The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1900-12-06
THE BOOMING CANNON
REClTAlS OF CAMP AND BAT
TIE INCIDENTS.
Survivors Of the Rebellion Relate
Many AmusinE and Startling Incl
dents of Marches, Camp Life, Forag-

| Il would give thousand dollars,
said the Sergeant, IF | had carried q
| kodak during the Civil War. If kodak.
had been in vogue then l would now
| have pictures of the boys as they were
| l would have taken snap shots at them
as they tumbled out 10 roll call in the
morning. as they went down TO the
creek TO wash, as they lounged about
| eating breakfast, or rs they strove in
their awkward way to patch their
trousers or darn their stockings. But,
above everything else, l would have
taken snap shots at our army pets.
Il never have been able to give my
children a fair idea of my pet squirrel.
because l can't make them see it as |
see it whenever l think of 1t. l can
make them understand why ! was at
tached to the little fellow, because he
came to me in battle. We were lying
down awaiting an attack. shielding
ourselves as well as we could from fly
ing bullets. waiting under a terrible
strain. From the front'came storm OF
musket balls, screaming shells, and
bounding cannon balls, and TO our right
and rear roared the thunder of terrific
battle going against us. AS we lay
there. fearing the worst. ready for the
worse, n great flock of scared things
from the forest came leaping. running
toward us and over us. There were
rabbits and squirrels and all the crea-
lures of the woods and field. Birds
We're flying low and rabbits and squir-
rels were acting as though their eyes
had just been put out.
This was fearful thing TO see. 1t
scared men more than the bullets COM
ing from the front. 1t was so uncanny,
so suggestive of disaster, of supernat-
ural character, such overwhelming evil
dence of supreme fear, that men shlv-
cred and were dumb in the presence of
the scared animals that ran over them
or nestled among them. l felt some
thing run up my leg. under my over
coat, into the pocket. and felt ii squirm-
ing and throbbing over my own throb-
bing heart. 1t was no time TO give at
tention to trfies or to give way to sen
timent. lay there like scores of 9th
ers, appalled, by the noise, by the ter
rors of the situation. but with my eyes
fixed on the lines coming in front. Like
hundreds of others, shouted in relief
and gladness when the order to charge
gave us something to do.
IAN hour or two of hard fighting fol-
lowed. Then two or three hours of des-
ultOry firing. In all these hours never
thought of the something in my over
coat pocket, but when saw squirrels
tail sticking out of the trousers pocket
of comrade was moved to inquire as
to what I had In my own pocket. |
found full-grown squirrel, with SEEM
ingly too little life to care what hap
pened. put It back in my pocket. and
that night as rested by the side of a
comrade felt a stir. The next morn
ing it acted like a squirrel, and, to make
a long story short. it became n great
pet. not only in our mess and company.
but in the regiment. I do not know
the moment of supreme fear
the nature of the animal or
not. but 1t was easily tanned. and it
stuck TO that overcoat pocket as a ref
uge. and when I didn't wear the over
coat it ran into my haversack.
THAT squirrel became the most com
panionable pet we had in the service
but months after that while on the
march we were attacked with such
fury that there was great confusion in
the ranks. In the melee the squirrel
and none of us ever saw
it again. A dozen of us went back the
next day to look through the woods and
to call plaintively for Skip in every
lone of pleading that soldier could use
We did not find Skip. hut We came upon
I group of COnfcderates who had ap-
been watching our opera tions |
for an hour. We were in their power |
before we realized that they were Con
federate soldiers.
Then came surprise. When we |
told these fellows of our loss they ex- |
planned their presence there by saving
hey were cOnscriptS who had been |
forced into the Confederate army. and |
hey were waiting an opportunity to re-
urn to their homes in the mountains |
,r to go North. They abused us for not |
coming to their part of the country
sooner. saying they had waited for us
Until the conscript officers of the Con-
'ederate government came with their
strong guard and carried them off to
light against the flag. l knew from the
way those men talked they were as
'tanch friends of the Union as myself.
have often wondered what became of
hem. They simply told us to 90 our
vav and they would go theirs. When
,ver I think of my pet squirrel think
II the Union mountaineers conscripted
nto the Confederate service.
inter- Ocean.