Blue and Gray Weekly, No. 14

# "The Boys in Gray Baffled" by Lieut. Harry Lee

This Civil War serial follows Captain Will Prentiss of the Virginia Grays, a Confederate militia company of Richmond youths, during the Seven Days' battles. General Longstreet orders Prentiss and his men to scout behind Union General Seymour's lines along the Chickahominy while Confederate forces attempt to flank McClellan's left. A Georgia scout named Joe Preston joins the operation. While on night picket duty, Prentiss and Preston observe a distant farmhouse burning, which Preston attributes to "Cool Jim Kelley," a brutal, unaccredited Union raider operating behind Confederate lines. Despite the mission's risks, Prentiss impulsively decides to investigate with Preston, leaving Lieutenant Randolph in command. The narrative emphasizes military strategy, youthful Confederate soldiers' courage, and encounters with irregular warfare conducted by Kelley's gang.