Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-09-19
FIELDS OF ADVENTURE.
THRILLING INCIDENTS AND DARING
DEEDS ON LAND AND SEA,


of War of tha Commander of the Sec
ond Brigade of the New York State
Guard-strIggIe With Mad Fiaeman.
One man lay in the rough, canvas
covered ambulance, relates the New
York Sun. lie was private of the
Fourteenth Of Brooklyn, a slender,
boyish fellow with a ragged red streak
across his forehead and blood-soaked
| spot on the breast of his blouse.
| There was n hole in the canvas side of
the wagon, and the wounded soldier
could Sc, queer weird panoramic
movement of uniformed figures out
side. The rattle of small arms and
the heavier roar of artillery came to
his ears. The dry smoke of battle
drifted in under the roof of the vehicle
and tortured his parched throat. 1t
was the day of Bull Run.
The noise of the fighting sounded
louded. A shell screamed over his
head. Several bullets tore through
the canvas walls beside him.
'"This is getting warm" thought
the private.
Then there was thunder of hoofs
on the turf and troop of cavalrymen
halted at the side of the wagon. The
officer in command and several others
whose uniforms showed them to be
| regulars lifted into the wagon and laid
on the floor beside the private of the
Fourteenth another wounded man.
''Major Tillinghast, of General Nc
Dowell's staff, is in that ambulance, 4"
said the commander of the troopers to
the driver of the wagon. "Get him
out of this inferno and answer for his
safety to me-"
The wagon began to jolt from side
to side, and its two passengers knew
th>t it was IN motion. Each step the
horses took caused intense pain to the
wounded. The man of the Fourteenth
turned to look at his fellow in misery.
The left arm of the officer had been
torn away at the shoulder, and his
white face was drawn and haggard.
The ambulance was being drawn away
at great speed. 1t was in the midst of
the rout. Several times it had to be
pulled suddenly to tho roadside to
clear the way for detachment of regu-
lar cavalry dashing to the front to
cover the retreat. The driver was
hurting expletives and lashing his
horse.
The private lost consciousness.
When he opened his eyes again he
could hear nothing. He thought his
hearing must be gone and turned to
look at Tillinghast. The Major was
still conscious and the lines were
deepening in his face. He slowly
reached for the pistol in his holster
and painfully lifted it. In an instant
the private soldier grasped the signifi-
cance of the movement-the agony
was too much for Tillinghast and he
was going to end it.
''For Gods sake, man, don't do
| thatr" exclaimed the soldier, grasping
the wrist of the Major. The latter
said nothing, but tried to free his
hand. Then began fight between
the two wounded men, one struggling
for death, the other trying to prevent
a suicide. Neither man had strength
enough to rise, and they foughtfor the
possession of the pistol, lying on their
sides. Presently the officers hold on
the weapon relaxed and he fell back
with groan. The private gathered
his strength for last effort and threw
the revolver from him. Then every
thing danced in red mist and uncon-
sciousness followed
When reason returned to the SOL
dier it was evening. A tiny bird was
sitting on the tailpiece of the wagon,
singing. The private gazed at the fig
ure beside him. 1t was still. He
reached forward and touched the of
| ficer's face. 1t was cold. Then with
a shiver he lifted himself and clam
bered out of the wagon. The horses
and the driver were gone. The ve-
hicle stood beside clump of trees.
The private staggered through the
trees and made his way forward. How
long he tramped he never knew, but
he finally fell fainting into the arms of
a Union picket. He was taken to q
hospital, where he spent several
months. What became of the desert
ed ambulance and its dead was never
known, but the private who received
his baptism of fire on the field of Bull
Run recovered to fight again and be
wounded, not once, but often. He
still lives, although his body is Scared
and scanned and one of his coat sleeves
is empty. He is General James Nc
Leer, the Brigadier in command of the
Second Brigade of the National Guard,
and he is as willing to-day to fight the
Spaniard as he was in the days of his
youth to battle on the Federal side.
The other day he told for the first
time this story of his first real taste of
war.
Fought a Maniac on Flying Train.
On top of the cars of a rapidly NOV