The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1890-01-24
rHso rHn SIDE.

eft for me to do after the Major had
left, was to rise up from my hiding
place and ste L my way back to cam p
as had COM, and this I proceeded to
do. I had MT proceeded more than
half a mile, and was carefully feeling
ny way through the darkness, for fear
might make mis- step and stagger
into the swamp, which bounded the
I'D on either side, when discovered
object In the ros1 sdiately in
1T of me, aud not more than two
rods distant, and at the same instant Of
my discovery voice cried out, "Halt!''
I, Of course. stopped Immediately, and
for few seconds we stood and looked
at each other as If we had grown fast
to the road. The first thought that
occurred to me was that this was the
Major that had been eavesdropping;
who had by some means become lost
from the road leading into town, had
been in the direction Of my camp, ha d
found out his mistake and was return.
ing. These thoughts ran through my
brain with the rapidity Of lightning,
for we coul1 not have been confront
ing each other to exceed three second.
when he inquired: "Who are your"
1 answered Friend" for if it had been
he, sure enough, who had been cha t.
ting my girl while I was lying con-
ceaIed under the currant bushes,
would certainly have wanted to be on
friendly terms with him now, as
could discern q carbine in his hand g
which he held in front of him. He
then asked me to what command be-
longed. This question I hesitated to
answer for a moment, when I plainly
heard the click of two guns instead of
one, aud two other men stepped from
under cover of the holly brush i'm.
mediately beside the road, and as they
did go, both drew back the hammers
of their carbines and ordered me to
hold up my hands,-which order
readily obeyed, while 1 cried out:
"Don't shoot!' They then approach
ed me, and questioned me very closely
as to whatcommand belonged to, etc,
etc. 1t was quite dark, but I thought
that ( could discern the confederate
gray uniform on them instead Of the
Yankee blue. After they had asked
me many questions and had found GU
that I was johnny they permitted
me to let my hands drop and 60 my
way. The next day I learned that
three of Colonel shingler's B ,ttalion
of South Carolina. Cavalry, had the
night before deserted and gone over to
the enemy, and they were the ones
that had met AMI held ma up.
had not proceeded far before again
heard low talking in font of NE, but as
I was now near the confederate camp,I
was satisfied that these were friends
and not blue coats. So I Quicxeued
my steps and soon came upon three of
my own company, a party that had
been out foraging, and they were lug
ging three bushels of corn that they
had stolen from farmers crib. When
[ came upon them 1 thought that 1
would now change the tactics and give
them a scare, aud In this 1 succeeded
and they would have run
0 # and left their booty had I not let
them know who I was. I now Joined
this party an | helpsJ them lug their
loads, with the promise that I should
share the booty. We proceeded to
hide this under some brush heaps, and
the next night we intended to lug 1t to
q mill some two miles away and have
it ground, so that we could work it in
to bread; but when the next night
came and we went to look for our corn,
Behold! it was gone. We supposed
that the proper owner had watched
the whole proceedings. but had been
afraid To tackle us, had followed us up
and seen where We deposited it, had
us to camp, and then had ia
ken bis own and returned home with
it. This was great disappointment
to US, for We were hungry,-were
drawing one half pound of cornmsal q
lay to the ration, and nothing else.
But Notwithstanding that We soldiers
we're living very hard at this time. |
,ften think OF the way that we treated
he poor citizens that lived along these
routes, and in this poor, piney country,
and feel ashamed of our conduct, for
We made it a rule to steal all We could
rom them. AS long as there was any.
hing to be drawn to eat, of course we
'oldiers got it, but these poor citizens
'ould draw nothing; and when their
little supplies were taken from them 1
rave seen the parents of children sit
lown and weep bitterly. These are
eriOus thoughts to US now, and when
We suffer our minds to run over them,
We can but say: 20 cruel War!" It is
good thing that young men are chos-
u to fight the battles of our country,
or if the aged were physically able to
10 so, their sensibilities would not ad.
nit of it.
o. the third day after my night at
he Baker place, already narrated. a
mall boy came into our camp carry.
ng a small basket on his arm, and
recognized in this by the
rOther of our girl, Miss Baker. He.