The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-12-30

men swarmn' thar like bees in June Thar
wuz so many o. them that | begun T. fee
better, an hope that we'unsd lick the
Yankees yit. We laid down in the shoe
makes behind a high rail fence, an begun
shootin' acrosst the field at the Yankees, who
made the hill OIL the other side blne as
indigo
"Our cannon were brung up an begin
bangin' at they'u Thar cannons shot
back. an thar wuz the orfullest noise
The Yankees bowed horns an than a
great wave O they uns rolled right down to-
wards we'uns They'uns wuz SO thick that
yo' couldn't see the ground behind they 'uns.
Thar ossifers WIZ ridin' behind wavin' their
swords; they wuzzent sayin' a word, but the
hornsd blow every minute or two. 1t wuz
jest frightful t. look at
"We'uns begun shootin' at they'uns as
fast as we could load an fire, hut whenever
we dropped man another'd take his place,
an the line cum steadily on. When they
got about hundred steps from our fence the
horns bowed agin, all the guns come up, an
they give US blast what knocked the splin-
tiers often the rails all aroun' we'ins. The
next thing | knowed they wuz pokin' thar
guns through the fence at we'nns, an we'uns
wuz jumpin up an runnin' back We
slseeted over the hill, an everybody seemed
breakin' back for our fort. | wished then
we'd built the fort miles further cut. Every
body wuz runnin' fit t. break his neck t. git
back in under the kivver o them mud banks
The Yankees was follerin' US up, checrin' an
shootin'
. thrOwed away everything | had on me,
an then my gun. kunnel Rhea wuz ridin'
along with u.s. tryin' t git we'uns t stop an
l,,% r. Al.
all. If we couldn't stop the Yankees thar we
couldn't nowhar outside o. the fort. Bime-
by Kunnel Rhea got bullet through his leg,
but he rid on till his boss WIZ struck with
piece of a bum-sheli. He called T. we'uns t.
help him off. an we toted him Il long ways
till the bullets got t comm too fast, when we
toted him inter a cattle shed an laid him
down on the cornstalks in spite O his cussin'. -
g Weuns had hung too fur back, as hit
wuz, fur jest alter we left him Yankee
bullet went through my leg. Bat we wuz
nigh the fort then, an begged the boys t
tote me in. When we got inside | reckoned
we'd be still safer if we went acrost the
river. The boys reckoned they would, too
They got a boss an carried me over on the
fust boat, an it wuz lucky that they done
so, fur lots of 'em wuz left on the other side
when the rest o the army got acrost an
burned the boats so that the Yankees couldn't
foller
cover the river, the whole army broke up,
an everybody started for home as best he
could. We'uns is licked, an the wars over.
We amt gwine T. fout no more. We can't
whip the whole 'varsal world. ! hope you'ns
III let by cones be by-gones. We didn't do
nothn' t yoa'ns except under orders, an
hated { have & do hit
William Hosllins," said the Elder
sternly, :" do not add lying to your other sins
If this awful chastisement TO YOU and your
co-workers in iniquity shall bring you to a
true repentance it will be we'll May be there
are some seeds of grace even in your heart
which will grow and make for righteousness
If you shall bring forth fruits meet for re-
pentance we shall extend to YOU the hand
of forgiveness. But you must begin now to
live new life. Brethren and sisters let us
all unite in singing.
Praise God from whom all blessings
fiow.'n
And they lifted up their voices with a
giadness Of thanksgiving surprising any that
their whole lives had brought to them.
To be continued