and smiled as his eyes drifted shut. Mary smiled to herself, she loved the smell of him and just to be able to touch him was heaven. She closed her eyes, happily thinking of all the wonderful things they would do when he woke up.