Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1892-03-12

Good stories of the War Told by Rus
sell A. AIaer and Others

]
tate war. including General Algcr. Judge
| Fitzgerald, and Captain Scamans. sat in
the corridor of the Palace and exchanged
experiences.
The question of personal bravery is
always one of peculiar interest" said
General AIger. but many man who
bore the reputation of having a charmed
life owed it to the admiration of his OPP
ponents. AS rule a soldier will never
fire at man who displays unusual cour-
age. | know this from experience.
1T was in the fall of 1868 that was
transferred from the Army of the West
to the command of "a regiment in the
Army of the Potomac. About that time
the rebels moved across the Rapidan and
! was sent to drive them back. 1t turned
out that it was reconnaissance, but at
the time we believed they were seeking
To make a lodgment on the north of the
river. We drove them back to the bank
of the stream, but there they made saw
age stand and renforcementS were
thrown over to aid them. Their position,
owing to the formation of the ground,
was "a very strong one and ours greatly
exposed. While preparing for the struggle
my command was attracted by a courl"r
approaching. He was on foot and availcd
himself of the numerous gulleys worn
by the rains to protect himself from tine
enemy's fire. Volley after volley was
fred at him, but he reached me unin.
jured. He bore orders for me to report
N once to General Fitzpatrick.
In order to reach the latter / would
n' compelled to pass over an almost open
plain for fully three quarters of mila
and exposed to the fire of the rebels. L
flashed upon me that the attempt would
result in certain death and was on the
point of refusing to obey, when it oC
CURED to me that | dared not display
any indication of cowardice in the pres
nnce of my command. Leaving my
horse and command, which were sta.
toned behind a small rise in the ground,
] started on foot The moment | ap
peared | was greeted with volley, aud
the dirt flew around, but was unhrlit.
At this the rebels cheered. and in mo.
ment the shot flew thick about me for Z;
second time, but not one touched me.
There was another cheer from the rebels,
out kept going | was SO badly frign.-
ned that dared not even look to til.
right or the left. Every moment lUoil"'
tor another volley, and felt that | "ouI"
not escape again. Not another shot Wa.
fired. and during the - minutes tIii
elapsed while was in range OF their gun
round after round Of cheers greeted mo.
but not a bullet was sent aft Il me. |
coached General Fitzpatrick in safety, and
from that day to this have sought un~Hc-
',srfu'ly the name of the rebel OIL,
~ nose men spared my life.
"Ih" worst frightened man | ever
,aW, said Judge i'itIguald. with an
unused EXPIRE -;jon of countcnance, "Was
tt Pea Ridge, when we were attacked by
he Federal troops For body servant
had a siiappimg negro boy, whose duty
It WAS to lock af / my blankets and
rntious. and. negro like, he was forever
.raWIing into sonl,' out of the way place
To sleep. just a~ We Wrre expecting the
advance the FcdeIdls opened fire on lis at
rather close range. We were in the skjr
! miSh line and in a moment our men were
depIoyed in battle array. Just as the
firing began to grow heavy heard a
.,iprring yell and saw my negro boy flying
l;nng between the lines. Every step
would have measured - feet, and every
line his foot struck the ground he would
veil Oh, Lord! loud cnough to be heard
in both camps. With him he bad my
blankets and ratiOnS. and at every jump
Il e I tl,,,
other in his wake. AS far as | could ~"r
him he was going like a frightened deer.
and long after he was out of sight lcuHli
hear him yell. He had been sleeping cx-
acGly midway between the lines when the
battle opened, and it is not surprising
that he was scared Two weeks elapsed
before he returned to camp, but he woul4
not talk of his Pea Ridge experience.
"Out in Kentucky" chimed in Captoin
Seamans. Il witnessed Il peculiar occur
renee. which illustrates the uncertainty
of human life We were marching
through an oren stretch of farming
country and at the distance, as afterward
ascertained by actual measurement, uf
more than mile we espied a rebel
soldier sneaking along behind a hedge
fence. With us was a detachment os
sharp shooters, and one of them, just fer
the fun of the thing, as he expressed it,
took shot at the Johnny. Raising his
rifle to his shoulder, he glanced quick Y
along the barrel and fired There was u
distinct interval of several seconds and
we saw the rebel leap into the air and
fall to the ground. When we reached
the spot he was dead having been shot
through the head. San Francisco Gait.