Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1897-10-23

ing to be reused at the break of day
for sudden charge. had started off
with General perched upon my musket
barrel, and sudden change in the or
der of march had separated us from
the wagons, so / placed the rooster on
the limb of n sapling above my head
while l lay down to snatch n few min
Ltes' sleep preparatory to the surprise
planned at daybreak.
General did not utter a single cluck
in protest, although he must have been
very hungry from long fasting, but
quietly squatted on the branch while
L flung myself on the grass and leaves
and was soon fast asleep. ] was so
weary that 1 slept profoundly until
was suddenly aroused by an unearthly
screech in my ear. Raising my head, 1
took in the whole situation at glance.
General had dropped down from his
porch and uttered n shrill crow right in
my ear which had awakened me, and as
I opened my eyes l saw the flash of
guns as our pickets fired, and i'll an
instant fell back upon us where we
lay. The Yankees had turned the tables
S'Il 10 anu oul VIC
surprising force became the surprised
and in ten minutes there was the most
unearthly racket going on in that pine
thicliet that you can imagine,
fright and left of my position the
boys came out of cover and advanced
with yells and cheers, moving cautious
ly and firing as they moved. 1t had
become sufficiently light for me to find
my few belongings, and l soon recov-
cred my hat and haversaclt, which
had forgotten to pick up in the hurry
of the first sdEpfise, and just at that
time 1 was salpted with loud crow
just above my head, and looking up l
saw General perched upon his limb, he
having flown back there when the fir
ing began, and with his head held on
one side he was siding along the sway
ing branch growing and clucking as
big as if he had taken part in the fight.
SIN spite of the banging of the guns
and whistling of bullets, General stuck
bravely to his perch and never flut-
tered during 'he entire engagement.
When I told the story in camp that
night General was the toast of the
evening, and he was treated to all sorts
of tidbits from the haversacks of my
comrades in recognition of his gal
lantry on the field of action.
"One morning, however, General
played the camp detective in a most
alarming manner, which came near
proving disastrous to a fellow soldier
of another mess. AlEl foraging had been
strictly forbidden and no man was al
lowed to leave the ranks under the
heaviest penalty of military discipline.
There was fellow by the name of Jim
Nessmith, who occupied tent not far
from that of the captain of our com
pany. About four O'clock the order was
passed along the lines for us to prepare
| to march. We had not been allowed to
| kindle our campfires the night before
| so that our breakfast consisted of bits
| of hard tack and such other scraps OF
| food as had been left in our haversacks
General was perched on the limb oi
bush near me while sat munching
my hard tack, and all of a sudden he
raised himself on his perch and crowed
| Justify. OF course, no cock in hearing
| could resist replying to such chal'
| lenge, and from within the tent occu'
pied by Jim Nessmith came the muf
fed crow of an old rooster. Jim made
grab at the bag and succeeded il
choking him off, but the noise had
reached the ears of some of the others
and the captain became apprised of the
fact that Jim had been foraging. A
hasty examination of his tent dis
closed the body of the big rooster
choked to death by Jim in his anxiety
to put q stop to his untimely Growing.
"Jim was ordered under arrest pend
ing ar Investigation, but just abou
that time the order came to advanc'