Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1888-03-23
BY AN EX.REBEL.


When we came to throw out pick
cts in front of our lines on the night
after dealing the Federal army the
hard blow at Second Manassas, we
were right among the dead and
wounded We had won a victory,
and the bulk of the Federal army Was
making fer the Potomac. but there
was rear guard that fought sullenly
and with q thirst for vengeance, and
along the front of my division the
blue coats were alert and ready for
any night attack. 1t was about 8
o'clock 10 the evening when my CON-
pany was pushed out, and TO get the
place assigned us we had to crawl on
our hands and knees for the last 200
feet. When I finally got settled in
place it was at the base of a shade or
fruit tree standing alone in an open
field. A ball or shell had struck the
trunk Of the tree and cut it in two,
and portion of the top lay On the
ground. The Federal picket as I
presently ascertained. was about dity
steps distant from me, and had the
cover of a heap of rails did not
locate him until be fired upon me l
do not think he knew of my presence,
but rather mistrusted it and blazsd
away to draw me out
There were dead and wounded al
about the tree had crept over two
dead bodies, and two wounded m4n
had begged me for water, and though
the evening was very dusky. could
count at least ten bodies on my side
of the tree. I bad come out with q
full canteen, knowing that the front
was covered with wounded Close
to me, on the right, was a Federal
corporal belonging to q New York
regiment. He told me at the tine
the number of his regiment, ba. [
made no note of it. He was shot in
the right leg, midway between the
hip and knee. This happened two
hours before dark, and considerably
nearer our lines, and he had managed
to crawl twenty rods to get the shell
ter of the tree. 1t was only flesh
wound, and could he have been taken
inside the lines that night he would
have been fit for duty in thirty days.
Some men would have almost walked
off with such a hurt as that. but the
poor fellow seemed knocked all to
pieces and had quite lost his courage.
I was holding the canteen to his lips,
having raised his head and pus
haversack under, when the Federal
picket fred the shot. The bullet
crashed into the head of the wounded
man, and with sort of quiver be fell
back dead.
The incident upset me considerably
and being under orders not to fire
shot unless the enemy were advanc.
ing. I hugged the ground at the foot
of the tree and remained quiet. Two
more shots were fired at noe. but they
were aimed too high and went over.
l had been on duty about an hour,
when the pleadings of wounded
man about fifty feet to nay left Tor
water determined me to succor him.
He knew of my presence and tatAed
directly to me, saying that he was
shot in both legs and had been lying
there seven or eight hours. | lefE my
gun on the ground and started oil Ga
my hands and knees. The corpse Of
Federal lay directly in my way, and
l was just making half circle aroQad
it, when the supposed dead mon
scrambled up, seized his mus keJ,
which lay beside him, and whirled On
me with sort of scream. You see,
it all came 80 suddenly that was
confused, and when he came at iaa \
was still on my hands and knees end
helpless He held the gun at ''ch4rSa
bayonets" and made an awful luage
at me. The point of the baT Toae5
passed through the back of my blouse,
and the lunge pushed me over and
the steel went into the ground ai.aast
to the muzzle of the gun l vas
thus pinned to the earth, and The man
let 20 of the musket and fell acr3as
me, uttering a groan of pain as he
came down.
My position was such that | could
not free myself for two or three IaIa-
utes. and when ! did the man was
dead for sure. He bad probably been
unconscious for long time before ilo
frenzy of death caused him to a5tack
me in the singular manner be did 30
firmly was pinned to the earth aat
/ had to "skinn out of my .bloa.@ t1
get free, and 1t took stout tsjsl p
lbe butt Of the muskat to pull ne
bayodet out 6Y the hard baked Eeii.