The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-12-15
REVERSING A DEATH SENTENCE.
The Brave Man who Turned the Tide of Bat
tie at Mission Ridge.


, from Tennessee. The women wear sunbon
nets in the winter and sit in open rooms, while
, the men wear buttcrnlt jeans, and look like
their dried ancestors saw crowd of Egypt
ians this morning who came over to Tamaroi
f from the Little Muddy. They were saturatec
with alcohol and smoked with tobacco till they
had the real mummy appearance.
Hieroglyphics are not used in Egypt now
THE American Egyptians, as a general thing
cannot write at all. When an Egyptian want:
to communicate anything to another Egyptian
living at a distance he strides mule, slide,
Through the swamps, and with certain words
which we Americans do not understand tellwha
he wants, When they are sober they are harm
less, but two drinks of whiskey and a plug OF
tobacco on an empty stomach will make an
Egyptian worse than a Bashi. Bazouk. Ycser
day | saw one charged with a full pint of al
cohol and two plugs of tobacco, Il dose that
only the rich Egyptians can indulge in. He
was terror to behold. Phosphoric acid ga>
poured off of him. He was loaded down with
more psychology than George Francis Train
He was the Crushed Tragedian charged with
giant powder,
Pm steamboat from lIick'ry bayou" he
said, "a regar sidewhceler I'm rattleSnakc
with rattes all the way up. I'm the worst
man on the bayou, an we hant got Il bayou
boy that can't whip gunboat. I'm "a
90, Bill be still. Don't fight any more to-
day 'Taint you-'ts the whiskey. Come
along" and a nice-looking man took square
hold of Bill and held him as if in q wise
Lem me go! Lem me claw somebody
| Lem mc---'
But in minute the n:ceooking man lifted
Bill into his wagon and drove Oft.
"Who is that brave farmer who takes such
int in / aSln l al Rori,,.r bn
Chairman of the Lecture Association
"Oh, that's Cap Mason. He used to be a
hard un, but now he's jined the church, an
he's the father of every bad man in this sec
ton, They all just love Cap Mason
What does Mason do? Z" asked.
Hes a farmer, SRA big farmer over on
the Muddy"
But what does lac come oyer with the
Bayou boys for? Why does he care whether
they get drunk and fight or whether they keep
soberY"
"Wcll, the Cap used TO be drinkerand 4
fighter himself. He was sentenced % lie shot
once in the army for fighting. He struck AZ
oiliccr-got on drunken frolic, and came neal
killing the Major OF the regimen;--bist a,
| Whiskey Bill wants to Kill somebody now
"How did the Captain escape?" asked.
"Well," said the Colonel, Mason with {
in my regiment He was splendid soldier
always ready for battlc-onc of the best mer
i'm the regiment, but he would have his sprccs
One day, about three weeks before the battle
of Mission Ridge, Mason brought canteen O
whiskey into camp, and, always generous, wen
to giving it to the boys This was against or
dcrs; so ordered my Major to arrest him ant
put him in the guard house Mason found on
} that the Major was after him with a squad o
men, and, full of dcvitry, he commenced
lodging around behind the tents to keep from
being arrested. But pretty quick, in trying Il
keep away from the men, he ran square agains
the Major"
|, Here you rascal" said the Major, seizin!
him by the coat collar without giving him
chance to explain, Now, you walk To III,
guard house. I'll fix you, you scoundrcl!"
But in the excitement of the moment MaSol
drew up his hist and knocked the Major flat
and then he went and gave himself up.
What was done about it?' asked
well, Mason was tried before a court mar
tal for striking "a superior officer, sentenced Il
, be shot, and the sentence was sent to Gen. JEFF
c. Davis to be approved. And then poor Ma
son was imprisoned on bread and water with
ball and chain to each foot
Did Gen. Davis approve the sentence
Yes, he approved H."
But how did Mason escape being shot"
well, the next day before the approved sen
: tcnCc arrived came the battle of Mission Ridge
{ and our regiment was ordered forward Mason
of couise was in the rear under guard. with
ball chained To his ankles. We heard the rcbC
cannon in front NIL The forenoon We kncy
| there was y biz battle on, and We needed al
| our men. So ! rode over 20 the guard hous
and told Mason that we would have 10 leav
,,t,l II, l.QI az Il.
battle was over.
= Let :ac 80 with the boy, Colonel plead
Y ed Mason, 81 don't want TO see the bows in
a fight without me-
" But YOU might escape, Mason You know
there is a sentence hanging over YOU
D BY heavens Colonel you amt going to il
tbs boys go into this fight without me-" an
the tears came To his eyes
Go, To, Mason" said. Il can't trust YOU
Then" continued the narrator the or,le
a came from Gen. Davis for our REGIMENT {
move up and charge a rebel redoubi. and tn
boys dashed forward, Ii was An awful tigh
: Twice they cntiladcd u, and the rebel bullet
!, moved down our men by dozens. while til
o rebel flag still waved on the redoubi"
Colonel, you mus, capture that rcdoubt {,
was the order that came from Gen. Davis.
= Our men were now badly tired out and III
4 dead and wounded Law all around n. lint | .,
, our men together, and made the tiual charg,
Gods. what charge Ny horse was kille
under me. The men went forward in a show
= er of bullets. ! thought they were coin
straight for that flag; then all al once the
wavered. The bullets flew like rain. and III
advance men were all shot down There wa
no one To lead, and | thought all was los
Just then saw n man come rushing up fror
! the rear. He grabbed dead soldiers repea
5 ing rifle and pushed right through dead an
5 dying, reached the head, and pushed UP N
! redoubt. The boys saw him, took courag
J. and followed. In moment | saw the BRAY
|. fcllox swing his rifle around hin, ,,, a.. ia