The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1898-08-13
A STRANGE WAR STORY.
THE SIGN OF AN OLD VIRCINlAN
CHECKED SHERIDAN'S CAVALRY,

Now Related by q Military Telegraph
Operator Who Was With Lee-The Ma
sons Signal of Distress Used to Save a
Wheat Field From Foragers' Raid.
81 saw a regiment of Sheridan's
cavalry halted once by an old Virgin
ian, who had no arms in his hands,
and who didn't speak a word" said
Junius A. Cosby, the giant sergeant of
the second district police force of Rich
mond, Va. ''It was during the re-.
treat from Petersburg, in April, 1866,
the day before General Lee surren-
dered. I had been stationed here as
a military telegraph operator, but just
before Richmond was evacuated I was
ordered to skedaddle and join the
army. I was supposed to be close
to General Lees headquarters on the
retreat, but considered myself mighty
lucky to get any place where I could
keep q whole skin and out Of reach
Of Sheridan's cavalry, that didn't give
us any peace for an hour at time.
1t seems to me l was generally with
the wagon train, and there the trouble
was the hottest, for the bluecoats
would dash in, destroy portion of
our wagons, and then have to get out
to escape the fire our cavalry and
infantry would pour into them.
"We were getting pretty we'll up in
the country, marching and fighting all
the way, when one day about noon I
was going it alone through q piece of
woodland, and came on a beautiful
spring just at the edge of a field. l
had not had mouthful to eat, ex-
cept corn-sometimes parcbed and
sometimes raw-for about four days,
SO I followed the path out into the
open, thinking it would lead to a
house. 7 wasn't mistaken, for when I
got to the edge of the woods I saw q
comfortable looking farmhouse not far
off. I went up to the front gate and
into the yard. There was an old
gentleman on the porch, but before I
could speak his wife ran OUT crying
the Yankees were coming.
81 told them wasn't Yankee, but
q confederate soldier, without meal
for four days, and wanted something
to eat. I was at once invited in, but
before had q chance to sit down
hardly, the old man came in off the
porch, exclaiming the Yankees were
coming up to the house. saw through
the front door that what looked like
q regiment of Yankees was coming
| along the road and up the winding
carriage road to the house.
You are my son. said the old
man, and caught on in a minute.
wasn't anything more than boy, so
thought 1 could work something of
a. baby racket. I ran out and hid
under the woodpile my telegraph in
strument, which l carried slung over
my shoulder, and then came back and
sat down near the old man on the
front porch. The old man started to
give me some directions about how I
was to conduct myself, when he saw
the soldiers tearing down the fence
along the road and turning their
horses into his wheat field The
wheat was eight or ten inches high,
and, Of course, several hundred horses
with good appetites would ruin the
whole patch in mighty little while.
81 can't stand that" the old fellow
said, and he jumped up and started
down the steps. He trotted down to
the gate and climbed up and sat On
top of one of the posts. He didn't
speak word, but he did something
worth more to him than all the speeches
ever made. He didn't have anything
to shoot with, but he had something
else that beat cannon all hollow.
didn't know then what he did, but
know now that he made the distress
signal Of Master Mason. You could
have knocked me down with feather
when saw those men begin climbing
into their saddles and saw them ride
out into the road and fix up the old
mans fence.
"Then several officers came gallon.
ing up the drive and stopped OF the
gate. The old man clambered down
from his perch on the post and then
there was most fraternal handshake
| all around.
'The old fellow invited all of them
into the house, and 1 tell you fell
mighty squeamish when they came
up on the porch where was. One Of
them said something about my being
lucky enough not to have been born in
time to have share in all the trouble,
and then they all went into the house
and had refreshments. When they
came out the colonel told his enter.
tainer that guard would be placed al
the gate down at the road and that his
property should not be disturbed.
They galloped away and I went in
and packed away under my belt Of
much corn bread and fat meat as ]
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