The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1881-12-10


Moving from our place of shelter we were
greeted with a terrific shower of grape, canister,
and shell, the first discharge of which encounter
ed us as we were climbing or in some manner
getting over or past worm fence of some five or
six rails high, and which had interviewed between
ourselves and the cleared field beyond
When about half the distance to the ridge had
been traversed one of the men nearest to me fell;
and although we were going at the double-qulck,
L noticed, as | hastily glanced down at him, that
he had fallen in dead furrow," which the reg
iment was just crossing.
I might here observe that, while lying in the
timber it, the field, the ridge, everything, in fact,
about nae seemed strangely familiar; and so did
the dead furrow" but yet the events of the
nigh previous did not recur to me. I was think
ing of something else at about that time
We charged ahead and reached the hill. The
enemy's gunners fled. The crest was almost
gained, as we Cor at least, y thought, when sud
denly l was enveloped in total darkness. A
pressure upon my throat, a ringing in my ears
as though my head were plunged into a stream
of running water; a sensation of dizziness, numb
ness sutfocation, and of falling, and then shock
as l struck the ground; how well l remember it
all now.
The conclusion of the fall seemed to restore my
sight consciousness had never left me- and to
this day the incidents then transpiring are as
fresh as though they had occurred within the
year.
For instance While was momentarily reel
ing, just at the time of being hit, preparatory to
fall over backward, / heard comrade remark:
y rna
remember thinking, even while on my way down
to kiss Mother Earth with the back of my head,
that 1 was gone" instead of going.
But to continue: So soon after falling as pos
sible I constituted myself a board of survey to
| ascertain and assess the damages sustained and
| forthwith entered upon the investigation.
/ found that, as a personal matter, the injuries
were quite serious-a mimic ball having penetrat-
ed my throat, passed between the jugular and
windpipe and found an exit at the back of my
neck, quite low down and close by the spine
which it slightly fractured.
After making up and sending in this report, and
doing what 1 could to staunch the flow of blood
| by forcing into the wound some lint and hand
kerchief fortunately had with me, 1 crawled as
best could in my paralyzed condition to more
SuelltItu pOSlllOl, WHICH, however, WAS eAcecu-
ingy difficult to find.
1t was the hottest place was ever ill., and hot
ter than any hope for in the future. The losses
were terrible more than half my comrades being
either killed or wounded, the other regiments of
the brigade suffering in proportion.
! Speaking of hot places in battle, one does not
cannot fully what they are until
he is struck down ON the field, there to lie, ut
| terly helpless, while bullets are singing and
| humming like ten hundred thousand swarms of
bees, pattering upon the ground and casting up
little puffs of dust dirt, the rain-drops dur
ing heavy shower do the waters of lake, OF
crushing into the bone or striking with dull
thud the quivering desh-while grape and can
lister, shot and shell bowling, kissing, scream
ing over and about his PROSTATE form-I say one
must needs experience all these things in order
| to fully understand the meaning of the term {" a
| hot place"
Then, if he think at ALL he will incline to the
belief that the cauldron of hell with the cover
off, is but as an ice cavern when compared with
! the particular locality fate has forced him to
occupy. The fighting continued only short
time after fell; but before it was fairly over
still in search of place of safety, dragged
myself into the cut of an abandoned railroad
which ran along the hillside almost at its summit
and where the confederate infantry had lain. As
| did this l caught glimpse of small cabin
standing just beyond the batteries we had so
vainly attempted to capture. / could perceive
the roof, and as low down as the caves. The
gable stood facing me and in it was a small
| window.
| At this moment / remembered my visions of
| the previous night. Instinctively turned and
looked in the direction of my comrades. They
were in a full retreat, followed up by the victo-
rious foe. The sun was low down in the heavens,
Just as had seen it in my sleep.
Soon afterward the confederates carried me
back to the cabin. Hundreds Of our wounded
were there as well many of the enemy's,
besides a large number of men who had died
Everything corresponded with what I had gazed
upon hours before.
The vision verified. Now comes the curious
to the locality described, previous to the day
upon which was wounded, was upon the old
Bull Run battlefield, some two miles distant
and from which it was absolutely impossible to
get even limited view of the field upon which
lay. l had never seen a sketch or photograph
of the country, nor read description of it, or
heard it described. These are facts beyond con-
troversy How then, is the matter to be explained?