The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1900-11-16
THE BATTLE-FIELDS.
OLD SOLDIERS TALK OVER
ARMY EXPERIENCES
The Blue and the Gray Review Incl
desats Of the Late War, and in a
Graphic and Interesting Manner
Tell of Camp, March and Battle.

Graphic and Interesting Manner
Tell of Camp, March and Battle.
"There were 4 great many extra or
binary scenes at Stone River" said the
Major, 'but the one that stands out
' like n picture in memory has for its
central figure a Confederate artillery
man. Our regiment was charging Il
Confederate battery. We were not
more than 100 yards from the guns,
when all but one were whirled away.
AS we were climbing stone fence. and
getting ready for a rush, there came
sweeping up from the Confederate rear
4 full team of artillery horses, the DOS
tilion having them under perfect con-
troll.
HE swept in circle to where the
two or three men crept out from the
low Dreastworks near, in two minutes
the horses were hitched to the gun car
riage, and the driver turned them to-
ward us, and came down upon us at a
sweeping gallop. Then he made mag
1liAASeuI (uI II ~ lAI0 ASlt, 'CSIcu d1oui1V
toward the Confederate rear, and went
ut gallop away from us. AS he turn
Ell he raised his hat, and waved it as
US in defiance. The queer thing about
it was that not man in our own COM
pany fired at him. l asked an old deer
hunter, one Of the best shots in the COM
pany, who stood at my side: why don't
you shoot!' Looking up in daZed sort
Of way he said: 'He-he was too dog
goued brave couldn't pull trigger
Oh a man like him.
FEELING this story six years ago to
Col James II. Birch. then living at
Plattsburg, NO.. he said, quietly: I can
ito better than that I was in the Mex
lean war, YOU know. On the 18th day of
June. 1913. our company was camped
in the valley Of the Arkansas River,
near the mouth Of Coon Greek, and
close to where the town of Kinsley is
now located. At daybreak on that
morning our guards were driven in by
IL band of Comanche and Apache In
tliuns. The Indians were about 800
strong and were armed with bows, ar
rows and lanceS. while we had the only
brcech-loading carbines that were used
in the Mexican war.
"'Our company Of cavalry was on de-
tached service, and our horses had been
well cared for. They were also under
good discipline. When the Indians
tried to drive Il herd of buffalo through
our camp with the purpose Of stamped
ing our horses they failed. Then they
made Il furious charge, intending to run
us down after our first yolley, and before
we could reload, but they had never be-
fore met with such al experience as
awaited them Our first volley was
followed quickly by another and an
other, and the Indians retrea ted in a
panic.
"'They rallied for consultation on a
little hill about half-mile away. Then
they formed in solid phalanx about six
deep, representing Il front Of over 100
yards, and they swept down upon us.
shaking their shields and lances, and
yelling as only Comanches can yell.
They rode the half-mile in an incredibly
short space of time. and our first and
second vo]leys seemed to have no effect
upon them. A third volley, delivered
almost in the eyes of the front rank.
brought them to halt and they swept
away again. leaving their dead behind
"'Among the dead was chief. who
had fallen from magnificently capar-
isoned horse While our men stood
with eyes fixed on the havoc they had
made. single Indian left the retreat
ing column, and rode like the wind
straight toward us. AS he neared the
dead chief the rider stopped his horse,
turned a somersault over the horses
head, and, reaching the ground. ran
hastily with lariat in hand to the body
OF the chief, put the lariat around the
body under the arms. then remounted
his horse, and started for the column of
chief after him.
1.-The rider was boy not more than
II or Is years old, and the plain infer
ence was that he had at the risk of his
life come back to carry off the body OF
his father The whole scene was played
within less than fifty yards of a score
of men who had few minutes before
fired the shot that killed the old chief,
and yet not Il single shot was fired at
the boy Whether it was Amusement at
his audacity or admiration of his cour-
age or sympathy for him in his effort
to save the body Of his father from the
enemy, not a man pressed trigger l
saw a good many brave things done in
the Civil War, but l saw no act OF an
individual that had as many elements
Of heroism in it as that of this Co.
manche boy!
'"Telling this story continued the
Major, Ito company of old soldiers.
Il member of the Fourth Texas Infan-
try, C. s. A., said: There was Captain
Carter of Company r of our regiment
who sat overseer fashion upon the top
Of Il post and rail fence on the west
side of the Hagerstown road at Sharps-
burg when hundreds of men in the
Federal army within $50 yards in front