Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1895-06-01


Army of the Republic. Col Mussey
had met many old friends whom hehad
not seen for a quarter Of a century.
But when Jack Adams came into the
Office the scene was dramatic beyond
description. Col. Mussey acted like a
man whose dearest brother had come
back from the grave. He said:
''Why, my dear boy, 1 saw you killed.
saw six-pound cannon ball cut you
In two in front of Baton Rouge. We
were in charge, and l pressed on with
the regiment. Other fellows were fall
ing all around us, some of them killed,
but nearly all of them wounded. We
accounted for all rof them, buried the
dead and sent the others to hospitals.
supposed that fragments of your body
were buried, for never saw you after
that cannon ball struck you"
Eyes, Fred, you are right about that
cannon ball hitting me-" said Adams,
with smile. "But it didn't cut me in
two. AS a matter of fact, it was spent
ball, and only grazed my right hip. |
suppose it appeared to go clear through
me. But you must remember that
there was some little excitement just
then, and maybe you got ratified.
There was enough fighting and enough
danger to rattle the bra7est fellows that
day. Well, the spent ball paralyzed
me, and bruised me, and nearly killed
me. But / was breathing, although
unconscious, so they picked me up, put
me in an ambulance and sent me to
field hospital. Then was carried on to
hospital steamer, taken to a general
hospital at New Orleans, and finally
recovered. I never went to the front
again, and it was many day and many
q month before l was sound and well
again. But here am again, in the
body, and mighty glad to see my old
friend and comrade again"
Col Mussey had similar singular ex-
perience about the same time. We had
desks in the same Office room, and one
evening he came over to see me, and
said. with considerable excitement: 81
have discovered my brother, Al. Mus
Sey, after nearly thirty years of silence
N his part. He left our Vermont home
Ifter the war, saying he would never
ZONE back until his fortune was made.
we have never heard of him since; and
now / have discovered him"
Where is he, and how did you find
him?" inquired.
1T is providentia1, said Col. Mussey.
"The pension Office sends typewriter
slip every day giving the names of Ohio
and Indians soldiers to whom pensions
have been issued. I never received
California slip before, because my paper
does not circulate in California And
tonight In my envelope, by an error
of some clerk, found the California
pension list. l was about to throw it
in the waste basket when / saw the
name of Albert w. Mussey. That must
be my brother. He is in California.
He has applied for pension. It has
been issued, and this slip bearing his
name, the only California slip have
ever seen, has been waited into my of
fee. 1 will write to him"
The result of this peculiar incident
was that Col Mussey wrote to the PEN
sioner, received reply and then sent
word to his venerable mother in Yer
mont that her eldest boy was still alive.
Al Mussey had become a prosperous
rancher. He had been silent for many
years and dreaded to write TO his home,
lest sad news of the deaths of his kim
drad might come to him. But, after
all, the family was reunited, and they
all look upon that stray California PEN
sion list as a providential occurrence.
More remarkable than the story of
Jack Adams is a thrilling romance
which the records of the pension Office
disclose concerning Hugh Thompson,
Of Van Vert, o., farmer lad who had
enlisted in the Fifteenth Ohio infantry,
September 1, 1862, and marched away
to the front with the tens of thousands
of other farmer laddies who comprised
the bone and sinev of the rank and file
Of the armies of the union. At the
battle Of Chiclzamauga, as comrade
relates. while they were lying on the
ground at the front TO escape the tenn
pest of balls that swept the thin woods
where his regiment was engaged, a
case shot, probably detected from a
tree, struck him in the head, and his
face was instantly covered with blood.
His companion spoke to him, but he
did not answer. Just then the order
to fall back was given. He was assist
ed to his feet, staggered few feet in
dazed kind CT a way, and fell In heap
as a confederate brigade swarmed into
the woods. and his comrades were