Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1899-02-01
A TEAMSTER
AT GETTYSBURG,

proceeded directly to Baltimore. At
this place all Of the officers baggage
and the camp eQuipage of the Seventy
sixth regiment were unceremOniously
dumped out. The wagons were then
reloaded with ammunition, placed with
the mules on the cars and rushed to the
front.
1t was late in the afternoon of July
second when Jim's wagons reached the
vicinity Of Gettsburg. All day they
had heard the sound Of cannon, and to-
ward noon had met streams of wound
ed and squads Of prisoners under
guard.
Now officers were continually hurry
ing the trains forward, and as Jim's
teams were In excellent condition. his
train was In advance of the others. He
could hear musketry rattling furiously
over beyond the hills on the left side of
the Taneytown road. when a staff Off
Ger came galloping up to the wagons.
What have you in those wagons?'
he demanded.
Ammunition, sir; E. B. cartridges,
calibre So" answered Jim, promptly.
Good! Get those wagons up to the
front as quickly as possible! Kill your
teams If necessary. but get there! The
left of our line is being fianked. and
the men are nearly out of ammunition.
Hurry. for Gods sake. hurry
SHOW me where to go. captain, and
I'll shove those wagons there as quick
as mules can take them" answered
Jim.
Come on The officer dashed ahead
III show you"
Black Sam, the foremost driver, lash
ed his mules into a run, and the others
came galloping after, fianking a high,
round hill with a smaller one beyond it,
which hid the battlefield from the
train, although the white smoke show
ed the location of the conflict. The
captain led Jims train off from the
main road. up a spur of the smaller
mountain, and then, looking down the
side of the steep hill and out into the
field beyond, Jim and Sam saw the
Union line. Flashes and puffs of smoke
beyond that marked the enemys posi-
ton
A division of regulars was retiring
slowly; on their left one battered brig
ade was stretched out in single rank.
with their left flank refused" or bent
back like door on a hinge.
20. Lord. re are roo late, The enemy
are on our road" shouted the officer. ir
dismay.
Captain said Jim, scanning the
ground. Il can take a wagon down that
hill, across that wheat-held. swing to
the left, and give those boys ammuni-
ton"
eff you could you might save the
whole army. But can you?" the cap
tain cried.
The feat seemed impossible. The hill
seemed too steep. The likelihood that
the wagon would overrun the team and
be upset. and the whole load lost was
very great. Once at the bottom. how
ever, the teamster would be all right
81 can tie couple of dead mules to
the hind end of the wagon, and they
will act as brakes. I've let wagons
down gulches worse than this" said
Jim. confidently.
But where are your dead mulesT"
Here, captain" and Jim pointed to
behind the wagon, and" touching his
pistol, when we begin to go down the
hill they'll be dead"'
Good, goodr' said the captain. Go
ahead: it's our only chance. Hurry!
hurry, or anything you can do will lie
too Later
Sam" said Jim, addressing the black
driver, who had but lately escaped from
his native plantation. Il want you TO
drive your team down there"
Yes, boss, 1 hear yo," was the stolid
answer.
I'm going along with you, SAM"
said Jim. ITS mighty hot down there;
we may both be killed; but those cart
ridges have got to go to the boys In
that line-understandY
Sergeant Jim," said Sam. did de
cap'n say that this wagon-load OBJ cat
ridges mont sabe de hull Linkum
armyY'
That's what he said, Sam"
"Den, boss. Use a-gwine er take dem
cartridges dere. Niggers Is cheap these
days. Jes' yo' show de way. Use
a-gwine to stay wild yo'!'
Bully boy, Sam. That's the kind of
talk, We aren't killed yet, by any
means. and hope we won't be-"
Then Jim. having pointed out the
course he wished the negro to take, tied
the two mules doomed to serve As
brakes to the rear Of the wagon. and
stripped off the canvas cover. During
these preparations, which occupied
occupied only few minutes time. sam
dismounted. and was patting the mIies
and calling each by name: "Jinny.
jimmy, good lily gal. Yo', Bill, yo long
cared rascal Member ole Sans
a-dribing yo'," and similar words to all
six of them.
Come on yelled the officer.
Sam leaped into the saddle, cracked
his whip, and shouted, "Git-yO'-all"
and the wagon started
1t was but a short distance to the
summit; then came a steep, rough de-
scent to the rolling field where the
Union line was fighting. As they
reached the crest. Jim looked back and
saw the shining glow of musket barrels
coming up the Taneytown road.
That's the Sixth Corps" cried the
officer. But oh, how slow they are!
The troops were coming on the run!
Now Jim's revolver cracked twice.
and two mules fell, shot through the
head. Away the wagon went, plung-
ing. Dumping. crashing down the hill
no vehicle but an army wagon could
have stood that jolting and even the
army wagon, stable as it was, would
have been dashed to pieces had not IT.
speed been checked and its course
steadied by Jim's ingenious brake. At
the base Of the hill Jim's keen knife
severed the halters of the dead mules
without slackening the speed Of the