The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1893-10-07
vAnced my force, with cooked pieces,


perior force, that we halted to decide,
by council OF war, whether Officers OF
privates ought to occupy the front
rank. The privates were sure that the
officer should. The officer was equally
positive that he should not.
AS each party at once set about put
ting his theory on this point into prac-
tice, the company was soon back at the
persimmon tree which stood on the
crest of the hill. Here we had an open
space at our front, and, what seemed
just then still more important, an open
one in our rear, with a line of retreat
downhill.
We were not as brave as we had been,
but here we made a pause, deter.
mined to end the war one way or
the other, and that pretty soon-that
is, so far as we were concerned. Our
hearts thundered like trip-hammers In
our ears. Our views of military duty
as we'll as of military glory underwear,
serious change.
The rustling of lea 'es and swapping
of twigs swept nearer and nearer The
edge of the wood was reached. The
otitmost fringe Of bushes was now
a-quivcr
have n confused recollection of a
roar, Il rush of wildly flying earth and
leaves, and still more wildly flying he'll
NETS and cutaway coats. Then found
myself astridc persimmon limb a safe
distance from the ground, which was
held by n raving bull. The animal was
dividing his attention between my tree
and the three others that held the re-
mainder of the battalion.
"Aim! Fire!" shouted as soon as
took in the situation.
No response came. I repeated the
command still louder and more per-
emptorily, and continued to do so until,
having at some risk wriggled myself
around on the limb so as to face the
battalion, found that the reason why
my soldiers did not fire was that they
had nothing to fire.
The armament of the battalion was in
the hands, or rather under the feet, of
the bull. | reached for my sword only
to find it also missing.
The bull took his stand under the
tree. The afternoon stretched out into
an interminable expanse of time. My
persirhmon branch became intensely
uncomfortable; but still the bull kept
watch for us. BY and by thunder
storm arose and made matters much
worse.
Accompanied by binding flashes of
lightning that seemed to play around
our very heads, and deafening thunder
peals, the rain fell in such torrents that
A.
horsehair helmets had been abandoned
with our arms, the rain poured into our
gaping collars till we were soaked
through and through.
Twilight arose from the woods like
black mist and began to envelop us.
The rain slackened, but the bull, in
stead of departing, lay down among the
trees, springing to his feet believing
fearfully If any one of us made an at
tempt to get down.
l was becoming so chilled and stiff,
and my hands were so benumbed with
clutching the tree, that several times
was on the point of losing my hold and
falling to the ground. From the some
what unsoldierly sounds of distress
that came from the other trees, in
ferred that the rest of the battalion
were in no better plight than I.
Just as night was swallowing up the
world, made out dim, decrepit fig
ure hobbling along on the other side of
the fence.
"Whut dat up dem trees?" demanded
voice.
'Its me-" sang out with one accord
four hoarse and whining voices.
''My goodness alibe, chillun, whut
yer mean turnin' tree-frawg dis time o
night?" came the response.
80, Uncle Natl" l called out. "Drive
away that bull! He won't let us come
down!" Ichattered.
Good old Nat Dibby, free negro
whom we all knew very we'll, ha hap
pened to come past He made rush
at the bull, and drove him away, and
one by one we half-slid, half-fell out of
the trees, helped down by Uncle Nat.
wondered greatly how he happened
to be here-so far away, and when he
told us that his cabin was only mile
away, could not believe it.
But it was to his cabin that he took
us, and after we had been regaled on
ash-cake and buttermiil, the battalion,
captain and all, were tucked away in
the only bed in the house. while the old
man and his wife, Aunt Patsy, slept on
the floor.
Betines the next morning the bat
talon began their retrograde move
ment. At the head marched Uncle Nat,
bearing our weapons in his arms Aunt
Patsy had spent most of the night in
drying our regimentals, but they were
SO rumpled and bedraggled by the cam
paign of the day before that all the
pomp and circumstance of war was
gone, leaving us to cut pitiful figures
indeed.
Ne mind, honeys,' argued the old
man, as we trudged at his heels. ~
thinks you's done mons'ous smart fer
lip scrops o. chillun lax you, does.
You's done toted desc hyere guns all
day 'dout shootin' anybody or yerse'fs,
elder, yous clomb trees lax squir'ls an
freH to de limbs lax tree frawgs. Go
home an eat u few mo- ash cakes an
you'll lay you'll be gin'nls, ev'y one un
yer, by en- by!
When we came within sight of home
we found the widest commotion. Peo-
pie thronged the place. Searching
parties were being formed. Mounted
rnessengerswere dashing off along every
road and byway.
We trembled with fear at the thought
of meeting our mothers. We had ex.
pected to march back to the sound of