Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-06-12
A cAyALRYMAN.s YARN.
Unvarnished Account ola Michigan Troop
er,s War Experienccs.


In September. 1861, l enlisted in the
Third Michigan Cavalry, and spent the
winter at Camp Benton, Mo. / went
home on furlough, sick, and joined the
regiment again in Tennessee. The first
dead rebel I saw was little thin boy
found in the woods torn to pieces by a
she'll. My first soldering was charge
on rebel battery. l well remember
pulling out my pistol, then my saber.
then pistols again; but the rebels had
fed before we reached them. picked
up cake of baked dough, which, with a
drink of rum Major Miles give me, kept
me alive until we reached camp.
My next experience was the battle of
Pennington, near Corinth. The rebels
drove us off the field into narrow lane
through a swamp. Cavalry, artillery
and infantry became considerably mixed
up. Major Miles stayed until they were
all through. i was his orderly. and of
course had to stay, too. l recollect
Lieutenant Childs coming in among the
last, and rather excited. He had lost
his horse. Orderly, Orderly" he said
to me, cant take your horse?" ''Oh,
yes, surely, Lieutenant" said. / lost
nothing by the offer, for 1 saw a SPLEEN
did horse tied to some shrubs out in the
open. The bullets were rafting
through the trees pretty sharply, but l
made rush for the horse, mounted him,
and escaped in safety.
After that 1 was detailed as orderly to
General John Palmer, who was after
ward Governor of Illinois. He was
quito willing to chat with me. In that
long, wearisome waiting before COrinth,
l used to say to him: General, why
don't we go in and take that place? We
can do it like book" "Ah," said he,
red tape, red tape" / received my dis
charge that summer and went home to
Kalamazoo County.
In the fall the Seventh Calvary was
organized. My two young boys enlisted
and many of my neighbours boys. The
noighbors wanted me to enlist again,
perhaps to see to the boys. We went
down to Virginia. One of the
boys, a handsome fellow, was taken
sick and watched him
night and day till no died. Our surgeon,
DR.. Littlejohn, had detailed me to the
hospital.
Our Major was bound that 1 should
not stay in the hospital. Corporal Post
came one day and said he had orders to
take me dead or alive. told him the
Surgeon ranked the Major, and should
not 60 My oldest boy was then nearly
in hn al Main
sent for me to come to his tent, and told
me that the "Surgeon-General said
must CO." 1 went, but on the way to the
l met the SUPERINTENDENT,
who said he had given no such orders.
If could have obtained a pass to re-
turn, l think l could have shot the
Major.
had splendid ride to Gettysburg as
part of an escort to General French. We
galloped past regiment after regiment |
Of infantry, and used to compare them. |
know l thought the Pennsylvania |
regiments made the best show.
The charge of the Seventh Michigan |
Cavalry at the battle of Gettysburg has i
been frequently spoken of as a fine
we'll, twelve companies galloping one |
behind the other, affording a pretty |
rood chance for bullets to hit some one |
,r other by the time they reached the |
asst company. could see the boys in
he company ahead of me hit once in a
while. No doubt it was a pretty sight,
1ut it was something like the charge of
hn |
vas nowhere. A splendid gray horse,
which the Captain of Company 3 had
ust bought at great price, was stand
ng on his fore feet, hit, l supposed,
through the loins. All the fighting, 1
ould see, was at the upper end of the
tone fence.
During the fight 1 dismounted from
ny horse to pick up a flag as trophy,
Ehen rap! came a ball against my sad
lie. Looking up, saw two rebels bear
ng down upon me. They chased me
ut of the field, through a gap in the
ence, and then turned and made for
heir own lines. Then l turned also,
nd thought l would play the free lance,
S there were no officers to check me-
~ Dd1U-ldCc uOIS0 hlltW now W run. L
aught up with them, rode right into
heir lsnes, put pistol ball through
ne sandy-bearded fellow, and then
as laid out upon heap of stones, with
" head badly hurt and my neck cut.
resume they thought that the best
lace for such headlong old Yankee.
tut they did not hit hard enough. Some
me in the night l crawled into barn,
here a rebel surgeon fixed my cuts as
ell as he could. Next day our men
,und me. The rebels concluded not to
9 bothered with me when they left. 1
as sent to Jarvis Hospital in Balti-
ore, and was delirious about month.
, finished my soldering. When 1 had
lrtly recovered, they gave me a fur !
ugh home. On my return, while
afting at the Detroit depot, DR.. Far {
md, of Detroit, saw me and examined ,
e. All" said he I'm not going to
t you go back to Baltimore. 1 shall
eep you here" But" said 1, my !
trough; shall be deserter if don't ,
, back" Never mind" said he, III
e to that" lie did not trepan, but ,
ON time to time lifted out the frag- /.
ents of broken skull. am an old :
an, nearly seventy-six. and still have .
pains in my head, as a re- }
Under of the part played in the war. ;
Alfred Kemp, Greenville, Mich, in n. 7
Tribune.
GRAND ARMY NOTES.