Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1894-08-02
AFTER MANY YEARS.

4luuA0 WOUuC1 OlllCo III WlllCu UU0 keLCTdl
was making his headquarters, noticed, !
with more or less amusement, the annoy
ance the old general experienced at the
falling of little particles of wood and spl in
tiers upon the table whereon he wrote
The roof of this little office was trifle
higher than the parapet, and the federal
sharpshooters were amusing themselves
with practice at the shingles. I thought
1t funny to see the old fellow glance at the
litter through his glasses, brush 1t away
with his sleeve and resume his writing
without giving any attention to the top Of
his domicile.
"Do you reckon the old cuss knows
where those splinters are coming from?"
remarked a comrade.
"No idea in the world" answered.
When the general had finished his next
paragraph, he made a swipe at the trou-
blesome splinters, arose, came to the door |
and called the colonel Of North Carolina
regiment.
"Colonel, said he, "detail 200 men I'M
der an officer and drive those people from
tho front" With this he returned to his
correspondence.
When the detachment was ready to
move out, my comrade, member of the
Guards battalion, and whose name did
not then know, suggested that we accom-
pany the expedition, and obtaining the
officers consent we fell In on the extreme
left. One other member of the Guards
slipped ina TALL erect young fellow, with |
keen, dark eyes The head of tho column
entered the moat at the left flank of tho
battery, and forming in the ditch the i'm
provised battalion moved round to the
front and stepped to the surface IN well
regulated line. The Yankees seemed sur
prised at the sudden apparition, rising out
of the ground, as it were, but manifested
no disposition to make off. On the con-
trary, and in tho most methodical fash
ion, they suspended their nonsense with
the generals roof and directed their prac-
tice on us.
We moved forward at quick time, firing
at will, the Federals backing away and re-
turning the civility In the same fashion.
We could go so far only before coming
under tho additional fire of the enemy's
advanced works, and as nothing more was
contemplated than to allow the general an
opportunity of finishing his correspond
ence without disturbance our officer in
command soon gave the order, I'm retreat
by files from the left.'' This let out our
file first, but being disposed to assist the
line as it was being diminished by the Or
der of retirement, we-that Is to say, the
two mcmbe)s of the guard and I-entered
two story frame building and ascending
to the upper floor opened fire from the
windows. The Notwithstanding had been
removed from the front of the building as
high in some places as tho second floor, a
circumstance, however, which possessed no
serious feature willis any material part of
our line remained betwcenus and the now
advancing enemy. We had perhaps fired
dozen rounds when we realized that our
entire line had passed our position in re-
treat, and that instead of splinters being
dropped on the generals table they We're
flying about our own ears in most I'M
comfortable fashion.
Don't stand before that window. We
must get out of here
This remark had scarcely been made
| when I heard the tingling of pane of
glass; broken out of the window at the
back side Of tho house and Immediately i'll
line with the one in front from which VIC
were firing The bullet which broke the
| glass had passed through the wrist and
body of my first comrade who staggered
| about the floor. We two caught him and
assisted him to lie down, and as no did so
he had something to say and something to
give to his comrade. Running to the back
window, called to the battery for sur
geon and at the imminent risk Of his life
this officer promptly responded. The doc
tor knelt by his patient, took his wrist,
reflected moment, then turning to u.s. re-
marked: "This man will be dead in five
minutes. You can be of no service. Get
out of the house."
stood about irresolutcly fora moment,
and then noting the absence Of my other
comrade I asked, "What became of the
soldier who was here moment ago."
"He jumped out of the window"
I then followed suit.
Thirty years after this occurrence, and
| just preceding u county election, was ono
of party Of gentlemen standing In front
! Of a drug store in a certain Georgia town.
A tall, erect, thin visaged man, with pc
culiar dark eyes, approached and addressed
the party thus: "Gentlelnen, am a can
didate for coroner and would be glad to
have your support would say that
am somewhat familiar with the duties Of
the place. and perhaps you may consider
that an old soldier has some little claim
on your suffrage.
Our party seemed to feel no interest In
the candidacy of our orator, and to relieve
any embarrassment which the prospective
offlceholder might experience at the silence
with which his solicitation had been re-
ceived asked:
what command did you belong tor"
Savannah Guards battalion" he re-
Piled
"Did you serve with your command on
Morris island, and, If SO, perhaps you can
tell me the name of the handsome young
fellow who was killed in the upper story
Of the building in front of the battery"
"Why, yes" said he. John Maher was
his name. helped lay him down, I and
stranger-a man never saw before nor
since. In the little interval before he died
he gave me ring and a message which he
wished delivered to his sweetheart. AS he
was about breathing his last the doctor,
who had come up stairs at great risk, told
us to got out. ran down one flight of
stairs to about where the wcatherboard-
ing had been knocked off and lit out Of
the window. The Yankees were then in
the neighbOrhOOd OF the front door. AS
the house was structure Of two stories
and basement, might be said to have
jumped out Of the second story"
"Humph!" 1ejaculated. II understood
the Doctor to mean that you had gone out
of the window of the upper story, and 1t
was from there made my exit, for am
the stranger who helped you lay John
Maher down. I have often thought Of
this circumstance and how singular 1t was
. that my comrade should have lost his life
. through the letter that fell on tho gen.
!. erals table. No less strange is 1t that the
same trifing cause should have set us two
) Jumping like reckless grasshoppers from q