The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1889-08-31
TWO PRACTICAL JONERS.

How Ono of Them Came Near Being
Killed by Two Frightened Darlsics.
81 came very near getting killed in
camp once by two colored boys" re-
marked prominent G. A. r. man to a
| group of Grant Post comrades. -Four
| or five fellows on our skirmish line had
| been shot during sudden raid by rebel
| cavalry, and their bodies were brought
! in and laid right in front of the regi-
mental hospital tent. My orderly SER
geant discovered two of our men among
the killed, so / directed him to have
the bodies taken to our company quar-
ters for burial He deputed two colored
carriers attached to the relief corps to
bring them up, and while they went off
for q stretcher 1 asked my lieutenant
and several other officers who stood
chatting near by if they wanted to see
some fun. OF course they did. So
told them to watch me, and, running
over to where the dead privates lay, 1
raised the blanket and slipped in be-
tween them. Nearly all the colored
men attached to the relief corps had
great aversion to handling corpses; in
fact, 1T is characteristic of the race,
and, although many overcame the feel
ing owing to forced familiarity, still
the superstition was always near the
surface. When the carriers returned with
the stretcher lay stiff as ramrod with
my eyes closed. / heard one say: Look
yah, Jim, dey's thee hyer, 'stid O. two
Reckon we kyant TEX 'em all now; less
tote this un fust,' said the other. So
they picked up the body on my left and
took it up to our quarters. Then they
returned for the other two. l held my
breath and kept my muscles rigid when
they lifted me up, then waited until the
dead private was laid alongside. just
as the boys Strengthened up with the
load / gave an unearthly shrek and,
dashing over the side, made bee line
for our tents. The fellow behind yelled
like whitehead and dropped his end;
his partner grasped the situation, and in
an instant both put after me. Well,
gentlemen, each carried a revolver and
began popping away at the corpse that
dun got 'wayv If 1 hadn't lodged into
the quartermaster's tent should have
been sure enough corpse in few min
utes, for both the niggers were scared to
death, and thought the 'so'dger' was be-
witched. L lay hid for half an hour be-
fore dared venture out, and meantime
those rascally officers had told the joke
all over camp. 1t cost me weeks pay
to square myself"
'That story of the Captains reminds
me Of a somewhat similar experience
had down at Gordonsville, Va, in the
spring of '63," said member of the
group. II was doing courier duty at the
time, and had ridden over from Brandy
Station to brigade headquarters
reached Gordonsville at three O'clock in
the morning, and being very tired
hitched my horse to train wagon and
crawled inside for few hours sleep. |
Somebody had pre-empted the claim
ahead Of me, but on lifting the blankets |
and striking match l saw it was dead |
man. / was too tired to seek other |
quarters, however, and thought, Well, |
he can't hurt me, anyway SO ! pulled
a corner of the blanket over my shoul-
ders, and was sound asleep in minute.
Just about daylight i was awakened by
the sound of mems voices near the
wagon, and peering out i saw the dim
ouoiiho VI SN'hii 'i6 va WIZ Siouhu'
They had come to bury my dead COM
rade. / lay still minute, thinking
could have some fun, and sure enough,
In little while felt tugging at my
boots. In the semi-darkncss they had
not discovered my presence, and, as 1
was longer than the dead man naturally
they felt my feet first. Well, kept
rigid, and allowed myself to be drawn
out at the tail end of the wagon, then,
ust as my feet struck the ground, gave
/ yell that re-echoed all over camp and
1t out for headquarters Talk about
icared fellows! The Captains niggers
weren't marker to these. One lay in
he pine coffin just where he fell, too
frightened TO move, and the othors ran
ike deers toward the river. 1t was over
IN hour before he dared sneak back.
Meanwhile, ! reported at headquarters
md bribed an orderly to go down to get
NY horse; ! was afraid If | went back
hose grayediggers might recognize me
md want my scalp. Chicago Herald.