Evening journal., 1898-02-23
ms PARr IN THE WI.

HIS PART IN THE WAR.
To look at the good-natured face OF
Rev. Ezra Tinker, ID. D.. the popular
and capable pastor Of Asbury M. E.
Church. in this city, one would not I'M
agine that he was once one Of the most
warlike OF men. But he was, and pass
ed scathless through wars fiery ordeal
when many of his comrades bit the
dust in the defence OF the flag OF tnelr
country.
DR.. Tinker Is New Yorker lie was
raised near Elmira, and has been IN
Wilmington Conference but short
time. The Wayfarer does not know
him very well, but the other day he
happened to be present when the doc
Tor was telling part of his early hls-
tory. and the genial pastor will doubt
less be more surprised than anyone
else when he sees this In print.
When the war broke out the doctor
was going to school. He wished 10
volunteer to go to the front, but his
parents dissuaded him, expressing
their desire that he complete his
course Of study before becoming a sol
der He acceded TO their wishes,
graduated and became a school
teacher. but the love OF an occupation
more sanguindry and honorable Was
still strong within him. One day at
noon, in 1864, he locked up the school,
gave the key TO one of his pupils, a
daughter of a member of the school
board and told her to tell her father
that he had decided 70 quit teaching
and 20 to fighting
Then he walked to Watkins Glen
enlisted. and when he walked back to
his home he was clad in the blue and
gold of struggling Uncle Sam. After
wards he returned to Watkins Glen
and spent some time IN enlisting men
for the service.
He was entitled to a captains COM
mission in the 1S6th New York Regi-
ment. but some man who had more
money, put up S400 in cash and pur-
chased it from those who should have
freely bestowed it upon DR.. Tinker.
The regiment was Immediately sent to
the front, and. in the first engagement
theNman who had purchased the COM
mission which properly belonged To
DR.. Tinker. was killed. "I thought to
myself" said the doctor. that If had
got that commission, Il might have
been Tinker dead instead Of the Other
poor fellow"
After leaving the 1S6th the doctor
became a member OF one of the com
panies composing the l79th New York
Regiment. II was sent to the front
and became part Of The Army of The
Potomac. The regiment was in nearly
all Of the important engagements, bu'
the doctor never received a scratch
although often exposed TO the fire O
the enemy. He was in the fight befor,
Petersburg and was one OF the volun
Ufa oil I4l ttfat ff,tsf hla
Orable charge on Fort Malone. In thi
engagement every commissioned off
Ger was killed or wounded. Majo
Musgrave his commander, received
bullet in his stomach. The doctor as
sisted in carrying him from the field
When they reached the hospital tn
surgeons declared that the wOunde
man could not possibly survive Majo
Musgrave could not agree with them.
II know that I'm loaded" he said
'but I'm not going off.
And "gO of" he didn't When tn
troops We're mustered out at the en-
of the war the iron-willed major wa
among them. AT that time DR.. Tinke
was a non-conmissiohed officer.
Speaking of the action OF explodin
shells, he remarked that at Fort He
he saw man who was literally spl
open by a flying fragment OF a she
which exploded near him.
Doctor asked the Wayfare
what is the feeling of man when h
goes into a desperate action"
As he goes in tits one OF fear tia
he will never come out of il alive
was the answer. But, after he is on,
in. he becomes so excited that he nev,
thinks of the consequences. After d
lou.
everything is ohscured by smoke al
you cannot see the enemy. You kno
about where he is, and fire in that d
rection."
81 have heard that soldier fires h
weight in bullets for every shot whi,
takes effect" remarked the WayfarC
rs that true, think youg"
Il expect 1t is, for nearly all Il
shots fall short or go too high"
said. "One of the most uncanny fe,
lngs Is when you are lying down
night and the position you occupy
being shelled by the enemy. BY {
burning fuses you can trace the she
IN their flight Sometimes you thil
they are coming right at you. and "
involuntarily shrink as close to I
ground as it is possible to get. Wi
an unearthly shrek the thing pass
over you and YOU feel relieved un
the next shell. with it's trail of spar
comes flying and shriel1ng in Your
rection. Another ticklish position
to be standing between the artille
and the enemy and having your O,
gunners firing shot and shell over va
head. A man ducks before he kno
it. War is a dreadful thing. 1 ha
seen fields of battle whereon Won coi
pass over acres and never set your f,
on the ground, so thickly were m
strewn with the bodies Of dead 5
diers. ! believe in peace, but I thi
IT would be Just as we'll for our .,
ernment to build a few more ships A
recr" -'cral additional regiments
soldiers"
THE POWER OF BEER
II Is now the opinion Of many n
road men in this community thai
was bottle Of beer and not a red 4
tern which stopped the ROYAL r
Baltimore and Ohio express train n
Elsmere on Saturday An Italian ,