Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1896-02-25

| soldier on sea ana ianu mas Won VIZ
high reputation for devotion to his
flag to suffer from the exposure Of q
condition which every military man
understands.
Mounting with difficulty after the
guns had left, ! came up with the car
riages again to find them halted in an
angle Of the ditch. close by the bridge
| over which we had crossed AZ we ad-
vanced. had been too much occupied
with my personal difficulties to see why
| the guns had kept off the road ON the
turf l had not seen my men leave, nor
did know where they had gone. II !
had seen the enemy approaching the
bridge, must have mistaken them for
our own men. Ihad certainly seen moth
ing from which ! was tempted to run
| away.
As arrived abreast Of the gun teams
at the ditch noticed that one OF the
| led horses was mortally wounded. Imust
have been dazed at the helplessness OF
my situation, left alone and utterly un-
able to extricate my guns. To do what
/ did was useless; nevertheless. / slip
ped to the ground facing the wounded
horse, with my back to the ditch. un-
toggled one Of his traces ut the collar.
and as placed my hand ON the other l
was sharply ordered to surrender, and.
turning about, found myself looking
into the muzzle of two revolvers in the
hands Of large man with bushy red
beard. Ny captor was Lieutenant Colo
mel Swanson Of the Sixty first Alabama.
think took fatalist's view Of the
situation. he would either shoot mo, or
he wouldn't was sullen and silent.
He afterward said. and have no doubt
he believed, ! was drunk; but, on the
contrary. was dreadfully sober. Big
rs he was. was worth something as o
shield Just then, for the balls were hiss
| ing by like hornets. and, taking me by
| The arm, he demanded my sword. /
think was conscious that General
Warren and his staff and the rest Of my
battery were observing me from the
edge Of the woods within 800 yards, and
that il was Just as cheap to cover my
self with glory while was about il. SC
pressed the clasp Of my belt and let
my saber fall to the ground. have
since read in the Rochester Union that
gallantly threw it away, etc.
Perhaps 30 men Of the colonels reei'
ment were grouped together ON the
bridge In the dry ditch and under tho
bridge were. should say. twice rs many
unarmed skulkers, taking refuge from
the storm Of bullets.
The scene at that moment remains an
ipdolible picture in my mind. and one
hardly paintable from a pctional stand
point. Crossing the knoll over which
the dusty turnpike led to the field, small
groups Of strngglers and slightly wound
| cd men in blue zouaye uniforms were
Offering themselves, with no Intention
al generosity on their part, as targets
| for the biiumen clad Confederates group.
ed at the bridge. The gun teams. bril-
liant in scarlet saddle blankets and pol
ished brasses. We're swaying against one
another, the captains horse and mine
frantically plunging against the others.
The Confederates. who for the moment
dominated the situation, had no time
10 gather in the helpless sknlkers or
even to secure desirable saddle horses,
and marching me with few other pris'
oners taken ON the road they speedily
fell back in the direction from which
they had come, abandoning the guns
which they had fairly captured.
After we got into the woods one oil
my guards generously offered me n
drink from his canteen OF whisky,
which gladly accepted, as was weak
with heat and from loss Of blood. When
we reached the turnpike in the rear OF
the Confederate line, was helped ur
ON to the box Of an ambulance beside the
driver, who was very young and great
ly excited.
"Doggone hot place back thar, mis-
ter. Never seen ambulances in such u
hot place befo'. Thar was two shells
come a-fyin down this yer road. Made
us git, show 'nuf. Reckon that thar
nigh mule got mighty near his last call.
Look o. that thar trace, mister. Don's
Won low that was close shave for a
mule?"
OF course apologized for my care
lessness, not having been ut the time
acquainted with him or the mule, and
expressed my sincere satisfaction that
they had sustained no further injury.
spent that night shivering around
smoky guard fire and in the morning
was brought back TO the neighborhood
of Early's field hospital, at Parker's
store. Whoever Parker may have been,
his store and tavern must have done
very small trade in its palmiest days,
for the long, dilapidated structure was
the only building in sight, except a one
story house facing the store, ON whose
floor made my hospital bed.
Disposed upon the hard floor OF thi;
house found 10, perhaps is. wounded
Union officers. Most were severely hurt.
One had suffered double amputation.
Besides the officers there were as many
wounded men in the house as could finc
floor room, and others-hundreds OF
them-lay on the ground under the
burning sun. Surgeon Donley OF the
Pennsylvania Bucktails had been cap
tured. with his case of instruments. Ht
had been permitted to retain his instru
ments long enough to perform the am
putations and dress the wounds OF the
officers before they were borrowed by
the authorities Of the neighboring hos
pital. The poor fellows lying in the sun
forced to wait day after day for surgical
aid, built roofs Of shingles or tore of
strips of clothing to shelter their wounds,
During the week that renamed
there the atmosphere was hazy with thu
smoke of burning woods, and we lis
tened to a ceaseless roar Of musketry
drifting fainter and fainter to the south.
was soon hobbling about with cane
and began at once to canvass the chances
for escape. Among the prisoners wa!
Lieutenant John v. Hadley OF General
Rice's staff, who had been brought IN
unconscious from bruises, his horse hav'
ing been shot under him while advanc
ing the pickets. Lieutenant Hadley
was now perfectly we'll and said amer
to my proposal to try to make our way
to Washington by way of Kelly's ford
exchanged my knife for corn bread
Lieutenant Hamilton gave us map o.
Virginia, and Colonel Miller-of l have
forgotten what New York regiment
supplied us with a compass ! provided
.. myself with stout stick, which l uset
j., hoth hands Tn swing myself along, a.