National Republican., 1884-08-02
FIGHT Az FAIR OAKS.
THE "MAJOR" TELLS WHAT HE KNOWS
ABOUT THE BATTLE.
A Participant Who Encountered Lively People
on That Occaslou--IIo Didn't See Much, Bat
He Saw More Than Ho Wanted To-An
Essay on Bravery.

He Saw More Than Ho Wanted To-An
Essay on Bravery.
"Now, sec hero" said tho major, rather
hotly, "all Of this talk about bravery In
tho common acceptance of the term, is
the blamedest rot in tho world. The real
thing that keeps man who has previ.
ously been In action from running Is
pride. Ho is ashamed to run. When you
hear man talk about loving the excite
mont of battle, you con put IL down
safely that ho has never boon in action or
else he Is liar. Run2 You bet. Two
seen many time whom would have
whackod up half years pay accounts in
o minute II could only have got an order
to rdo back and 500 that the ordnance
trains were pushed up promptly during
tho day.
Fair Oaks, that you were asking about,
1 don't know much Of 1t, for the business
came on US like fash, and my part In II
was over so quick that don't remember
much about 1t.
1T seemed TO me that wo hadn't much
more than hoard tho firing in Casey's
division front than tho robs were right
on top OF us In COUGHS division In mil-
lions. Noar our front were several long
piles Of cordwood and was sent out TO
them with q littlo detachment OF skir-
misbers when tho iohnnies opened up on
us with n couple Of batteries, and in less
than half minute II seemed ~ IL overy
blamed she'll thrown struck right In those
piles. God bloss my soul! how they did
knock misery out Of that cordwood. The
spliuters were so thick that II seemed to
mo there was a heavy rain Of them. 1
never saw SO many splinters:; Run! We'll,
didn't just then, because / couldn't. i
Just got down fat on the swanpy ground
and then felt bad because couldn't 20
down further. Pretty soon, however. the
firing Stacked up aud when began look
ing for chance to got out found that
tho rear OF our columns was almost out of
sight through the woods over to the right
and rear across tho road, and at onco lit
| out the liveliest knew how, Juggling my
saber under my arm and blowing at tho
weight Of heavy pair of top boots woro
like all other infantry fellows at that
time who didd't have any moro sense.
"You know how they build roads down
on tho Virginia peninsula, by digging
bitches on each side and throwing up the
dirt In tho middle, so that In ordinary
weather the turnpike WAS u big rounded
ridge, with wide, water filled bitches each
side. l was pretty we'll wnded whom l
got to tho road, but made an effort and
jumped the first ditch safely, stopping to
climb slowly up tho side of the pike after
landing, when l happened naturally to
look up the road. Holy smoke If there
wasn't column of 'graybacks' coming
down the pike, just around bend of
woods, not more than two or three hum
drod yards away. l just gasped, was SO
scared but ] gathered myself up, ran
across the road, and rose for jump across
the other ditch-but l didn't got there.
The johnnies saw me, and, as I stated,
they began firing, and just when !
was in the air for tho jump ball
went through both calves and just dumped
me wrong side up into tho ditch, The
force of the ball was like q heavy blow,
aud when / struck tho water II WIS head
first, and / drove down into foot and o
half of water aud mud, with my big cav
airy boots jamming mo down and my
saber aud belt slings mixed all up with
my legs. OF course this didn't take long,
and before could either choke aud drown
or crawl out the column came up and
was dragged out by the logs on frmel
ground, where my captors could look and
laugh at me, which they did good and
heartily. don't blanc them now, for
ss' bns lust then was SO bsmSa mSdf dfitRhtt itRhtt
all could do was to sputter out green
frog scum, mud, water, and bad words in
equal profusion.
"The first Thing was to take possession
Of my belt, saber, and revolver, which a
tall captain said was too much trouble
for me to carry, and little by little sys
tenn Of trading things was adopted that
left me long before night with as rough
an assortment of confederate clothes al
anyone ever saw. / didn't have on q
dark thing that did when l wal
dumped in the ditch.
"Well, / was sent Off to the rear with
other unfortunates that were picked up,
and, having my legs bandaged up by a
good-humored young confederate doctor,
passed that night at a bivouac about four
miles from Richmond, and next day by
noon had marched to the city, and that
night went to Libby with tho other un-
fortunates, my hurts being too trihing, ir
their opinion, to send me to hospital.
"Oh, yes; I've heard fellows talk about
liking the excitement of an action.
knew big one-armed invalid corps cap
tain once in this city who used to tall
that way, and he rather downed my
theory, for he had lost his arm by piece
of she'll at ono of the Fredericksburg
fights, but one day I.took it into my hoa.
to go over to the adjutant Ren eral'
, Office aud tell Gen. Sam Brick about thu
matter, and we had the curiosity to look
up the department records. By jove ID
YOU know that i was right in that case
J This captain had been detailed just after
: going to the front in charge Of . division
, ambulance train and lost his arm by the
) bursting of a stray shell thrown over ia
beyond tho lines to.where the ambulance
r aud my fro-eating and blood-drinkinl
7 friend were slowed away in supposed
: safety. He had actually never been l
action and hardly under FIRE.
4 "Oh! About the battle of Fair Oaks
Well, you see, don't really know any
thing about it, except that l heard tina
: one fellow got particular fits tho after
noon of May 81, 1869, but tried it on agai
: next day and got even with the join
Z | Ill