Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-07-19
TAKING To THE WOODS.
"A Washingtonian's Outing In the Blue
Ridge Mountains.

l kklOxo MOunt6l0Ds
| OFF Hol A HoLIDAY-rHE TRIP TO HAaERs-
| TowN-FIaHTING INSECTS AT NIaHr-BEAuTI-
FuL sCKNERY-RxMINIscENcEs OF THE WAR
YOUNG BUCKS" sToRY-rHE OLD TURNPIKE.
In THE CAsHrowS Mrs, July l6
Correspondents Of THE EVENT 80 STAR
| n HEN the chimes of Saint Aloysius an
| AVA nounce that it ID $50 O'Clock a. the
A\N5Hagerstown train pulled out Of the
"A Baltimore and Ohio depot, left be-
hind me the cares of the Government
Printing Once for an outing all to myself. In
all my years of service il is the first time have
had q full, free thirty days, aud I proposed to
make the most Of it. My first objective point
was Hagerstown, from which intended to
| take to the woods. did not lay out . formal
program, desiring to cut myself adrift and
float wheresoever the tides Of fate might carry
me. The following constituted my outfit: One
| umbrella, one wire hair brush, two wooden
shirts-one in satchel, one extra pair socks,
three handkerchiefs, two neckties, one small
satchel-borrowed from wife; weight of all
about five pounds. With my experience up to
date l would suggest Q further reduction
in the direction of light maching order-leave
everything behind except the umbrella 1t
goes without saying that the ride to Hagers-
town Is enjoyable-such landscape as skirts the
route can scarcely be excelled either for beauty
or historic interest. On the train was the col
onel OF the late twenty-third Virginia cavalry
now Representative in Congress, who pointed
out where his command encamped during the
Early raid on Washington. When he ascer-
tanned that l was also q cavalryman of the
federal service he seemed to warm up, closing
pleasant interview with the somewhat up-
pleasant reminder that the boys of both armies
were well advanced in life and would
their past trials. We parted at
Weverton, he to the Shenandoah valley and
the undersigned into Pleasant valley. To the
participants in the Antietam campaign the
scenery now becomes familiar. man sitting
across the aisle informed me that he was born
IN keedysville during the battle-an incident
that enables him to fix the date of his birth
with accuracy, it is hardly necessary to say.
As We sped along I was reminded Of Q war
story. Here it is:
AwAR STORY.
young Buck" was, and, for that matter,
still is, the familiar name of q once stalwart
member Of that gallant command, the fifth
United States cavalry. A day or two sitter the
battle of Antietain he found doubled up in a
ditch, desperately wounded rebel soldier
whom he assisted to a more comfortable situa-
ton, supplied his necessities best he could
and left him amid shower of benedictiOns
In July OF the following year in the neighbor-
mountains, If remember the story Alright one
dark night young Bucks horse was shot and
killed. He fell on his rider, crushing the lower
portion Of young Bucks stomach. and holding
him to the earth. Here the soldier lay all
day, suffering untold tortures. In the
afternoon he saw two rebel soldiers
coming down the side Of the mountain, and
called to them to come and kill him. They
came and on drawing near one of them scanned
him closely and exclaimed-and do not be-
lieve the recording angel noticed the pro-
family
by God, know you. You're the man that
helped me at Sharpsburg."
So the two rebels lifted the dead horse off
young Buck. got wagon and hauled him over
to Front Royal and there left him in a hospital.
In due time Buck got well enough to be pa
rolled, and after his exchange returned to duty.
The year 1866 found him still in the service
stationed at Jackson, Miss, think, assisting
the freedman's bureau in its operation. He
was now non-commissiOned officer. One day
he was ordered to Yazoo City in charge of q
small force on some errand. l think the dis
lance Is about twenty miles. About half way
over he halted his party at a plantation to get
water. and was met by the planter in person.
1t was the late rebel soldier, who used more
profanity than ever, and pressed Buck to re-
main until the next day. The soldierly instinct
of the regular, however, would not admit Of
this, since he was on duty, but the planter pre-
vailed on him to come to the house, as he wanted
him to his wife. From the latter he
received q kindly greeting, with the remark
that she had often heard about the Yankee who
had so generously assisted her husband in the
hour Of his dire need On parting the planter
wrote down his name and address, saying to
to him and he would respond Young Buck
took the paper rather mechanically, not
desiring to wound the mans feeling by q
refusal, but feeling that no occasion was likely
to arise for its use.
Time passed on, Buck began to feel the effects
OF his injury, which intensified until he was
finally disabled. Then he was compelled to ask
assistance and applied for a pension To his
surprise he found himself recorded as a de-
serter, due to his non-appearance the few days
subsequent to the killing Of his horse, and the
way to his relief was effectually blocked Thus
| the case stood for thirteen years. One day,
during an interview with the commissioner Of
pensions, he went over the circumstances Of
the affair in the Upperville Gap, which was the
basis OF the serious trouble in the case, and the
commissioner casually remarked that if he
could secure the testimony Of the men who re-
lieved him on that occasion it would answer
the purpose.
But they were rebel soldiers" said young
Buck.
"That doesn't matter" replied the commits
sioner.
Then Buck bethought him Of the paper the
planter had given him and found il. He wrote
to Mr.. Richmond am quite sure that is the
name-and few days later the answer came in
the shape Of the necessary aft davit and this war
story ends with the declaration that young
Buck got his pension with all arrears.
AT HAaERsTowN.
Preached Hagerstown about o'clock and
registered at the hotel After the necessary
prelmipsries seated myself in front of tho
hotel and devoted myself to beating of the IN
Vulnerable insects that found Mount Ararat
on the bald spot Of my head. All at once .
familiar face came around the corner, then
another and another, until 1 exclaimed to my
self in despair:
"Great Scott! Am not yet out Of Washing.
ton?'
false alarm-these were delegates to .
national convention Of Rechabites I met
Julian Wright. fresh from his laurels in TIE
Stars advertisement contest, L. H. Patterson
and many others, and they we're just trying to
find a cool spot
1 might have enjoyed the contest with the
insects if were entomologist of the Agricul-
tural Department on q tour in my official Ca
pacity; but even that individual, fancy, if he
were of on thirty-day leave, would not care
to mingle business with pleasure, and would
probably have done just what did-sapped
and swore. The disagreeable night ended for
me about o'clock the next morning. slid
out Of my bed, performed my additions and de-
voted an hour to sightseeing.
4 MAGNIFICENT vIIw.