The Forrest City times., 1891-03-06

eWept tuIouyu tue gap were enUlaueu. After the fight to secure the gun was over. we discovered that she was loaded, that the lanyard was hanging from her breach, and no one had thought to pull 1t during the fight.
 The regiment rallied behind brush fence. George Drake of the color guard sprang over 1t and planted the colors at the side of tbe gun He swore that Lees men should have them if the regiment did not protect them.
 Probably 300 men lined themselves on the colors in three minutes. each man in his company, and each company in it's order. They moved forward at the com mand of the colonel, and restored the main line. occupying the same ground which they had left. By this time the sun had gone down, and darkness was sweeping over the plaln. IL became in- tensely dark. The regiment was lying down in expectation of another assault. It was terribly trying time. The moans of the wounded filled the air In the distance the shells had set the woods on fire. In tho lurid light the lieutenant colonel came down the line. He saw me standing in front of two companies
 What companies are these" he said, 'behind your
 told him.
 Where are the commissioned off cersg''
 Il don't know" was my reply.
 Where are the orderly sergeantsf''
 They're not here
 Hem. he muttered Well. ser Ceant major, take command of the tyt, s... Il relieved.
 One of the captains appeared not long af,erward. told him was in com. mand. with orders not to yield the authority till the lieutenant colonel re-. lieved me. Not long afterward the lieutenant colonel did relieve me and directed the captain to thank me for keeping his company intact. A moment afterward the orderly of the second com pany appeared and took command in like manner.
 Five minutes afterward the lieutenant. colonel ordered me to look after the pickets. In the darkness 1 moved the pickets toward the enemy. Each man took his intervals, Stopping close 10 the ground and looking up could sec their forms outlined against the sky. could name each comrade by his out. line. Tho ground was covered with the killed and wounded. Occasionally . wounded man tried to crawl toward our line. Everything. even the stumps. seemed to be moving. The wounded were packed around dead horses They orawled there 10 escape the bullets. using each carcass as shelter, While stoop. ing to the earth and glancing skyward 1 saw form moving past our line. Be vond could sec the outline of Corporal Mason. member of our regiment. 1 called him to mo We accosled the stranger. He WAS confederate picket The lines were passing each other In the darkness When asked what regiment he belonged 10 he replied;
 ''The Thirteenth Nisaissippi."
 Well. of with your traps" l said. Were Jerscymen.
 Good God" he exclaimed. not in terror. but astonishmeut
 Away went his cowskin knapaack. He throw down his gun and shook oN his accoutrements.
 You'd better keep your haversack." l said; you'll need that"
 It was made of undressed cowskin. A pair of new shoes were tied to it. He expressed great anxiety concerning the shoes. He was afraid that some Tank would contiscatc them.
 At this moment we were called iu He was my prisoner. told him to stick close to mo and l would protect him. He said that he lived in Pontiac, Miss. and that he was . printer. Being a printer myself this warmed mo toward him. When l reached the line the regi- ment was moving of in the darkness. IL moved back mile or more till 1t reached the earthworks near Banks ford. He had fought with tho Army of Virginia in every battle since its forms- tion, He was anxious,y seeking promo ton.
 Il am the unluckiest varmint in the world." he said 10 me. ''l never could get shut of bad luck Now, if l hadn't been cAtched hero tonight would have been made . corporal tomorrow. The captain told me that the colonel was a-going to make me a corporal. but my bad luck's turned up again. I've been totins 1t all my life and don't see nary . chance of a promotion now
 His feelings were % deep and his voice SO broken that l fancied there were tears in his eyes My sympathies over came my sense of duty. had had con siderable bad luck myself. finally turned to him. as we were passing a dead horse. and said: See here. part ner. you jus. slip out and lay down on the other side of that horse. Your men will be along here inside of half an hour. Snake off your bad luck. Iwon't stand in the way"
 As he was about 10 take cover he dis covered that somebody had cut the shoes from his cowskin haversack. He felt their loss deeply. But he ran to cover and we passed on. Next day Charlie Mulligan of Belleville wors the shoes.
 That night we lay ia the trenches three houra The Jobnnics had sscertained what was going on and were shelling the pontoons and the earthworks. They were using mortars. for we could see the fuses of the shells making parabolas in the air aud dropping near us. It was 2 O clock in tho morning when we de- scended tho hill and crossed the river on the rontooua Asnas (kxrn fam n