St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1863-02-12

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nkCrneHTa o1nt RrRnnsoORo, ETC
E1ee4. 1,o~ hbe.. z.ae,. A4z@a* I.
Hstisg 1t this pkrtiodl.r mo.
rent res.iaed hy} breath af4r f4uitles>
attempt to masticate spices Of i,srasbread.
at the risk Of demoralising molars and by
cuspids, Isit me down utterly exhausted
to .nsvsr your Communication Of Dec,
18th 1862. X j.
] an. thankful to the God Of battles for
ny safety { We had T. most trying time Of
it, l assure you. / will mention, however;
the adventures Of contrabapnd, whom We
call "J.ucul)us," the servant of my broth.
Eer Alex, During the fight on Wednes-
day morning, he was tsken prisoner. He
was mounted and while making the best
time be could, was overbauled by rebel
cav.lrymau, who ordered him to halt, a,
the same time dischargiog bis pistol at
"Lucullue'''' head. 1t is very amusing to
hear him relate how he played the soldier
; how he lodged the shot. "Dis chile
du, jist like soldier, sir; dis chile lodged
the shot jist like ise been soldier: Eve
years" He was taken to the rebel lines
and while there improved his time Won
d1ertully, He was placed among a mum,
Der Of prisoners at i house where there
we're several blacks, and remained onet; day,
escaping near midnight: 70 accomplish
this, he bought ola negro. butternut cloth
ing che had. on our 'dress) and after get
ting from the guard was not known in a..
deed passed himself off as the negro of
Mr.. sach'an-oue, he being sharp enough
to get the name from one Of the negroes
Of : planter within the rebel lines in an
other part Of the field. He spent all day
among the rebels, heard them talk of the
proposed attack on our cleft CENTER" aud
got much other valuable information. At
night he crawled through their lines, and
ran to our pickets. who brought him in.
He was taken before Gen. Rosccrans, told
where he belonged, and what he had learn
ed while with the enemy, for which the
General thanked him. Every thing he
told proved to he true. The attack was
made just as be had informed US. 1t is
very amusing to hear him use military
phrases. Itseems that before he escaped
he had "set to- with another colored in
dividual. In describing it he says: II
jist :Jaanke@ that niger and shot him in
the neck with my right .p;ece.'" "But,
'Lucullus,' how dill the darkey come to let
you flank him?" Gosh, massa, dat mig
ger couldn't help hisself, dis nigger got IN
his 'rear.'" aeis very droll and know
ing co'ored boy. He says that the only
way the secesh will ever keep him will be
by "massen (massing) der forces"
Among some clippings from
the St. Cloud DEMOCRAT sent me BY,
l find the letter Of B. r.. Palmer, acknowl-
edging the receipt Of three boxes Of hos
pital stores. We were considerably anus.
ed at the very pititul story about "sick
soldiers lying two in a bed with heavy
wooden blankets, etc." and could not re-
train from exclaimiug, "poor fellows ~
But let those same lameutiug soldiers come
down here and try our part of the war pic
ture; see their friends lying for days on
the ground, fifteen aud, twenty crowded
in one tent, suffering from severe wounds.
They would only have to see the heart.
sickening results Of one battle (if they
were so fortunate as to escape being shot)
to make them feel how much better off
they were 10 Minnesota. Blankets are good
enough for any soldier. I have slept more
than one night without any thing but my
clothes, and during the late engagement
stood up two nights at my gun. and the
rain coming down in torrents all the while;
vet to the skin. tell you many Of them
have te'learu what soldering is. often.
feel thankful that -- did not come with
me; for out Of the six that came with me
from St. Cloud, Dick, Gowdy, and are
the oaly ones ia the company. Colth.rd,
l fear, is dead; Brown is sick in Nash
vile hospital, and Ed. Bloomdeld-poor
fellow lsreceived Minnie bail in his left
breast, passing through the lung and com
ing out just below the collar bone. It vas
while We were retreatiug on Wednesday,
having been completely aanked by the en-
envy. Dick carried him from the field,
and about tho same time Albert Whitc6eld
fell by my side, shot through the leg. l
gathered him up and made through thick
piece Of woods, which saved me from be-
ing captured: for 1t il no easy matter to