The National tribune., 1891-12-17

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along the route.
As I had a little money went down TO town
10 buy something 10 eat, aud while there i
learned that portion OF Col WymAns cavalry
(which also belonged to the Pa. Reserve Corps
had been on beyond town aud had run into a
lot Of rebels aud got badly cut mp. As soon as
j learned this started for camp, knowing that
rs soon as Col. Kane heard Of il he would have
his men out, and did not want TO be away.
hurried back as soon ms possible, but when
j got there the men were gone i picked up
my knApsRck, gun and other aceOuterments
aud got ready 10 travel in short order. By
this time cOl0red man came along aud i
asked him il be had seen anything OF a lot Of
soldiers with deer-tails in their caps like the
one had on. lie said he had seen them and
told me which way they had gone. hurried
on ani caught them just as they filed into a
piece Of woods. The woods were surrounded by
rail fence, d gap being open right in the
corner, where We all went in.
The Hnderbrush aud small timber had all
been cut of where We were. and nothing but
few large trees left. The Colonel formed US in
line, aud then told as 10 count of in order 20
deploy and scour the woods Our Orderly tJ.
w. CraVOn) was acting AS Captain Of scouts at
the time, and ] was filing his place. being
Second Sergeant We were not through count
ing Of when vOlley OF muskctry was fired
at us from the front up in the thick under
brush.
At this Col Kane gave the command TO take
cover This command was part Of a drill the
Colonel had taught us, which he called the In
dian drill aud meant that each one OF US should
1 fnd the safest place we could aud 20 10 fight
ing on our own hook, bat never TO FIRE gun
until We saw something TO shoot at; then
take aim and shoot as though shooting at q
1 deer on turkey.
AT the command everyone sprang behind a
Il tree. or whatever we could find, aud went TO
work. i saw a stump d little in front Of all the
rest, and ] ran and got behind that. ] would
! duck my bead down and load, then rise up aud
/ fire over the top Of the stump. We loaded and
fired AS often as we could. After awhile the
rebels ceased firing for a moment, then began
4 again. Not long after this j was shot i'm the
/ left thigh and in my shouder-seemingly in
the same instant. i looked sc my shoulder,
aud il did not seem 10 be hurt much. I then
! put my hand on my thigh and looked at it, and
/ II was bloody; and as did not seem TO suffer
much pain ] concluded I would be as safe 10
stay where ] was as 10 do anything else.
Consequently j resumed active operations.
/ Not long after this discovered that the rebels
were filing down the fence on the left side Of
the woods. i then looked TO the other side,
and they were also coming down on that side,
1 aud the firing was still kept up in front. ] saw
/ ia q moment that the idea was 10 capture all
4
away from there. You cannot form any idea
Of my surprise when upon getting up aud look
| ing around found that our men who were not
killed or wounded were all gone aud out Of
| sight, and upon trying 10 walk could not bear
my weight on my wounded leg. ] quickly
| turned the breech Of my gun upwards and ased
u as crutch aud hObbled out Of the woods
which was soon filled with rebels, who. when
they saw me, commenced Grng at me, the bul.
lets Whizzing in every direction. / walked as
| far as i could, and then lay down to rest, lai
| on the ground, the balls str king all around mC
aud covering me with dust
As soon nc i could ! got Up and walked on
down across the field aud through the gar
where we had All passed ia when we were 20.
ing into the woods. j lay down again as so0n
an got beyond the fence, in q fence corner, aud
took another rest. While i was lying there a
great many balls hit the rails OF the fence right
where j was lying i got up, crossed the h0l
low, aud started up the hill on the other side
WAS now out Of the reach Of the rebel bullets
had not gone Tar when a cavalryman cams
down the Hill 10 meet me, aud helped NE OF
his horse aud took me 10 the hospital
We went into this fight with ld5 men, and
several Of these were killed or wounded. Col
Kane was wounded aud taken prisoner anC
before lac got back be learned that we killed
1 l50 rebels, besides w0unding several hundred
among those killed being their great cavalry
leader Gen, Ashby. lie saw him buried.
The rebes had four regiments Of infantr,
and one Of cavalry al the fight The cavalF,
did not take part IN the battle. Gen. Ashby wa
shot ny one OF our wounded who lay on th,
battlefield, as the General rode in TO see wha
they had done. The Corporal who shot Ashbl
dad not know who IL was he had shot unit
aiteFEard; he knew he was some officer, ant
gave description Of him. and the manner O
his dress, and Col. Kane said il was Ashby. Til
Corporal died Of bis wound, after having hi
Lex amputaic4 twice.
Two regiments were formed Ga line in Ia
woods, aud were the ones who opened FIRE o
/ us huiore we were ready. We cut them up y
/ badly that they fell back, aud the other tw
took their place: The first two were then close
up, aud one 6ent down on either side 10 iianl
, aud capture us all, but when they got there W
4 were ROue.
IL the soldier who took me on his horse I
TIE hospital Is still living ] would like TO hoa
from him. j would also like to have any on
Of the men who were in the fight tell me hos
u happened that they got away without m
n Knowing iL j think someone must have give
! ah order lot Us 10 leave the woods. and that
. failed 10 hear ID owing 10 my being ia fron
I aud my back toward them. The battle laste
II one hour aud 40 mihutes.-lsNOCH BARRUA
!, ChilhOwcc, No.