The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-12-15
He GANG TO GRIEF.
Story Of Gettysburg by q Man
Who Talked too Much.

"Here's where I came to grief"
said q Twelfth Regiment man, as he
stood upon Seminary Ridge. How
did it happen" was asked. SWELL"
said he, eff you wish I'll tell you, but
I fear ! may be wearisome. Ialways
had he unenviable reputation of
talking too much, and on that first
day of July, 1868. my propensity to
be too l%oquaci0us came near ending
my career. You see, they brought US
up TO the brow of this hill on the dou-
BILE quick, and we found we had q
beautiful chance to get q crOss-fire on
a brigade of 'JOhnnles' that lay down
th4re in the open field. We peppered
them awhile, and then our boys be-
gan to shout Forward! and
Charge! I don't think the order
came through the regu arly constitu.
ted channels. It Was a sort OF spon-
taneous and voluntary movement on
the part of the men. who were
BRIM FULL r FIGHT
on this occasion. Tee Colonel and
Adjutan. both tried to find out Who
gave that order p but all we knew If
it was that everybody in the regiment
was shouting 'Forward!' The ad-
vance was inevitable, so u officers
placed themselves in our front and
away we went like a whirlwini. We
had captured and driven in all but
about twenty Or thirty of the rebs, af-
ter a slight resistance, and my pro-
pensity to talk was so great that l
couldn't help telling the 'Johnnies'
that were tagging behind, all about
our good treatment of prisoners, etc.,
and thus I didn't notice when the
regiment went back to its old posi-
ton. When I came to my seuses I
found I was alone. I concluded l
would go back, and 50 informed them
but they very emphatically ordered
ME to remain. Now, something had
to be dono. so I quickly determined
to take my chances of instant death
rather than perish by the slower me-
thOds of starvation and disease, and l
informed them in not very elegant
terms, modes of expression I do not
now use. that they might go straight
70 a very warm country. Then l ran,
and the faster the bullets came the
faster 1 ran, ill after awhile a bullet
from off at my right came, and
STRUCK Me IN THE LEFT GROIN,
and down I went. o, you needn't
laugh the bullet struck me in front.
I'm happy to say, and I've never re-
GREETED the decision l made in such a
hurry" "What became Of you after
ward ?" was asked. "Well, I lay
there unable to move, till nearly
dark, and had q good chance to re-
view the rebel army, as most of it
swept over me. Artillery wheels
and horses feet came uncomfOrtably
near, but I escaped death-providen-
it always seemed to me.
About sunset the 'Johnnies' carried
me back to the Pennsylvania College
but it would be too long a story to
tell you all my experiences there. I
will only say that from that point,
|ying nea an open door. l could see
many of the movements of the rebel
army, including the formation and
advance of Pickett's division, and
could hear the yell of the rebs az they
swept forward, and the glad hurrahs
If our boys when the charge was re-
There were fifteen of u.
wounded men at the 'college-the
,ther TOO were rebs-and we cheered
90, when our boys did. until the
eos threatened to kill us if we did
1T stop. Ishall never forget the four
errible days I passed there-days of
alternate hope and fear-nor the JOY
felt that morning v hen gray coats
vent away and blue cats appeared
But I'm getting back into my old
,abit of talking too much. Please
Reuse mt. I'm apt to forget myself
vhen talking of those days.-Boston
Journal,