The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-09-17


pants to fall. and as they were six sizes
too large, the descent was very sudden
| ran as fast as l could for a tree, got
never forgave the Johnnies for the laugh
they had my expense"
In his remarks at the reunion of the Sec
ond Cavalry General Coburn gave short
history of the well-known Calling gun. He
said that DR.. Gatling. who then resided in
in the fan of 1864 and asked him TO come
down TO his place and look at his new gun.
Somewhat surprised to think that the Doc
tor had turned inventor, he went and was
shown the gun, its construction and man
.ner of operation, and test was made of 1t.
1t was not the finished engine OF destruc-
ton it now is. but the General recognized
its merit at once and departed the next day
for the headquarters of General Thomas.
bearing a letter from the inventor. One of
the guns was offered free of charge merely
to prove the assertions of DIR. Calling.
sion he was met WITH supreme contempt
and told that the baJonet was the proper
gun been introduced at that time the 10000
men that were required to keep the crack
er line. open could have been replaced by
this gun and have gone to the front and
ended the agony some months sooner He
also told the story of the Spencer breech-
loading rifle: how the inventor of that
weapon treated by Chief of Ordnance
Ripley and given the same answer from
Rosecrans that General Coburn got from
Thomas. But. General Coburn remarked
I'VE know better now. Our hindsght is
great deal better than our foresight"
One of the speakers at the G. a. r. Hall
paid a fitting tribute to the memory of Aft
B. May. of this city, who performed deed
of General Coburn. The pickets of the
Union lines had been driven in, and in the
ly three hundred yards from the ranks.
Private May the men fall and asked
to be allowed to rescue them. but was told
that they were beyond aid. Yelling, Who
is with me?'' he ran from the lines. two
comrades following him, and in the face
of the terrible fire of the Confederates the
rescued their wounded cOrlDaniOnS
Gaping unhurt.
While the Second Cavalry was lying be-
hind the rifle pits at Corinth, Miss, Com
pany d was ordered out for picket duty at
the river landing near Corinth. The rebel
around a corner of the breastworks Gen.
Nelson was shot at by a sharpshooter. the
bullet whistling through the crown of his
hat. Shots from this ''reb' had killed five
men that day. and this additional shot
made the General furious. Turning alb
tillery pieces trained the spot where the
sharpshooter lay concealed and three
charges of grape and canister were turned
loose IN that direction. AS private said
yesterday. I'VE weren't bothered any more
by that cussed sharpshooter."
Some one told a story yesterday to the
effect that at one time his comrades were
falling back in hurry and along about 3
o clock IN the afternoon they came across
there he said, that is. nothing worth talk
lng-only d monstrous host of flies and lots
of dirt. While they We're exploring the
camp the flies made rabid by extreme
hunger. lit on an old mule belonging to the
sutler and sucked all the blood out of him
right before their eyes. The man that told
this story was voted the medal.
At Triune. Tenn. one time just before
going into action. Col. Jim BrownloW was
reviewing the lines on horseback when a
shot from the enemy scared his horse The
animal turned and bolted toward the ranks
of the Johnnies. taking the bit in his teeth
The rebs wanted Colonel Jim very bad
about that TIME and Colonel Jim knew it
and TO save himself he deliberately pulled
his large revolver. and. reaching forward
he fell the Colonel jumped off on his feet
and made schedule time back to the lines
and Safetv ~"