The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1892-11-16
A WAR STORY.
TOLD ny AN EX.COSFEDERATE.

they did not enter we did not know
and never learned, but they must have
overestimated the thin limo of Confed-
crate defenders, as they hesitated to
advance. BE that "a II may, they
could easily have walked over ia that
night, for we had but few hundred
hungry. tired and wo:u-out Confcdcr-
atcs TO bar their advance. Conditions
changed, however, before morning.
About 10 o'clock that night was OH
picket, posted behind hillock, from
which could sec the Yankee picket
about 200 yards away. Just behind
me there was a thckct of undcrbrush
or low bushes, following the low
ravinc along the foot of the hill.
| had kept a suspicious eye on that
long scattering line of underbrush for
over an hour, for ! knew that it led
around tho little hill and ont IN from.
of the Fedcrals, and thought how
easily the Yankees could creep up and
around in our rear il they only knew
of 1t. About ten o'clock heard some
ono making his way through the brush,
coming in my direction. Whoever
he was he did not try TO conceal his
advance, but came along stumbling
and crashing through the rush, NUT
tering and grumbling as though ho
was considerably out of humor over
something.
The nature of his advance relieved
me of any alarm might otherwise
have felt, but as knew that no ono
had any business tralnping aud crash
ing about In the brush and
making noise enough to attract
the attention of the enemy, | fell back
a few PAGES aud waited until the fell
low struck the little opening fifteen or
twenty feet away. Instead of Il
drunken Confederate, which | more
than half expected to see, blue coated
Yankee kicked his way through the
last brush and came 10 a halt as If hc
had been shot at the command, "liultl
Throw down that gun!"
"Well, I'll be blessed if you amt "a
tebcl!"
eyes, and you are Yankee. Sep
out and hold up your hands" lie
had dropped his gun, aud when saw
that he had no other arms l told him
to sit down on the grass. The fell
lows surprise aud as;onishmeut was
too clearly apparent for a mistake,
but concluded to question him. aud
asked; "How did you get in here aud
what were you af'er?"
"After! what do you 'spose fell
low'd be after who hasn't had any.
thing to eat for two days?"
"You didn'i expect to get lunch
down on Red Row over there, in
Lynchburg, did you?"
"Not by u big sight; I didn't know
was outside of our lines, but then
must have been so ungry that !
didn't notice, and expect our pckets
are too blamed hungry to keep a sharp
lookout, and so they didn't see mo.
Don't see how got in here. Sly!
sure you're a reb?'
told him there was no doubt on
that score, anyhow, and that our fcl-
lows had not been in danger of toun.
dering from superabundance of
good things, or very ordinary. CON-
mon, everyday sort of food either for
months, but Ne had a pretty good
chunk of cornbread in my havcrsack,
would divide.
"Sit where you are aud help your
self" said l, us | pitched the grub
sack down beside him. 1t does me
good today to shut my eyes aud soc
that little white-headed Yankee eat
It did me so much good even then that
I stood and looked down on him as hc
rammed handful of coarse cornbread
into his mouth, then turned up his
canteen and filled up the interstices
with water aul wound up by gulping
down the mass as quickly as muscles
and ravenous energy could perform
that function. I kept on looking and
the Yankee kept on eating until the
confounded fellow had eaten his share
and mine, too. "well. I'll be
hanged" Iwas beginning Ia oonstsr-