The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1888-10-02

Being young in the profession I had
little experiencefin surgery and the
bloody work in the hospital made me
sick. The woundedomen were brought
in rapidly, and soon filed up the
country. school houses I was using,
and, had hundreds Of men laid on
wheat straw under. the shade Of the
trees around. The weather was in.
tensely hot. The roar of artilleryrand
small arms was incessant. The groans
and cries Of the wounded nearly dis.
tracted me-. There was a number aof
plunderers from Richmond robbing
the dead. These were driven back,
and a line Of sentinels was posted
from the.door Of my hospital In a line
running west towards the James
River. The sentinel who guarded the
main road leading to the battle field,
was a Mississippian of Barksdales
regiment. Whenever I went to the
door he would ask how Old Bark was
gettin' on? / could not tell him He
halted scores Of men and held them
till relieved by q mounted officer in
charge of the ine.Sa e1<@-s- z5,o s
Going to. the door at n time I
heard the sharp Haiti and to my sur
prise he had stopped President Davis,
who was riding rapidly towards Gen.
Lees headquarters. Il hope said
MI. Davis, that you will let me pass,
as I am going to. Gen. Lees head
quarters on urgent business. A great
battle is going on and I cannot be
Detained
i"You can't pass here" said the
sentinel. It's against orders" Mis-
sissspps IS on duty here today, and can't
pass till the officer comes. He'll be
here directly$DAdI L1JhL
Nh. Davis raised his hat to the
soldier with all the grace of a courtier,
and pleasantly replied: al have been
a soldier myself, and would not ask
you to do anything in violation of
orders but for the urgent necessity of
seeing General Lee at once"
Cant help that, SIR" was the
reply. n ~,.:
"Perhaps you do not know me-"
said Mr.. Davis, 81 am'the man you
call your President, l am Mr.. Davis,
of Mississippi"
The soldier pulled down one side of
fits tattered straw hat, and replied, II
am from Mississippi myself. l am
Mo, and belong to Capt. McElroy's
company, Col. Barksdale's 18th Mis-
sissippi. 1 am mighty glad to see you,
Mr.. Davis, but you can't pass here, sir.
It's against orders. Mississippi IS on
duty today, SIR"
Mr.. Davis gracefully submitted,
but just at that moment General
Randolph, the new Secretary Of War,
dashed up and inquired why Mr..
Davis was detained.
"This good soldier will not let us
pass." General Randolph exclaimed
furiously, ave must go on There
was an ominous click Of the musket
as the sentinel brought his gun to a
ready. "You can't pass here, sir"
" L wW CO." said Randolph" "Ill
let you know that this is MI. Davis,
the commander-in-chief and l am the
Secretary of War in this Confederacy,
and l wiU CO." "You are the Score
tary of War in thas Confederacy," said
the Sentinel, but if you cross my line
you will be a secretary:o Of war in h-l
before night and the sentinel gave a
significant dip with the bayonet. At
the urgent appeal of Mr.. Davis, Gen.
Randolph submitted. All this time
the earth was shaking with the thun-
der of battle. The soldier kept his
eye on the Secretary, and remarked,
"Ill let you know that Mississippi is
on duty now, and you can't pass here"
Just at this moment the officer in
charge galloped up, and ordered the
sentinel to "let those gentlemen pass"
They disappeared at once in a cloud Of
dust, and / saw them no mnre. A few
minutes afterwards the faithful senti-
mel was quietly walking his beat as if
nothing had happened, and seeing me,
he inquired, II say, Doc, do you know
how Old Bdrk's boys are gettin, on? l
heard en- yelling down there awhile
ago." I could give him nc informa-
ton and he remarked "It's mighty
strange that none of our. boys get
wounded" He was o o relieved,
and started towards the firing. / was
at Fredericksburgh Afterwards and !
felt concerned about the attack of Gen.
Burnside. It was necessary to hold
the crossing below the town till the
+roo Gould no orronoo1 for R,rpe;do,e