The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1898-04-30

horse stood motionless and looked at
me. l took him by the bride, led bin
the rest of the way, filed my cantcens
and returned te camp. Twas long time
before cared to ride horse again.
While on duty on this came post.
tried to catch hog, as all were hungry
for fresh meat. My first plan Was to set
trap made of fence rails. This did not
prove very successful. Then l made
hole In the back Of the brush shautt
and strew crumbs around near by.
Finally large, fat hog came to eat the
crumbs, and just as he came near |
thrust my bayonet into his head. 1t
did not go in far enough to kill HIM and
before knew it the hog was off with
gun and all. The gun struck brush
and discharged. This l knew would
! cause trouble, rs we were not allowed
to fire unless to give aatm. i was not
long before an officer came charging
down the line to learn the cause OF the
shot. l did not tell all the story, but
said my gun went off accidentally.
Gu another occasion, while on the
"yedette post" in North Carolina, my
self and three comrades, Pennels, MUIR
ray and Vier, had quite All experience.
We had been ordered to fall back. thai
is If we chose, in the evening, out not
fearing ANYTHING we concluded to let
one fire burn low and remain al our
oil r
We were all peacefully sleeping in our
bush shanty when We heard ourselves
called. We listened and heard some
thing among the dry leaves near the
shanty. For moment all were little
excited. At once thought of its being
a rabbit, but to have little fun said,
Yes. boys, there they are, See them"
The place wac surrounded by old, black
stumps which. TO a frightened man,
looked like rebels. All hands said,
" Fall back Fall back - We tell back
as far as field near by and there Law
down among the grass and flowers to
rest. Pat Murray raised up and, think
ing, from his strong Imagination, that
he saw them, he said: There they are,
shall | shoot2" NO, no." said l. Fall
back" We fell back to the main line
and reported 10 the sergeant. The next
morning. at day break, | told the ser
peant l would go out to the post and
see what had been done, knowing, of
course. that no one had been there.
was as we had left it. l took some
crackers and things from our sacks.
which were there. and strewed them
around the snantv. Then / made prints
OF the butt of the gun in the earth all
around the shanty. When l got through
you would have thought quite a regi-
ment had been there. This | did to
complete the joke on my comrades.
The report we gave was sent to the re-
serve post and the nezt dav a scouting
party was ordered out. Had been
found out the joke might have been q
serious matter.
While in camp one day l thought
you'd take walk around the country
and find something good to eat. came
to house and went in. Just as |
stepped inside a man faced me and
said, "Iou are my prisoner He no
sooner than said it when | struck him
with n revolver and laved him fiat. This
was reported to the captain and he was
taken prisoner. He was namesake of
my own, Dayison. While our prisoner
he was made TO march at the head of
the army, being suspicious character.
Many other little experiences that I
had are to me the Source of pleasant
thoughts and would perhaps be inter
estlng to the reader, but on the occasion
| will not speak OF them. lis with in
terest and pleasure that I have gwen
this history of my service and with the
same spirit will l read that Of my COM
rades. JOHN L. DAVIDSON.