South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1892-12-02

FRIDAY. DECEMBER .. 1899.
A War Story.


ter were lying In front or Lynch
bnrg. Why they did not enter we
did not know and never learned
but they must have overestimated
the thin line Of Confederate defen-
ders, ~ they hesitated to advance.
Be that as il may, they could east
ly have walked over Us that night.
for we had but few hundred hun
CRY, tired and worn-out Confedsr-
ates to bar their advance. Condi-
tons changed, however, before
morning. Abous 10 o'clock that
night I was on picket, posted be-
hind hiilock, from which could
see the Yankee picket about 200
yards away. Just behind me there
was thicket of underbrush or low
bushes, following the low ravine
along the foot of the hill.
i had kept suspicious eye on
that long scattering line of under
brush for over an hour, for knew
that it led around the little hill and
out in front of the Federals, and
thought how easily tho Yankees
could creep up and around In our
rear if they only knew of it. About
ten o'clock l heard some one max
ing 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 brush.
muttering and grnmbling as though
he was considerably out OF humor
over something.
The nature Of his advance re-
lieved me of any alarm might 9TH
erwise have felt, but as l knew that
no one had any business tramplng
aud crashing, about in the brush
and making noise enough to attract
the attention OF tho enemy, | fell
back q few PAGES and waited until
the fellow struck the little opening
fifteen or twenty feet away. In.
stead of a drunken Confederate,
which / more than half expected to
see, blue-coated Yankee kicked
his way through the last brush and
came to halt as il he had been
shot ut the command, "Halt !
Throw down that gun 70
"Well, I'll be blessed if you amt
a rebel -
eyes, and you are a Yankee.
Step out and hold up your hands."
He had dropped his gun, and when
siw that he had no other arms /
told him to sit down on the grass.
The fellows surprise and astouish-
ment was too clearly apparent for
mistake, but concluded to ques-
tion him, aud asked elbow did
you come in here and what were
you after ?"
after what do you 'spose q
fellow'd be after who hasn't had
anything to eat for two days ?"
"You.didn't expect to 2et g lunch
down on Red Row over there, in
Lynchburg, did you p
"Not by big sight ; l didn't
know l was outside Of cur lines,
but then l must have been so han
CRY that l didn't notice, and i ex-
pect our pickets are too blamed hRn-
cry to keep a sharp lookout. and
80 they didn't see me. Don't see
how l got in here. Sayl sure
you're reb ~
! told him there was no donbt on
that score, anyhow, and that our
fellows had not been in danger Of
laundering from q superabundsnce
Of good things, or very ordinary,
common, everyday sort Of food
either for months, but as ! had a
pretty good chunk Of cornbresd in
my hsversack, ! would divide.
"Sit where you are and help your
self" said /, as | pitched the grub
sack down beside him. 1t does me
good to day to shut my eyez and see
that little whiteheaded Yankee eat.
It did me so much good even then
that / stood and looked down on
him as ho rammed a handful of
coarse cOrnbread into his mouth,
then turned mp bis canteen and fill
cd mp the interstices with water and
wound up by gulping down the
mass as quickly as muscles and "a
Venous energy could perform that
l kept on looking and
the Yankee kept on eating until the
fellow had eaten bis
share and mine, too. "Well, I'll
be hanged" / was beginning ia
CONSERVATION land / was about to
finish by swearing q little, Pm
afraid, as / think over it at this
late day., when my prisoner SEEM
cd also suddenly struck with the
knowledge Of having imposed upon
my hospitality for as soon as he
could gulp down the last mouthful
he said, "Blame my buttons, John
ny, IL / hain't eat up the lot. I'm
sorry, bat 1 was 80 90 hungry /
didn't know"
Then we looked at each other
and the whole affair struck us so
Iudicrous that we both burst iuto a
hearty laugh. I sat down and
laughed until tho tears ran down
my cheeks. and that Yankee rolled
over and laughed and made such q
racket that was afraid some Of the
oickets in front Of US would open
Gre, but they didn't.