The herald., 1898-12-26

/ around the skiff in the water, but could feel
nothing else. So | reached as far as l could
and as low as the bottom of the boat. | soon
discovered that l had struck big chain.
which had been stretched across the stream
from shore to shore.
Il knew what that meant, for that was the
way the rebels had of preventing the union
gunboats from steamng up the smaller
streams. Now if could push on few miles
farther thought might fall in with some
of our craft and then | would be all right.
So got out of the boat and lifted it care
fully over the chain, standing meantime
on the chain myself Just as got it fairly
ever and jumped aboard, the challenge came,
first on one side of the stream and then on
the other: Halt! Who goes there?
''They began to shoot at once, and
ducked my head and lay in the bottom OF
the boat, trusting that the current would
carry me safely past the sentries, for the
rebels had pickctcd the stream for just such
fellows as |, and the chain was connected
with an alarm system by means of which
they had probably been aroused the instant
my boat landed fairly on the top and hung
there till pushed it over
Il heard them shooting and knew they
would follow me down the stream, so fool
ishly plunged into the water and swan
ashore, going up through the rushes along
the bank and tioundering along, making
enough noise, | suppose, to give them an idea
of the direction | was taking. ] struck
straight back into the country, intending
after l had given them the slip to work my
way back again to the river and to keep
sharp watch for some of our gunboats.
"unluckily, as it happened, the stream
veered away from the bank on which had
landed sharply in the opposite direction
little farther down, so it was broad daylight
before I could get back to the bank again.
Realizing that | had made mess of it, ard
wanting to save time if possible, while it was
yet dark, | broke into barn and stole an
old gray horse, which mounted, riding with
the halter The beast carried me safely back
to the very bank of the stream, near whore
1t emptled into the main river. There in he
middle of the stream lay two gunboats, with
the old Stars and Stripes floating in the gray
OF the morning almost within reach. but
just too far for me to get aboard before the
squad came up which had been hunting for
me since | scared them out of their blankets
when L was plunging around in the rushes
and along the shore after leaving The boat.
They grabbed me and wanted me to start
right off with them to camp. but | was
clean tuckered out with the hard work
had done, in spite of the help got from the
old horse and | dropped right down there
en- the ground and told them they could
carry me along with them or kill me on the
spot If they wanted to, but az for me | could
not go another step and wouldn't. They
cussed around and kicked me, struck me
with the butts of their muskets and tried
every way they could think of to induce me
to walk, but they finally gave it up and
carried me away.
1T was then, when more dead than alive.
looked back and saw the old flag waving
there over the gunboats. You can lust bet il
was the handsomest thing to me that 7
could think of. But | lived to fight under
the Stars and Stripes again after all. for
not long afterwards | was exchanged and
found my way back to the Massachusetts,
boys who had counted me as dead and never
expected to see me again in this life I
found my commission as second lieutenant
waiting me at headquarters was offered
colonels appointment in a coored reei
ment soon afterwards, but refused if pre-
ferring to stay with the men9 knew and be
contented with my shoulder straps. After
awhile | was promoted but | never went
outside of my regiment till we were mus
tered out at Boston when the war was end
cd But whenever I see the old FLAG think
OF the time it looked so good to me in the
swamp along the banks of the river