Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-07-19
A MARROW ESCAPE.
rHouqHr III wAs A SHELL.
An Incident ss ChaneeIiosvfiIs rs ReInsed
by q csnnsctIsp. 0rsheer.


THAT'S done, and I'm thankful"
said William Plat, the Mianus oxshoer,
the other day, as he drove the last nail
into the hoof Of particularly nervous
OK. Then Mr.. Plat unloosed the big
swing by. which the OK was suspended,
unfastened the chains that bound the
animal dangerous legs, opened the neck
pen, and, with curious colloquialisms,
backed the newly-shod critter" out.
Then Mr.. Plat washed his grimy hands
in the big tub Of water that so often
sizzled and steamed with the suddenly
developed energy Of red-hot iron thrust
into it, took his dinner-pail, and sat
down on a nail-keg to eat his frugal
meal. Bnt Mr.. Plat did not eat. He
fell into a meditative mood, with his
eyes fixed abstractedly upon horse
shoe on the floor.
"What are you dreaming about,
Uncle Bill2" asked one Of the men.
me heb !" said Mr.. Plat, APP
pearing suddenly to awaken. "0h, |
was thinking what narrow line it is
that lies between us and glory. 1t is
just twenty-five years sinceJoe Hooker
fought at Charlottesville, and some
how or other ii always seems to me
that if I'd had the chance | might have
won some glory there"
Here Mr.. Plat seemed TO have lost
his usual vivacity and rollicking good
nature and to have become touched
with sadness.
~ enlisted in the old Seventeenth
Connecticut regiment" said he. /" No
man in it came nearer to death than |
did three times. No man was in such
constant danger. Yet never was in
battle, never fred a gun in all the three
years | served. If I'd been killed there
would not have been any glory in it, yet
I'll warrant there wasn't nan in the
regiment who went into battle that
needed more courage than ! did,
and if J could have had chance
to show little mite Of the bravery on
the field that had to display every day
in another way might have won some
shoulder straps for il. But they'd never
let me go into battle, never" Here
Mr.. Plat sadly shook his head and
gazed mournfully upon the horseshoe.
What were you doing, Uncle Bill,
that required so much bravery; "
"Doing? Shoeing army mules"
said he, with look expressive Of the
courage required for that occupation.
When went into the service" he
continued. Il" enlisted for three wears,
sooner shot, or dead. and | expected to
show them that | had a little grit in me.
| hankered after battle to let 'em see
that could fight. But soon as we got
to the front it began to be whispered
about that Uncle Bill-that's me-was
to be detailed to shoe mules. didn't
enlist TO shoe mules. | wasn't afraid
of fighting, but hang me if wanted to
risk my skin a-shoeiDg mules. But at
last it came. They detailed me at
brigade headquarters to shoe mules.
"Boys, park Of artillery in front
of you and shell bristling about you is
nothing to the risk of that business.
had narrow escapes enough every day.
but three times there wasn't soldier
had closer call than did, and | never
got any glory for it. The worst was at
Charlottesville. 1t made me feel bad
TO see boys going to the front, with a
chance to win glory without half so
much risk as | was put to TO shoe
mules back at the headquarters. But
| had to do it. There was a com
pany stationed near by, perhaps TWEEN
ty yards from the place where | was
shoeing. They were guarding the road
that way, and were taking it easy. The
battle was going on in front, but We
were out Of reach of the bullets. had
one solemn-looking mule to tackle, and
| knew from that calm look that he was
a deceitful animal, and he had a power
full leg. Thinks | to myself, as | APP
preached him, Uncle Bill, there's more
danger lurking in that air leg than in
the red-hottest hand-te-hand fight out
in front, but there amt any glory in
the danger
However, I tackled the job. l got
the shoe on all right, and, suppose,
got little needless. All of sudden
| thought there'd come flash of light
ming. All | knew was that laid some
where on my back, with cold chill on
my breast; and | recollected hearing
sharp, whizzing noise. Then it oc-
Cured to me that stray shell from the
battle had landed 'twixt me and the
mule, and | kinder laughed to think
how it must have scarf the animal.
But l raised up, and there, ten feet
away, he was, as demure as a dea-
con. But | heard noise over
where the company was stationed, and
when ! looked | see that they had scat
tered and were running as though
pretty badly frightened. Thinks /,
Uncle Bill, the rebs are coming up
that way, and you'll be a prisoner
Well, do you know what did it? Twas
that pesky mule. He'd kicked, that's
all. lie didn't hit me. Oh, no. If
he had wouldn't have been here to
tell it. Twas the wind from the blow
that free me ten feet, and his hOof
Just grazed my clothes in front,
cutting them off as clean as though
he'd used razor. But the curious
est thing about it was this, and
it shows what power mules
got in his hind leg. was
just putting the first nail into the
shoe when he kicked. Well, sir, the
force of that kick threw the shoe of
clear across the field toward where that
company was. They heard it whirring
along in the air, and thought it was
shell. They ducked. The shoe struck
the door Of All old shed, alongside Of
which the company was, and fastened
itself onto the door slick as slicing
cucumbers. The company thought
the shell had lodged there and
was going to burst right away, and
didn't they skedaddle Some Of the
main line saw 'em running. and thought
Lee was coming up to flank 'em, and
that scarf 'em all the more, so that
some says that was the beginning Of the
whole trouble with Joe Hooker's army.
j don't know about that. Now, that'll