The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-01-06
ono doubt he tried TO be careful in

mo doubt he tried to be careful In
taking off the glass: but he got it as
quickly as possible and hurried to his
place in the ranks, at the same time
| placing the prize over his neck.
"In q few moments all was quiet
around me. I lay there trying to realize
that less than an hour previously 1 had
been riding at the head of my brigade,
mounted on a good horse. Now my
division bad been driven back. Between
it and me were the enemy. I was riddled
with shot and alone. The heat was op-
pressive. l looked around for a cooler
, spot. Near at hand was q tree with
sprouts growing ont around IN a ledge
of rocks bedded with leaves. Slowly l
crawlcd around and lay down in a hol.
low of the rock in the shade. Here was
a slight movement of the air, cool and
refreshing. thought Of snakes when |
got in, but had left my belt, sword and
pis.ol where l lay first. I was just en-
loving as much as could the cool breeze
and bed of leaves when I espied a Fed
eral straggler coming through the woods.
He saw my weapons, stopped, then dis
covered me.
"sWhere are you woundedY he asked.
81 told him as well as / could,
: "'Have you any grcenbacks?' he de-
manded.
"'None.'
":I will seen
"He knceled down and began to
search my pockets. Ihave since thought
perhaps it was we'll that my weapons
were out of reach. Weak as I was from
the loss of blood my indignation made
me forget pain. He took my pocket
book. watch, some letters, a knife which
had been presented me in 1859, a plain
gold ring which l had worn for many
years, and my nice new SLOUGH hat, leav-
ing his old battered hat behind as he
departed.
| soldier came up. He was an lrishman.
He did not want to rob me. He In
ouired all about my injuries. and finding
that I was suffering from thirst, went to
a spring three .quarters of a mile away
for some water. A group of Averilrs
cavalry came up. They ranged around
me in a semi-circle and inquired about
our command. numbers, etc. | avoided
irving any information that would be of
any service to them. Then they began
10 see how desperately was wounded
and how much I was suffering. They
looked at my bloody sleeve lying by my
side. saw my bleeding leg, and then
began convcrsing with each other.
While they were occupied among them.
selves. l heard something moving in the
dead leaves among the rocks above my
head. I tried to persuade myself that it
was a ground mouse, but noticed that it
approached with a sliding motion. 1t
was a snake. The reptile glidcd past
my ears, up my temple and across my
forehead, and stopped in the sprouts, its
tail hanging down near my face.
"sPlcase come anu kill the snake and
not let it bite mel I called to the
soldiers.
"They looked around and down at me
in amazemcnt and then at each other,
evidently thinking that l was delirious.
I called out again and a big young TEL
low bent over me and saw the snakes
tail hanging from a rock among the
leaves, near my face.
"'Therc is a snake, boys, sure
enoughr he cried.
"The soldiers gathered around to kill
it. l thought the reptile would turn
and bite me. I raised myself to a sitting
posture and begged of a soldier:
"sPlease stand over me and hold up
my head, so it can't bite meg
"He complied good. naturally and it
was a great relief to have him stand
there and hold my head with his brawny
hands. When the snake was killed, it
was found to be a large moccasin."
general" was asked ut this point,
"were you not unconscious during this
trying ordeal"
"Onlv once; that was when the sur
geons had me stretched on a table made
of a door and under the influence of
chloroform. When I awoke, they had
cut off my arm c.ose to my shoulder,
not even leaving a stump. and had my
leg dressed
"How did you manage to live through
it all?"
"Ithink it was nerve; there wasn't
anything else lett"
Did you ever recover the articles
stolen from you"
II told Surgeon Morris about my ex-
pcrience and he in turn related it to the
Federal Colonel, who recovered my
watch"
General Lillcy has recovered the use of
his leg and only an empty sleeve remains
to recall his experience on the battlefield
near Winchester. Ne York Tribune,
C,w,fooc IF ninhfhoria