The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1868-02-12
When I Was a Soldier.
BY R. $. N

I was standing in front Of cur Post. Office
the other day, very much interested in the eff
forts Of a friend to get his horse through the
mud when I was much startled by the slap of
something, rather heavy, on my shoulder
AS there was some snow on the houses and
shady-spots Of the streets, / remembered a
trick of the boys, and thought myself vic
tim. The trick was this: Last winter some
boys got on the roof Of our bank, and made
a ball OF snow, about the size Of hay cock.
It was Sunday afternoon, and, as a matter of
course, the negroes were out in full force,
robed in their best regimentals One little,
stpmpy fellow came along, sporting long,
blue, stump tailed coat, ornamented with large
brass buttons-on his head he wore tall,
black beaver hat. The boys on the top of
the house saw him. He Was the man they
wanted. The negro moved along briskly,
cycling the dusky maidens as he passed them,
laughing to himself, at the poorer dress of his
more unfortunate fellow citizens, all uncon-
scious of the danger above him and very hap
py and contented with himself generally. He
| reached the point directly under the nam
moth ball, -it fell directly on the top Of bis
hat and burstcd into thousand pieces. It
| might be supposed that his head did the same
thing: not SO, it only disappeared He was
for the moment stunned, but this only lasted
| for a moment. / know nothing of his thoughts,
and can only speak Of his actions. He start
ed at speed something greater than that of
| a race horse, and our good akin citizens were
startled by the sight Of headless man run
| ming down the middle of Main street, turning
neither to the right nor left, but on and on,
| and IT he has not yet stopped, / can truth
fully say, that he is still running.
| l soon discovered that was not a victim.
for | recognized the voice Of my good friend,
and fellow soldier, Doctor P. When say
fellow soldier, don't mean that p was SOL
der, but that he Was in the armJ-he was
| Surgeon.
The sight Of P. called up old scenes and in
cidents, and among others, one concerning
myself
Down below Petersburg, in the summer Of
1864, our cavalry took position to protect
| Gen. Lees right flank. / belonged to the
9th Va Reg't Of Lomax' Brigade
On tho 18th day Of July, Gen. Fitz Lee
took the End and 4th Regis of Wickham's
| Brigade, and the 9th of Lomax', and moved
to the front, for the purpose Of advancing our
outpost to Lees Mills, on the Jerusalem
plank-road The enemy it appears. had sent
three Regiments Of cavalry to advance their
lines. Each command was ignorant of the in
| tentions OF. the other; and somewhere between
| Reems Station, on the Weldon Z. r., and the
| Mills above mentioned, the two columns met
My Regiment, unfortunately for me, was
in advance. We did the best VIC could, I'M
der the circumstances charged the enemy
with the first squadron, and dismounted the
| third, which [ commanded. had read and
heard great deal about flank movements and
made one. | came on the rear of the enc
my, charged them and broke their line, and
for my trouble received wound, which will be
remembered as long as [ live
was carried Oft Of the field by some Of my
friends, "a body always can command any
number to carry him off, when bullets are fly
ing around, and deposited safely in the rear,
when | was soon surrounded BY any quantity
(and quality Of Surgeons, ambulance men
and staff officers.
My wound was examined with the aid Of a
very respectable probe, constructed entirely
by nature; | mean small pine stick, and af-
ter various other infections, they put me in
an ambulance, to be sent to the rear-wher-
ever that desirable place might have been.
| My staff, which consisted Of Medical Direc-
tors, Medical Advisers, Ambulance Directors
and Advisers, kind hearted soldiers, anxious
to render me any assistance in their power,
and various others, had increased to about
.hirty-all told.
/ can account for their presence in two
ways: first, they wanted to get away from
| Yankee bullets Or second, I had watch and
some money, and it was well known that I
had no s.next Of kin, nor C next friend" I
will be charitable, and say, that they went
along to take care Of ME.
Gen. Fitz Lee ordered the ambulance to
follow the 4th Regiment, which moved off to
the left, to protect our flank. This Regiment
ran into the enemy, and my coach halted
! When I heard the guns in front, I was I'M
easy, fearing that / would lose my staff /
was safe, however, for the heaviest fire was
behind. To explain why l didn't want my
staff to leave me; so many stars and bars
would make people think that some big man
was in the ambulance-eyen General; and
I wasn't the only man who wanted to be ia
ken for a General, (not by the Yanks.)
Well, my coach and escort stopped: and not
knowing what else to do, [ asked one man to
fill my pipe, and another to get me some FIRE
from the house, which stood Immediately on
the roadside, and only a few steps off The
| fireman went to the house, and when asked
about the ambulance, told the ladies who
crowded around him, that his commanding
officer, the most gallant and best beloved man
in the cavalry, was located in that vehicle
terribly-horribly mangled-yea, shot into
ten thousand pieces!
| would not like to be responsible fer al
the tales told by cavalrymen
4 This was sufficient: the ladies' bolted fol
my quarters one, armed with bucket Of wa
ter; another, with pone Of bread, (corn
which I detest; J third with bucket Of but
ter-milk, chow this latter escaped the 4tf
Regiment, never could understand } and .
fourth, the youngest and most interesting
| with shovel Of GOALS for me to light my pipe
Il Ill .rr,ooro1 o. thu s.,,,o 49,. -