The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1886-11-11
GETTYSBURG.
How . Wounded Union Man Escaped
Captivity.

How 9 Wounded Union Man Escaped
Captivity.
'Speaklng about pluck, "said Col
Onel Higgins Of Waverly-Of whom q
ChillieOthe Leader reporter had Just
been making inquiries IN regard to
Joseph DevOss, whose death was re-
ferTed TO last week-''there goes a fell
low whom I saw do as nervy q thing
IS / witnessed while 1 was In the ser
vice.
The Leader reporter looked across
the street, in the direction In which
the colonel had nodded, and saw Dick
Enderlin plodding along, hands in
pocket, In his matter Of fact, indiffer-
ent sort Of q way.
sit was at Gettysburg" remarked
the Colonel, knocking the ashes FROM
hisscigar. you prObably knew that
Dick enlisted as q drummer boy. He
was 90 my company and he beat q
drum fOE all that was out beat Il 50
hard that you couldn't find drum
heads enough In the army to keep
him supplied, and 3 short time before
the Gettysburg fight he came to me
for the sixth or seventh drum head
and / just gave him a gun. He
kicked n little, but took it, and made
pretty good use Of Il afterWsrd, toe.
Toward the close Of the first day's
fight &C Gettysburg our regimental
line was stretched along the crest Of q
ridge, adOwn the side Of which was q
field Of wheat almost ripe enough for
the reaper. Much Of Il had been cut
that day, and more was destined to be
~ l. ~ rnA
shell. and swept by the musketry Of
the two armies. On the opposite side
Of the field. and but q frightfnlly
short distance away, were the rebel
lines. Twice that afternoon we had
charged across that wheat field In the
effort 70 drive the enemy from their
position, and twice bad we been
driven back, leaving many q dead and
wounded man among the standing
wheat. The wheat was 50 high that
when lying down one could not be
seen BY the enemy, aud for sometime
before the charge was ordered we had
occupied the position described, keep
ing up q sharp IRE on the enemy, and
receiving as good as we sent In return.
I couldn't help but he amused ai
Dick. In order 70 save the men as
much as possible, I directed them %
lie down % do their loading, and only
rise to deliver their fire but Dick in
sisted upon standing up all the time.
Three OF four times yelled e him %
keep under cover or be would get hit,
but 60 3 few minutes, excitement
would get the better Of him and be
would be on bis feet again, loading
and firing as fast IS he could handle
bis piece.
"When the sun had gone down and
The shades % night had checked the
Hring considerably. several OF as were
standing gruuped close together, look
ing out over the Geld Of wheat, won
derlng what had been the result Of
the dayis work and what would be
the result Of the morrow, when We
heard some wounded man, way over
In the wheat groaHing terribly. His
means were siekening 10 listen 20, and
e got 90 after awhile that couldn't
stand Il any longer. So, taking OF
my haversaek. handed it % Ender-
lin, who was standing BY, and re-
marked that I Wss going for that fel-
low. This, e. every one knew, was q
pretty tickiish pieeo Of business, for.
although Il was then night. the moon
was shining, and 81 every rustic ol
The wheat that indicated the posi-.
billty Of lie being moved By 3 human
being. the J0hnnies would eend theil
musket and ride balls through Il In q
way that made q very unheaithy Ter
any persnn that might Be concealed
there.
''SliH I resolved 81 chance G, and
getting down on my hands and knees
! began % WoTm my WeT through the
Hheai in the direction 81 lhe grounds
I had got lnt e Few yards, however.
when felt some ore gfaap me By the
lex, end heard Dicks voice:
Look here. ulsi0r,i be said, 'you
mnslnit 60 cut there. You might
gel killed, and We eaE'f spare y0a
Is ne CO.