The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-07-22
OUR NEW YORK LETTER
HOW Mr.. n. r. BARNES OF BOSTON
CAPTURED A PRISONER OF WAR.

/
and Barnes. Then a Correspondent. Was
Armed with n Lead Pencil Only-Now
Bound For Cuba.
NEW YORK, July 2s.-[Special. l-Hor-
ace +. Barnes of Boston, for some years
associate pastor of fremont temple and
the representative of the Massachusetts
Volunteer Aid association ut the recent
landing of soldiers from the hospital ship
Oliyctte at this port, has just received a
| Red Cross commission and goes shortly To
engage in Cuban relief work, for which,
by the way, he is most admirably fitted.
Though hardly likely TO undergo the
experience of being under fire as Red
| Cross worker, Mr.. Barnes is q man who
would not shrink from that ordeal were it
to be thrust upon him, and this he was
able TO prove quite early in life when the
civil war was In progress. He served the
| government through part of that strug-
| gle In some capacity, but it was as war
| correspondent and not as soldier that he
underwent the liveliest experience. In the
| course of certain engagement while he
was standing near the doctors who were
making amputations and dressing wounds
| just to the rear of the Federal firing line,
the northern troops that they were obliged
to fall abruptly back, leaving operating
surgeons in front of the line instead Of at
the rear.
So engrossed were they In their work,
however, that they kept right along for
some little space Of time before discover
ing the changed relations of the two lines,
while Barnes kept steadily on at his task
of completing the list of the wounded, to
the intense amazement Of the advancing
Confederates. Possibly 1t was this amaze
ment that caused them to falter in their
advance. At all events, falter they did,
and in n twinkling the Federal line was
restored in front Of the surgeons and the
newspaper correspondent without any Of
them ceasing their work for moment.
MI. Barnes and the Mule.
Mr.. Barnes most amusing experience
as correspondent came somewhat later.
He was detailed one day to accompany
cavalry troop on reconnaissance, but I'M
fortunately was obliged to ride a mule, his
horse having gone lame. All went well
during the morning, the mule, though de-
cidedly unhandsome, serving every pur-
pose as a mount. 1t made trouble not far
from midday, however, just after a sharp
advance-almost a charge in effect-was
begun. That he might keep up with the
procession and forgetful that he was not
astride horse, Mr.. Barnes clapped his
spurs into the mules flanks with a right
good will. But, instead of joining in the
rush, the sagacious animal baked stub
bornly and began at once to swing its head
from side to side and to nip viciously at
the riders legs.
OF course this blocked the way of the
advancing troopers and of course they
launched cuss words and opprobrious cpl
thets at Barnes as they rode by, supple
menting their vocal efforts with good
sound thwacks with their carbines and
otherwise striving to make the mule move
on. Barnes in the meantime was obliged
to devote himself to protecting his legs
which he accomplished by crossing them
on the mules withers. Just as the last
trooper rode profanely past the mule joined
Suddenly and madly in the rush, almost
but not quite throwing Barnes to the
ground.
81 never knew how fast a mule could
run till them" said Mr.. Barnes tho other
day, land / doubt whether any other mule
ever lived that could begin to keep up
with the one 1 rode on that occasion. At
all events, it was only q short time before
was right among the troopers, and soon
I found myself in the foremost ranks,
charging the Confederates as recklessly as
any one. As my most formidable weapon
was lead pencil, and had no more de-
sire to join i'm the charge than 1 had be-
fore to remain behind sawed away on
the bit literally for dear life. But the eff
fort was useless. The mule dashed ahead
with cyclonic speed, and, excited as they
were, the troopers cheered him on. Sud-
denly the mule broke away to the left and
q moment later rounded the corner of q
log barn behind which stood Confederate
soldier with gun cooked and pointed in
exactly my direction.
A Correspondents Prisoner.
SIN vain tried to turn the mule aside
and save my life. 1t was plainly the
beasts intention to do mo bodily harm,
and was fairly hurled at that Confeder-
alto soldier. What prevented him from
shooting at once never knew. Perhaps
1t was the very impetuosity Of my invol-
untary rush. At all events, he hesitated,
and his hesitation was my salvation. AS
bore down upon him grasped the bar
rel of his gun and wrested 1t from him,
at the same time calling loudly upon him
to surrender. Before he could recover
from his establishment I had tho gun
yield, giving up pistol which he wore in
his belt without word, though / must
admit that his face wore woebegone ex-
preston that became decidedly shamefaced
when he saw had no arms save those
captured from him.
"Of course / retained my prisoner,
whom drove before mo ut the muzzle OF
his own gun to point where the Federal
troopers had rendezvoused. None of them
had been lucky enough to shoot or capture
Confederate, and their chagrin at the fact
that a noncombatant, armed only with
writing materials, had bagged the only
prize was almost equal to that OF my pris-
oner. What became Of himp Inever knew.
That was the last time ever rode mule
when member of accommodating
party"
Then and Now.
Mr.. Barnes has been intensely interested
t. <to <,f fha in fha