The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-10-04

be very lame As we passed door near the
well / saw lady and asked her for bucket
10 get some water to battle my ankle. She
saw my uniform and answered me in low
tone, but very emphatcally, Anything can
do for you j viii do gladly" which gave me to
understand she was of the right stamp and
could depend on her for help. / drew the
water from the well and stepped around the
corner of the house, accompanied by the lady
only, when 1 asked her if she could furnish me
with suit of citizens clothes, telling her l
was not as lame as ] appeared to be. She said:
" can; but how will you get them, as the
yard and house are full of Tebels?" We sud
denly had to change our conversation, as we
were interrupted by the near approach of the
guard. She furnished me with pair of slip
pers and a clean pair of socks, and after / had
bathed my ankle and put them on, the guard
said it was time to 60 back. pulled sealed
letter from my pocket, which had not been
directed, and handed it to the lady; at the same
time took out my diary and wrote on one leaf,
Soon after dark leave the barn door unlocked,
and l will be in the barn" tore out the leaf
and handed it to her with the letter, and said t:
" If you will put that direction on that letter,
and put it in the Office when the mails get to
running, you will confer great favor on me,
as ! expect / shall have to go to Richmond with
these men,"
My next perplexity was how to get by the
guard, which, thanks to some hospital BOURBON,
/ was able to do soon after dark.
found the barn door unlocked and did not
have to wait long before / was visited by the
generous lady. She said the yard was full OF
rebels but directed me to remain where | was
until 1 heard low whistle, then go back OF
some grape vines to the corner of the wood
house, and l would find her there; which was
accomplished as she directed. She led me
through q window of the woodhouse, over a
pile of wood, upstairs over the kitchen, through
a small door into a lighted hall. She then
opened a door into an elegantly Furnished
room and as she left me said: " Make your
self comfortable" Ia the room was a wash
tub of warm water, razor and strap, and good
suit of citizens clothes, even to a boiled shirt
and everything suited to make dirty soldier
look like a respectable citizen. l went tc
work, first, to shave my face, which was COW
cred with heavy full beard; washed, and
when / was nearly dressed, looked IN the
glass and began to feel somewhat vain
At this time / was interrupted by low knock
at the door, I first looked at my dirty blue
clothes lying on the floor, and was very sus
/ picious of intruders, when a lady's voice said:
You need not be afraid; it is me-"
/ fastened to the door, and, true to hel
! thoughtful generous disposition, there she
/ stood, with server IN her hands; and how
! shall describe the contents of that server.
/ will not attempt it. No viands ever spread
| ON a table looked half SO tempting to me.
/ had not tasted food since o'clock that morn
] ing, nor had thought Of hunger till smelleC
/ the delicious odor of that hot coffee. Their
was also boiled ham, nice white bread and but
! ter, etc.
After finishing my toilet I was led by m!
! fair protector down stairs into her parlor
which was then occupied by Brig-Gen. Peel
and staff, commanding the Louisiana Tigers
| She said:
General, permit me to introduce to vol
4 Mr.. -, a cousin of mine from York State
| He is a Methodist clergyman, and was her
during Conference, and detained by the rail
road being torn up"
at once entered into conversation with tn
! General on the prevailing topic of the day,
of course, being strong Union man, while b.
was just as strong a Secesh. Among othe
4 things he said:
We have whipped the First and Eleventh
1 Corps to-day, and the rest of the Potomac arm,
are so scattered they cannot get together il
three days There is nothing but militia be
/ tween Us and Baltimore and tomorrow w
viii go through them like chsfE In one weel
We will have Baltimore, and in 10 days We vii
have Washington"
He quite often used profane explosives in hi
conversation, and would as often say, PLEASE
excuse me, Elder, for swearing"
On the night Of the ID he made charg
with his brigade on Cemetery Hill. Just be
fore he started he said to me:
Elder, l am going to charge your men u
there, and We will walk right through them.
About 10 o'clock at night saw him again i
the same place l first saw him. He said:
Elder. got back with only 500 of the 80
l went in with. / got through the line an
took one battery, and the Captain Of that bat
terry was the damnedest man / ever saw. II
asked one Of my staff what be wanted an
was answered, / demand the surrender of thi
battery The Captain said Yes, yes,' an
caught up band-spike and knocked my off
GERS brains out. Just at that time a lot of ther
blg-hatted fellows came up out of the DARK
and we had to get back double-quick"
] afterwsrd learned il was Battery II, 1st \
Y. Ii. A., commanded by Capt. Mink, that cam
so near being captured. Capt. Mink is no,
alive, am informed, and l would like to hea
his side of the story Through THE NATIoNA
TRIBUNE, II he is the man referred to by Ger
Peck. i passed as a civilian about Gettysbur
till about daybreak on the morning of the 4ti
when l Joined nay regiment on Cemetery Hill
/ wore my citizens suit over two months befoI
l could get uniform, as we received no clotI
ing of any kind but shoes and socks until v
got to WarTenton Junction, Va. While "
were marching through Maryland some of til
boys would shout out to the civilians as
passed along the road, "See there" pointing
me; there is one civilian that amt afraid
shoulder gun" / have now given you I'll
reason why l was dubbed Chaplain in the 147t
n. Y.
The De Gress Battery Again.
/ EDITOR NATIONAL TRTBUEE. have ROC