The broad ax., 1896-03-14
A NARROW ESCAPE.

Nv regiment was attached 20 smith's
brigade, Biafr's division Of GRANTS army
at VicksburR. We had made our esseoIs
Of May 10 and were now reforming Gun
lines and preparing for another asssnn %
their works.
Two DAYS had lspsed and We were reedy
for our task. On the s9d We were ordered
A. oocupv one Of those waves Of bills thas
ofered such srceilent opportunities nor
the deserse Of vicksburg. The cres. W.
about 500 yards In advance OF our s ~
line and about an equal dissapoe -
Confederate intrenchments- We eo.AnS
IN good order and reached the oress Ml.n
sliaht loss and lay down 70 await orueIs
for the final assault. As we lay upon ouE
backs gazing upward We looked ino Al
italian sky, cloudless and serene nMS
q typical "sunny south" day, warm' Win
out discomfort, the air balmy ana M.
Grant: not q leaf stirred; all nature seemed
70 be peacefully resting, In strong contrast
10 the roar Of war that now was renoine
this peaceful vale, only TO be equaied py
heavens laundering guns when the ssor"
king 10 abroad In his power.
Being located midway between our ar
tiIlery and that of the enemy, with the
roar Of the guns on either side, ana Mss
ing, screaming shot and shells hurtnng
over our heads, made our position bell
of demoniacal sounds, but 80 protected
that we carefully listened to the roar, ana
philosophically contemplated the chances
of victory or defeat.
Our reyerie, however, was soon ruoey
aroused by q thud and little oiouo OF
dust but q few feet down the hill nom
where we lay. Comparatively safe nom
the enemy's fire, our blue lines in plain
sight of our gunners, we oonfded In the
correctness Of their aim. But here comes
q shot from our guns-Waterhouse's bat
tery-plunging into our line Colonel
Hoge SAINT an orderly, aoquainting the gun
ners with their carelessness-
As the shot had struck but q few feet
below where lay It Il needless to say I
watched the further firing Of that gun
with interest. Ten minutes elapsed, and
shots passed safely over. Twas lying rest
ing on my left elbow. Corporal Bird,
manly soldier, lay upon his back close to
my side. I was watching that gun A
white puff Of smoke, and instantly the top
Of o tree standing In hollow about 100
yards In advance Of the gun toppled over.
The activity Of tie human mind Is phe-
In the next few seconds lived
an experience seldom given to mortals.
The gun, tree and myself were In direct
line. The shot, before obstructed By the
tree, had been sufficiently elevated TO 60
over, but what nowi Gould the obstruo-
ton lower Its elevation and plunge 10 into
our hnef
What Is that sect Il Is coming straight
1t mel Like bee In its flight I see it.
What win it do-take Oh an arm or legf
Will 20 home to wife and babies on
or win they bury me on yonder
slopef There was o whirl Of In and pos
abilities about this Life and the next rush. /
ng through my brain. Why not turn
1ver, dodge 1t, jump up-anything to get
,ut Of range Of coming deathi Was I
doomed 70 be . witness Of every detail Of
my own deathi The mind outran the
speed OF the cannon ball q thousand times,
but there was not time to telegraph the
danger 10 the dull muscles for action.
In the midst Of this mental confusion
there came q heavy spat, q tremor Of the
ground, q sprinkling OF something warm
In my faoe, and jumped to my feet un-
harmed, to look down on the mangled
form and face struck with death Of the /
voung oomrade ss my side, whose left side |
had been carried away BY . six pound
hot. Observing that his lips moved, I |
Lnelt down and heard the faint words,
twice repeated, "mother-water." And
he soul Of Corporal Bird, q good soldier, o
,lean hearted boy, with whom for nearly o |
rear had touched elbows In line and on |
he march, took its fight.
We buried him near the fatal tree that /
'sused the accident, and q year later I |
furnished q detail to exhume his body, |
hat 1t might be laid beside his kin at his /
northern home on the banks Of the beau
iful Kankakee.
The death Of this young soldier ever has
! weird interest for me. Why should It
Itrike him and leave met Did the fates
iecree tt, or was IL for some wise purpose Il
Il him who numbers the hairs Of our
reads and notes the fall Of q sparrowi
have seen the smile Of incredulity ON
he faces Of friends while relating this in
Iident Of seeing q cannon ball in its fiRht.
reply know it Il true, but deem it
,ossible only to close observers, a strong
ye and favorable atmospheric conditions.
doubt II it Is possible In the hazy atmos-
here or the coast At Mobile watched
or nine days, but saw none. At Arkanaas
'ost saw several The flight Of honey
'ees Tar above the tops Of trees has BEEN
requently observed. Sherman's corps on
he march to join Grant at Port Gibson
Witnessed . bright star at MONDAY.
In 1850, In going down into the Platte
alley from O'Fallon bluffs the writer.
nth the natural eye, plainly saw the gar
ison nag at Fort Kearney. The distance
J said tc be ak miles.-Exohanes.