Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-04-14
4 Michigan Soldiers Thrilling Escapes

| What constitutes nervev' asked TIN
New York World the other day of it'
readers. One man will answer that it j
presence of mind, another that it is pluck
another that it is being cool and collected
in an emergency. 1t is something back o
all of them, and something which Il man
never had unless it was born in him. In
stances of presence of mind were met will
every dav in the army. An officer out il
charge of foragers, or on n reconnaissance
would be suddenly attacked. Presence o
mind aided him TO form his men for de
| fense. lie had that presence of mind ever
hough his flce was white rs flour ant
chin shaking, Brave men were common
enough in the ranks. Call Cor men to fact
certain death, and hundred private
would step out at once, yet lest thei
nerve and they had none.
| Among two or three cases in mind that
Of John Melrose, a trooper in the sixth
Michigan cavalry, is recalled. He was
understood, quiet spoken man, and he haC
that wonderful nerve which not three
other men in the whole brigade possessed
| While acting as scout in the Shenandoah
| Valley, he was one day eating dinner a
Il farm house, when in walked seven Con
Irn;ar s,'o', and bo Lnonr tbon, fr %an
fedarn,oS a brave man would bava md,
a rush or had a tiCht NJalrosa o;n,ni, |
| Looked mn os tbay 6lod in cn,iIoJ ovo,. r;
fix, and called out:
" Saw. old woman. uut on moro dinner
hare and wa'u ali have n sororo mol ~.
gether!'
L
oeant of the sonad nc ha advonoed
" Yes 7 know il hnt III nav for . din.
ncr for Won and vonr mon ;,st ,bo samo
Sit rioht down and make vourselves :"
bome7n
Ills nerve upset the soldiers and after ,
moment thew look seats nt the fable form
inc n comnlete circle aronn1 the hoarJ
As soon as thew beoan to eat he hoq,n +,
think of esc,ne # w,S snmmer a9d th,
window behind him and ton fnot owny ,vo,
omen Ifbe stood I'm ali evas yorl3 h,
| 6xod nnon him and ,nv oycuso to Ieay,
tbe room was not to ho tbonght of
The meal was about half fnished .n,
cantors and cantive were ch,ttinr ory,v
when MeIrose Suddenly fluno him eelf hacl
ward unset his chair and honndnd throngl
| the winIpw The SplIiprc ran ont nnf
fred at and nursned him hnt be mod,
Good b;s escnne
In the I,ur,r v.llav ;pst hoforo ,h,
.m,;r Lnown ~ WnodstooI, rsoos Mo,,.on, w,
anJ h;r nor,n'rio,, E,II ~. ns -.ioS' c'
rnno fa, o,'.;n 'n,om e.' "' VI "nhs " ~
theer ,shoJ an aiaS "Gnn ,,,a Ipy oIIppy ~ mo'
5y p',"" "ii .o Gou.nn 'anu wele
wall a,o"tj siop "nU ,,t ~" o"'ii" u''onoi
nt,. %oi .noan.o'' o'tnio out ~ 'no o'os' 'o'u
'''o"y W. t"omuS i io1' "ne'1 :1 VI tio.ii' M
",o ~ utilo ,hau inom s".u , 'i,o s'ou'
l"I.i lI.,oi SI, ''S l.et o,'iio 'o matt
,haoI.on,7 oI;',,i,,, .y H. c ,o' ,'l0'e pu'"-
moSitinn nIn on o th4, hi it7h m,o io"I W t'he
p,irna pS1 .niu ."G mnm o'toso e,. oa''n'y
w. s, ';,, , 7..iou .i, "ui i''l,.''y e".u
mn ond ,hano T,n s"a III ~ oiI In ai III '1,l'ho
,nU n .nu ,neap "', a.,, o h"ma lo,s Dr""
Tho a,l,on 49, nt .,,-. :. .,
" hrna W.nu, "n "~,0o LIZ oO t,o.a, .y ~, 'pon ne
,'Iaoa th o I"o,uro,o NVPI il'
rn1o oo f." nH so4uI a'Sp" ~, "d,u oi'os'
I .ba ,aiio ~ , Wv o G ",.n u'""n I'olc
h' In rai. stu oG''e5 ~ 'nGy n'ou mJnt over nun
io ,1 StI u1N @ 'no i'ioi sIo.e' .t d ,ln "S ne
p'ooou ';nu 'oon isJo.nou 1 'no Io.uiiin n lils
ooa panloh wa. moIot nGa'u =; i1 ilo,h gam
pI pfnIoGI Wolrosa a,d ,hraa o,ho,, ou Dioou rN,'
uaro o,,,,nrad IN tho Shanaodnnh % ". "o.s
,al,o,, ~ :, s,,1ou a"a . ,',ioy
nlaood N ,ba Io,, hnmso ,,nda ,r,,,.I ~,
ihor caens oonld he dis,nSo5 of W.
talked the situation over and ,be hraveSf
of Them could soe no hone of oeo.no
noino remarks and ns oniptlv rpnlie1 tha,
he wonld he inside of the IInion Enos hn,
fore midniqht. there was a circle Of sen.
tincls around the hnildiny which had M
door. The scntinels noced within six frat
of tbe huilding. and tha ono in front conId
see the prisoners throuob the doorway
Melrose said that if ALI would rnsh tooot6 .
er the sentinels wouId he confused and
either hold their fire or fire Wild m,
three men had narticinated in more thar
twenty battles and were known as brave
fellows. bnt here thev wantct ncrvo and
nerve was what thev h,Jn't got
Vary we'll. viii yo ,,onni, ,y.o ,b,
ouiet announcement. and as nicbt came
az SJairnso ,,,"n ,,o,S,, ci;l ''e ,iie
dnorw,v be o"Iod tha sontinai ,',i,ot ,,n,e
HoUa ~ @ WY 'i0 ''N0" '''0 'e'''"'' "''"' '''''
:. Won rit hool ,b,r, o.I,u sho,,,n WY,
tho ploncnpt ranlv
vi" :. yo Vas In, ga;nr r;rbt h,ol, y, .,;d .ho
soo,t and ha rn9n ,ho ,,, II'' h; h;,,, Wv
$500 Aur III ~ uoI u'oil 'i,o ~ VI. ii,u'
" s'ohh'ns olo" "no 'ii'ae ior tle woouS; ;;
ne 'l"' W run "cIo'' 'lio oPe'' nclu III lull
sl%nt OF camp ana thouSh IL was dusk h'
, cou.u Dc seen seen 4ulle pIa'hIy lor hall tne als
lance ; More a5 tllth lilLy SnoIS were lireu a
MN ouC ne re'clleu lne WOODS "h" mau'
MS escape -..
ne ne W was as one ;iay scouting up the valley
ll'vinS on !" in'Aeu UNIFORM wnen nc SUD
uchly came upon TWO ieroclouS looklhs :
gueriiiaS "hile crossing lhlcK wood
lhey were seated on log. oacks to him.
out at the souha OF MS step they sprans
up ana covered hlm with thelr carolneS
~ "oulu nave oeen Doid to 6olt and take
lhe cnances OF being hit, MelrOse neve