The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-12-26
"Reminiscences of a Virginia Battlefield.

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 Probably the scene of these events (the battle of the Crater) Is more visited than any other spot among the battle6elds in the southeast of Virginia. The man who owns the farm charges visitors a quarter head, and conducts them about. Bull lets and other relics are still plenty. picked up several bullets in the plous he'd fields, and also piece of shell inside the Crater itself. There is a building full of relics picked up by MT. Griffin, the owner of the place. Three of them are particu. lariy interesting. One is made by two bullets meeting ir the air, striking point to point in exact range. The result is a disc of lead as large as a silver dollar, and about as thick, with the base of the Yankee bullet showing ia the center on one side and the Rebel bullet on the other. Had these bullets passed each other the fate of the men urging them would not be hard to reckon.
 Another queer relic is Confederate musket, in the barrel of which two bullets met, splitting the barrel open like a ba- mana peel There the two bullets can be seen.
 The Rebel bullet had got about one third of the way out when it met the pry- ing Yankee bullet on its way in, and then there was trouble at once. Of course the Yankee bullet had no business in there, or at least it should have waited until the other got out, but it undoubtedly was bet ter for the holder of the gun that it went in the barrel than in his eye.
 Another relic which tells a ghastly story is Union cross belt plate. These plates, as many will remember, were cir cular, and worn on the cartridge box strap, and so came about over the heart, while the belt plate was elliptical and came about over the stomach. Both bore the letters "U S." Through the plate picked up has passed bullet, mak. ing huge hole, and of course the ball must have passed into or through the body of the wearer.
 One musket shown has the marks of eight bullets upon 1t. Two of them are hatlened into the iron of the barrel and remain there. It was evidently pretty lively times in the vicinity of the soldier who carried that gun.
 There are thousands of other relics cups, canseens, sabres, bayonets pistols, shells, shoes, pictures, letters, etc., mak- ing most interesting collection. There have been tons and tons of lead and iron carried away from the fields by relics hunters. and the supply seems inexhaust. i6le. Every fresh plouging and rain dis closes them, and you can hardly dig in vain in the leaves and dirt in any dlrec- ton. Indian arrow heads, axe heads and other Indian relics are found also, and little deeper any quantity of fossil re- mains of marine hfe. Sharks teeth, shells and huge bones of old ocean mon sters are plenty. It is locality with history that did not begin with the Crater fight.
 One day while MT. Griffin was showing a party ot northern men around, one of them said: "I am reminded of an incl dent that occurred here. had charge of gun over there in the works near Fort Morton. One Sunday while there was no firing going on, and we were loafing about, l saw a man come over that hill by the cemetery and come down across this slope toward the rear of the Confed- crate lines. His comfortable and serene manner irritated me, and made up my mind to see how close could come to him, and we all chuckled at the idea of soaring the life out of him. took good aim and landed shot about six feet from him. You ought to have seen him get up and git. He was the scartest and most demoralized Johnny Reb you ever saw. He went on at a rate that would run dog to death, and we roared with cheers and laughter to see him dust.''
 "So you are the man that fired that shot, are you ?" asked Griffin.
 "Yes; do you kno v anything about it2'
 Well, l think do," was the reply. "l was the fellow you shot at. was lad coming with something for my father, who was in the works. did not suppose there was Yankee fool enough or mean enough to shoot a cannon at one little boy carrying grub to his father. But you don't exaggerate the scare. didn't grow another inch in year."