Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1899-09-16
80. A..".. 49,. IA IA -" "..A.."..
!. ::
: The Old Sold.er's ,
:. :
I Story. ,

fore he passed under the wire at Wash
ington and finally stopped to retire from
the turf at AppomattoX. nor do | want
one, though | suppose if | We're not in
comfortable circumstances | might try
for it, and skill | had about as much of
the scrap as anybody | know of, for |
began early and quit late. Luck is with
some people, though. for | came out
without scratch, and ! didn't lose a
day on account of sickness. But | am
flying the track. | think you said you
wanted that story about the man who
killed himself trying to kill me.
at was in one of those innumcrahle
small fights that were happening in Vir-
Ginia all the year round and was so lit
tie that it did not even get name.
was in an infantry regiment, and a de-
tachment of $50 of us had been sent to
the front of the SkirmSh line to feel
around and see what we might find that
we did not want to find-namcly, some
part of the cnemy's advance. In Il clump
of trees we found it in the shape of a
hundred or so cavalrymcn wearing the
gray uniform we had seen Il good deal
of in that neighborhood. 1t meant bust
ness, Of course, and in a very few min
ultS NlIClt was IL llllNlHS III 'bHltluIllS
forces which was. to say the least of it,
extremely democratic.
"rhc troop of cavalry was composed
of hot headed young southcrncrs who had
no idea of anything but rushing right into
the midst of us, yelling and swinging
their sabers around their heads as if
they were riding in Il tournament ut one
Of their county fairs They seemed to
h1l I1tt .lN- pr,llt of tr,
and before we could say scat they had
slashcd the scalps off half dozen of
our boys and were cutting up the rest of
us like a lot of young butchers ont for Il
picnic At the same time we were not
entirely idle or neglcctful of such oppor-
tunities as might be presented and l
may say that the general result of the
meeting, to the eye of the casual OBJ
server, was real hot stuff if | may use
a bit of modern language.
81 had had very little experience in
military affairs of any kind. and up to
that time Bull Run had been the only
real battle in which had taken an active
part, the activity on that occasion not
having been of the kind. you may remcm-
Der, which gives soldier wide expert
ence in fighting, notwithstanding there
was enough experience in conducting n
retreat to last a lifetime. Gee, how we
did run that day. 1t makes me warm to
think about it even now" and the veter-
an smiled ut the thought and puffcd mild
ly in "reminiscences of his run.
'As | was saying, being inexperienced
in fighting, | didn't know just what to do,
as is the way with most new soldiers, so
! kind of dsclcd down my head and went
into it on the blind luck style, trusting in
Providence and keeping my powder dry.
In such n scramble nobody ever knows
what Is going on or how best to do things
he has to do. 1t is slap, bang, shout,
shoot, slash, jab, a rush and roar,
throatful of nasty sulphur smoke, possi-
bly, a bee sting in body or limb, a fall in
the leaves or dust or mud, a sense of
something one scarcely knows what, and
the end has come either to the fight or
to the fighter. | had reached the slap
and the bang period and was feeling
pretty good, seeing that | had knocked
man or two over and hadn't been knock
ed over myself, and was getting into the
spirit of it in fine fettle when l found
myself hand to hand or muSkct to saber
with a young lieutenant about my own
age and build. He came straight at me,
cutting with intent to kill. and | tried to
shoot him off his horse, for | had some
how got a load in my muSkct and was
ready for that kind of business, but he
was so close that shooting was out of
the question, and | could only use my
gun as guard to keep off the fierce on
slaught of his slashes.
Il made several efforts to swing around
so l could shoot, but he saw what l was
after and kept it so hot for me that |
did not dare to take away my guard long
enough to use it on him instead of on
myself. | put up the best defense l
could, trying to punch him with my bayo-
net, but the young fellow evidently had
some military training, in sword exercise
at least, for he knocked my gun around
pretty much as he pleased. Indeed he
had such success that he was wearing
me out fast, and l felt that if something
didn't happen for my side very soon
there would he one more bluecoat grave
to dig on the morrow. He saw his ad-
vantage, too, and with yell he came
at me again. swinging that big sabcr of
his SO high and strong that it seemed to
me to be the sword of Michael or of some
other of those picture people | remem-
bered to haze seen in my books, and |
made up my mind to give him one more
poke with my bayonct for luck and let
him have my scalp if he wanted it. But
he would not give me a chance to do even
this much. He banged that confOunded
sword around my head until | could only
hold my gun up and try 10 save my face
so that my friends would have something
to identify me by after the battle was
over. He rainrd his blows so thick that
/ weakened fast, and just as | began to
sink from exhaustion he reached around
with terrific blow to settle me once for
all. | had sunk down half to my knees,
with the muSket fallen forward, and as
he let the sword fall it struck the ham
mer of the gun instead of the barrel and
with a crack that | could distinguish in
all the row and the rumpus my old mus
ket went off with a conclusion that
threw it clear out of my hands and sent
the entire charge square into the face of
my foe. Even under the exciting cir
rumStancCs | realized that something out
of the ordinary had happened, though
could not tell what it was, and l cast
my eyes up as | stumbled forward. The
face of the lieutenant was not there. 1t
had been blown off by the discharge Of
the gun, So close in the fight we were.
and we went down together. both cover
ed with blood his blood. But only one
of us got up again. New York Sun.