Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-09-01
blessed in this worlds goods. as you have
been.
X. l.. LEE CAMP AUXILIARY.
One Soldiers Experience.

Of. S. Alley. New Orleans)
was just entering my seventeenth
year. when General Joseph j.. Johnston
commenced his retreat from Yorktown.
During that retreat the brigade TO which
I belonged was ordered one night to- me
extreme left on picket General Johh-
ston heard that his wary foe, Mcclellan
was endeavoring to get his flank TO our
rear. The regiment / belonged to was
sent in advance OF the brigade. MY com.
pany was sent I'm advance OF that, ana
the first four from the head or the COM
pany sent still In advance. The shortest
of that long four was ieft or about one
fourth Of mile from the company. Two
were dropped conscienuously until l. the
taliest. was let to guard the extreme
outpost.
The Colonel. a grand and cautious sol
der, took me in the darkness about
quarter further and into a dense, grim
thicket. In encouraging tones he tod
me that We were then about midway De
tween two roads-about seventy-iiYe yards
from elch-and about the same distance
from their junction In our front. He SAID
that Mcclellan was trying TO get to our
rear by one Of these roads, and that
ready 10 report the first sign or an mp
preaching army OF Yankees. He parucu-
latly cautioned me against Yankee scouts,
who were prow'line around. and mFsht be
lurking behind every bush. | was told Tor
the important place ! guarded. and Tor
that night / was the eyes and ears OF
the army. He made me feel proud when
I thought OF the magnitude Of the re-
sponsiblity imposed upon mo.
lie took the starch out Of me, however,
when, bidding mo good-by with warm
grasp Of the hand. he said: "Good-by. my
boy. Should you be killed | VIII write
your father that HIS brave boy fell In the
discharge OF hts duty and with his face 10
the enemy. Come back at daylight ana
join your company"
This was all very complimentary, but
not In the least cons0lng. Imagine n long
lank country boy. not yet beginning to cut
q beard, Just from the old farm, IN That
position. | was now suddenly Transformed
into a soldier on picket near historic YORK
town. with the newborn Confederacy rest
ing in the hollow of my hand. That sounds
nice In print, but that prowl.ng Yankee
lurking near ready 10 shoot me from am
bush was uppermost IN my mind. The
glory awaiting the bonnie blue nag when
placed along the side OF others In the
galaxy Of nations never occurred 70 me.
The Coloners retreating footsteps sounded
10 me as the requiem over the last friend
1 had on earth. don't think | moved all
night Ny brain became more excited as
time. with its wheels lock /. refused 10
pass. SO scared was / that ] commenced
70 make my VIII. ! made an inventory OF
my entire property, consisting OF a 2-year-
old colt, yearling calf n saddle, sin
gle-barrellei shotgun. and 4 good 'possum
dog.
What bothered me much was my assets
would not 20 around. and they were not
subject TO subdivision l could not make
fractions out Of any portion OF my estate.
] could not admit that my dog was vul-
gar fraction and h. was too big for
decimal. Malice, envy. and all the per-
vcrsities OF boy nature were gone. but
ny estate would not hold out with my
brothers and sisters. would Ike 70 have
given little momen:oes around even 10
my enemies. for l mad forfiyen every one
except the Yankees. dld not know /
had TO DO that How long | was for
giving my enemies and thinking up what
sort Of a looking corpse ] would make ]
do not remember or ever know. but about
that time an old Virginia whrp0Orwil
turned on his organ Of night song from a
tree Just over my head. That was the
first sound ! had heard. end. great Gaze
sar. how IL scared mel cold chills ran
all Owe, me IN quick Succession. I feared
&; was the lurking Yankee. l looked pite-
ously toward tho bird, hoping he would
get glimpse Of my face and stop, but he
would not When | found he was not
the lurking Yankee feared he would
attract the lurker my way I was sure
that common sense would teach him 20
stop that q stray ball might hit him.
when the lurking Yankee was shooting
me-
The night was long but TIE whiDpoor-
will was equal 10 the occasion. Ny brain
became wild Ny first impulse was TO
shoot, but | was afraid. / thought ]
would foil back on the reserve. but was
afraid to move. and / had not the most
distant idea which was the rear. Imagi-
nation ran Wild with n great panorama
Of unslghtly horrors unfolded before me.
with the lurking Yankee always IN the
foreground But the longest night will
end. began 70 discover little gray
trge on the horizon IL the 90 mel west.
but I was not choice "a TO where II came
from. Ny spirits began 20 revive, and |
concluded l would shoot the whippoorwiu.
but found that my gun had not been
loaded. ! had forgot 20 do II. The first
move ] made the bird few on I don't
think I had moved sufficient 10 attract
It's attention all night. When Hight
enough 10 see i fortunately went out IN
the right direction. and found my first
man impatiently awaiting me The next
two we found had united their forces
during the night. The grass was pressed
down In the fence corner. looking SUB
piciously as If some one had been asleep.
| never raised the question. I di no.
want 10 be questioned too closely myself
II developed afterwards that there was
not Yankee In ten mfes OF US.
served the war through and was
paroled al Appomstto,. and am satisfied
with my record. but had / known how 20
get out Of that thicket the old Virginia
whippoorwlll would have blasted my repu-
tation forever.