The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-01-26

STOPPING close 10 the ground and looking up
could sea their forms outlined against the
sky. / could name each comrads by his
outline. The ground was covered with the
killed and wounded. Occasionally a
wounded man tried TO crawl toward our
line. Everything. even the stumps, seemed
to be moving. The wounded were packed
around dead horses. They crawled there to
escape the bullets, using each carcass as a
shelter. While STOPPING to the earth and
glancing skyward saw form moving past
our line. Beyond l could see the outline Of
Corporal Mason, member OF our regiment
l called him to me- We sccosted the
stranger. He was a confederate picket.
The lines were passing each other in the
darkness. When asked what regiment ne
belonged to he replied:
THE Thirteenth Mississippi"
We'll, off with your traps, said. "We
are Jerseymen."
GOOD Godp he exclaimed, not in terror,
but astonishment.
Away went his cowskin knapsack. He
threw down his gun and shook of his &C
couterments.
YOU'D letter keep your havsrsaok,n /
said. You'll want that"
It was made Of undressed cowskin. A
pair OF new shoes was tied to it. He ex-
pressed great anxiety concerning the Shoes
He was afraid that some yank would con-
fiscate them.
At this moment we were called In. He
was my prisoner. l told him to stick close
to me and would protect him. He said
that he lived in Pontiac, Miss, and that he
was printer. Being printer myself this
warmed me toward him. When reached
the line the regiment was moving OFF in the
darkness. 1t moved back a mile or more
till it reached the earthworks near Banks
ford. They had been thrown up by VIII
cox's and Jenkins confederate brigades
some days before this. Below them a pom
toon bridge was being laid. upon which we
were to recross the Rappahannock. Before
we reached the earthworks the confederate
prisoner had enlisted my sympathies His
heart was nearly broken. He had fought
with the army OF Virginia in every battle
since its formation. He was anxiously seek.
ing promotion.
az am the unluckiest varmint in the
world" he said to me. II never could get
shut of bad luck. Now, il / hadn't been
catched here tonight l would have been
made corporal tomorrow, The captain
told me that the colonel was a going to
make me a corporal, but my bad lCck's
turned up again. I've been totiug it all my
life, and don't see nary a chance of pro
motion now"
His feelings were so deep, and his voice &c
broken, that fancied there we're tears in
his eyes. My symDathies overcame my
sense of duty. had had considerable bad
luck myself. l finally turned to him, as we
were passing a dead horse, and said: "Set
here, partner, you just slip out aud lay
down on other side of that horse. Your
comrades will be along here inside Of nall
an hour. Shake off your bad luck.
| won't stand in the way
As he was about to take cover he discov
cred that somebody had cut the shoes from
bis cowskin havsrsack. He felt their loss
deeply. But he ran to cover and we passed
on. Next day Charlie Mulligan Of Belle
vile wore the Shoes
That night we lay in the trenches fol
three hours. The Johnnies had escertaineC
what was going on, and were Smelling thu
pontoons and the earthworks They were
using mortars, for we could see the fuse
making parabolas in the air and dropping
near us. 1t was o'clock in the morning
when we descended the hill and crossed the
river on the pontoons
A week after ward the colonel sent in thu
names for promotion. Among them wa
the name OF an orderly sergeant belonging
to one of the companies attached to tn
regimental division over which he hat
placed me in command. 1t was politics
There was plenty of politics In the army
The governor sent on the appointment OF
the lieutenant colonel's recommendation
| AMOS J. CUMMINGS.