Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1890-04-26
sEellirso 4 sHELTER.


A Away Anssdsts EoaA % : virsanaa
Deputy 0awbones.
The following sketch IL furnished the
Washington Critic by Judge Whittle:
AT the battle Of Seven Pines" said DE-.
R, 81 was q man under authority
being deputy sawbones for the $500 vir-
ginia Regiment. I was . short. stout
specimen, and, Notwithstanding the
cares and responsibilities of my position
and the anti-fat treatment to which tho
depleted condition Of the commissariat
subjected me, tipped the beam at two
hundred and twenty pounds, was good
natured and jolly, and the boys Of the
regiment, many Of whom were old 90
quaintances, were irreverent enough to
apply to me all manner Of nicknames.
1.-THE evening before the battle I had
taken up position somewhat in advance
Of the army, being unaware Of the prox-
unity Of the enemy and Of the fact that
. fierce battle was impending. Next
morning was intently engaged making
Confed. coffee out of toasted crackers,
when the army began to advance. As
my regiment passed to the front, the
boys would pitch knapsacks, haversacks,
blankets, etc., toward me with such ex-
pressions as: Say, Taurus, take care Of
that for me, old fellow Bull, look out
for that, please;' Doc, hold on to this
for me- etc., until was fairly environed
by the baggage.
my preparations for breakfast were
disturbed by the scream Of an occasion
al she'll as it passed overhead, causing
me to quit my coffee and assume o per-
pendicular. Nevertheless, I stood my
ground. Soon, however, the crack,
| crack, crack, pop, pop, pop, of small
arms showed that tho infantry were en-
gagged; and, the minies beginning to
bark the saplings and cut up the ground
round about, l commenced q dignihed
and organized retrograde movement in
the direction Of a large pine tree some
| two hundred or three hundred yards to
the rear.
"As I advanced backward the firing
increased, and also my speed-hrst q
trot, then a canter, then q gallop, and
dnally-well, the very best I had in the
shop. The air was filed with missiles
of all sorts and sizes, and was fairly
panicked. But, great Caesars ghost
what q sight met my eyes as I ap
preached the tree.
"There were six warriors sheltered
behind it arranged according to size
No. sat with his back against tbs
trunk, his legs apart and extended, No
2 with his back close up to No. 1, and
thus they were strung out to the end
No. 6, poor, miserable, worm-eaten,
attenuated specimen, had imbedded hil
heels in the earth and stuck as close tx
No. as the bark to a tree; in fact, her.
rings we're never packed closer in q bar
rel than these worthless. With the
glance Of genius took In the situation,
and recognized the fact that the au
thority Of might entitled me to q posi-
ton next to the tree.
Accordingly, without ceremony and
without a word, l threw my log
over the head of No. 1, go1
astride OF him, as it were, let go
all holds, and trusted to Providence. Ny
superior weight carried me slowly bu
surely to the ground, and became No
1. Each man was advanced exactly t.
the extent of space occupied by me, ant
No. 6, now No. z, whose position was al
most exposed, held his ground manfull
and cut furrow in the earth with eacl
heel as he was thrust forward. As
gradually settled down I heard him On
claim with great earnestness: 4 say
back there, don't scrouger"