Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-12-19


been sent by the commander of Con-
federate post on o mission several miles
out of the camp.
Our boy soldier, no doubt, had been
trained by superstitious parents, which
may have accounted for his excitabili-
ty. The weird notes of q screech owl
would make him shiver, and he had a
natural dread of witches.
On the occasion mentioned, he was
to make the trip on horseback, and was
furnished with a gun for protection.
On his return, near the Confederate
camps, Just outside of the road, he dis
covered Confederate soldier, wrapped
we'll in yankee overcoat," whom he
mistook for a Federal. AS the soldier
appeared to be asleep, he decided he
would add the first laurel to his brow,
as hero, by prolonging the unsus-
pecting mans nap. But the report of
the gun that was lying across the sad
die in front of him awoke the soldier in
time to find the boy had fred toward
the opposite side of the road.
Another soldier, who had struggled
Oub Va Ibuho, up ACdL LII
time of a battle to attempt to conduct
side issue by shooting Federal, who
likewise, maybe, had struggled out.
He took deliberate aim and pulled
the trigger, but the man did not go
down. He rammed in another car
fridge, took better aim, and pulled
down again, but the man he was
shooting at did not seem to be aware
of the fact.
"You just stay there and I will wake
you up yet, old fellow, was his mental
soliloquy.
He had rammed down ten cartridges
and assumed to shoot as many times
before he found that they were all still
in his gun.
But these are intended only as q
preface to the incident to be related,
and to illustrate that others might have
done likewise under similar circum-
stances.
A sharpshooter had just come off
duty to take rest.
An officer in the Confederate camps
had just returned from the eminence of
a little hill where he had been taking
in the surroundings with his field
glass, and reported that he had discov-
cred, not far off, Federal officer all
alone, going through performance
that seemed to be the drill manual. :"
The sharpshooter offered to go up
and teach him lesson of caution, but
as another ambitious spirit among the
privates wished to make the shot, he
consented.
Several went along to witness the
amateur sharpshooter.
He placed himself in position and
drew bead with his globe-sighted gun,
and there his man was; he seemed so
close that he lowered the gun and re-
marked:
"Boys, he is a captain, and is ma
neuvering with sword; he looks like
he is right at the end of the gun"
He then took aim again, and, with a
tilt of the gun in the air, fired.
When the smoke cleared away the
Federal officer was seen making for
shelter.
"Missed him." came in chorus.
"Shot too straight up" suggested
one.
"Dodged from that fly that lit on his
nose," said another.
"No, boys, I'll tell you the truth
about the time I got ready to pull the
trigger that fool Yankee got to cutting
up with that sword and made such a
whack and seemed so close, I had to
dodge, as L thought he was striking at
me. &C hicdgo Ledger.
Oldest Member of the G. A. r.
It is said the oldest comrade in the
Grand Army is Duncan Clark, COM
rade of U. S, Grant post at Shoshone,
Idaho. Clark is eighty years old, and
enlisted August 6, 1861, in Company
E, Seventh Michigan Volunteers. He
fought at Balls Bluff, fredericksburg,
Charlottesville, and many others OF
the hard-fought battles of the Army OF