Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1886-07-17

r.
The next moment the report Of my
gun rang ont clear and distinctly on the
mountain stiffness, reverberating and
echoing until It seemed a thousand mus
kets had answered my challenge. La
fact, fully half that number had. was
conscious OF having received a blow Of
some kind, and that I was laying help
less on the ground, but a great fool Of
Joy swept over me. was conscious Of
having discovered the enemy's approach,
and that I had given the alarm.
I could hear the long roll being
sounded, and the blare Of bugles ringing
out from every part of the camp Of the
union army. Then the hurry and clat-
ter of cavalry, the dOuble-quicz tramp of
infantry, blended with the quick, sharp
commands of the officers, followed di-
rectly by a few random shots. Then
came roar upon roar of whole regiments
Of musketry, with the deep bay of can
non. Then
CHAPTER III
When I opened my eyes. I looked
wOndeEingly about me for a long time.
To say was mysti6ed, gives but faint
idea Of my feelings. A great and over
{
to each one Of my limbs. tried to
speak. That was an entire failure. Then
] tried TO think, and gradually the past
began to assume shape, and glimmer be-
| fore me. 1 remembered In a sort Of a
distant way about all that had occurred,
/ but could make nothing Of my present
surroundings. I closed my eyes again,
/ but opened them almost instantly, and
/ gazed straight at a big bury face whose
| eyes were looking into mine with a very
| kind expression as he was in the act Of
Withdrawing a spoon from my mouth,
which had contained very weak quality
| Of beef tea.
Again I made an effort to speak, but it
eliminated in a siczly smile.
1Why Goo bless the lad, If he hasn't
come around at last am the biggest
liar Ia the army" came TO my ears in a
tone Of glad surprise. Then he rushed
away, splitting the remainder Of the
soup on the bed clothes. Presently he
returned with the doctor, who appeared
equally astOnished end delighted.
He patted me on my cheeks, on my
forehead, then under the chin, during
which process, he in very broken En-
gish seemed to exhaust his vocabulary
Of pet phrases, calling me a ''brick, - 9th
er things equally complimentary and en-
eOuraging.
Many days and weeks elapsed before
L was strong enough, mentally or phys
ically, to fully understand and eOmpre-
bend the situation.
To begin with was In a great gener-
al hospital, filed with sick and wounded
soldiers, was both sick and wounded
and had been there for two months
lowering between earth and the land Of
shadows. No one had believed would
/ ever recover; hence the unusual demon.
STATIONS of Joy and surprise of my at
tendants when 1 so unexpectedly return.
ed to consciousness.
And this is what happened On that
terrible night, taking it up at the point
so abruptly broken of above: The con,
federates had determined on a night at
tack on our forces, and if possible take
them by surprise. In furtherance Of
} this, a party had succeeded In capturing
, the picket on my old post and disarming
him without creating alarm; he Wai
, bound and taken prisoner into the rebe
3 lines.
Their entire army had been quietly
put into position to hurry to the attach
when called upon.
Meantime a detail OF 500 eonfsderatel
had been ordered to surprise and captur,
our entire picket guard, who held tn,
key. so to speak, to our pOsition-With
5 out, If possible, firing a shot They haC
started on this mission, with thei
/ prisoner, our picket guard, marching a
j their head, whom they had forced BY
? threats of instant death to guide them Z,
the rear of our main guard, when 1, act
ing under the strange impulse brOugh
about by delirium, so fortunately dis
2 covered their approach and gave tn
% alarm.
/. In this way the union army got warn
/, ing sufficiently timely, not only TO sue
p cessfully rePel the attack, which my shO
< had precipitated, but to drive the rebel
s from their strong position with grea
y loss to them in men and stores. Ih
b prisoner picket, who made his escap
e back to our lines during the fight, say
? and recognized me as my musket flashed
|. After the battle, was picked up wher
t L had fallen apparently dead, with al
= ugly wound IN my breast.
e My story was talked over by the boy
around many a camp fire the night fol
? lowing. When it was discovered tina
q life was not extinct, was carried bac
y with gentle and tender hands, to tn
field hospital, and some days afterward
sent to the general hospital.
As I have before mentioned, praise wa
: heaped upon me, and many declared tina
: I had in all probability saved the unto
! forces from great disaster.
= Be that as it NAV, this much I
I. know. With the official report OF tn
: fight, went a full history Of my case, an
! what part I had taken, and long befor
= any hope of my recovery had been oh
- tanned, came coupled with words OF patel
nal communication, a full and free pardon
for whatever offense I had committed
from that great and noble mamie th5
T. was ever such a true friend to the hun
e blest union President Lincoln
If Have prescribed Tongaline in sever
e cases Of chronic rheumatism, and hay
-e not been disappointed in its curative e
Is fecta. E BenkendOrf- n. D.,
T. st. Louia, No.