The National tribune., 1900-08-30
A MARCH OUT OF RANKS.
A well-Remembered Night With Friends in
the Rebel Country.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: I will re-
late an incident of a march on the Straus-
burg Railroad. at Bristow Station 4 COM
rade named Noah Blosser and I had
permit of Col. +. B. Pond to march out
of ranks, on account of blistercd feet. and
had lodged the rear guards so as to have
our own time and forage on small scale.
When we arrived at the station we found
n store there, quite large establishment,
deserted and broken open. The floor was
strcwn with books and papers and every
thing apparently had been taken but what
was in Il showcase on the counter. This
contained lot of ribbons and tape of
various shades and breadths, and as We
neither of us had any money / proposed
to Blosser that we fill our pockets with
the contents of the showcase, as We could
trade the ribbons to the ladies for some
thing to replenish the inner man. So we
accordingly emptied the showcase. We
went down in the cellar and found two or
three barrels of hard cider. drank all we
could hold, filed our canteens aid pushed
on.
In about mile AMI 4 half we came to
nice frame residence upon Il high bank
on the left of the railroad track upon
which we were travelling. We concluded
to call and see if we could get supper, it
being about that time of day. when we
got to the house there were six or eight
DiutttIiS WHO HIu tIlleu IDT
supper and were just sitting down to en-
joy it, the table being spread on the back
porch, well loaded with sumptuous fare.
l spoke to our host, asking him if he would
be so kind as to furnish us with supper
also; that we had no money. but were
very tired and hungry. He said we were
perfectly welcome, so we partook of sur-
per.
/ then thought of our stock of ribbons.
and asked tho 11iiaS lfbnrn Ioinor
young ones besides the mothci and two
negro girls) if they wOuiI like Il present.
They said they would, as it would be the
first and only presents they had over been
offered by our soldiers or their own, the
| rebels. We gave each of the white girls
bolt of ribbon, and the negro girls chose
the red tape, which We literally supplied
them with. AT this irInctnrc the old lady
came out of the kitchen and wanted to
know where her present was. as she had
done most of the cooking. / had in re-
serve for her a bolt of broad black ribbon.
with scalloped edges. l handed it TO Eer,
and this made them al! happy.
Those other boys, l think, wore Sth
Ohio or 18th Ind. boys, [ forget which
You could always find some nf them out
foraSlng, no matter how far out You went.
They We're in the first three months scrv-
ice, l think, and they were as clever lot
Of boys as ever lived.
By the by, the old man and his wife in.
yited us to stay all night. There being an
| old darky viOlinist at the hJIse, anI 1 be-
ing one of that profession myself, we all
accepted the invitation.
| One of the white girls asked M if we
| had observed any shoes at the store where
we got the ribbon. ! told her We did not,
but there might have been, as we did not
| examine any of the numerous drawers Ee-
hind the counter. The girl appeared very
anxious as to shoes, as she said they were
very needy. So Blosser and 1 went back
the mile and half, regardless OF our blis-
tered feet, and searched for the shoes. We
| found none, but did find behind the coun-
ter barrel and large sack OF -four and
ten-gallon can of linseed oil, boz o.
soda, and upstairs l found six long-hanGled
| pitchfOrks.
| 1t being down grade on the railroad for
| seven miles, we ran out fat car on the
| track, having selected one with a good
brake, and loading our find on the car
were about to pull out, when lone strag-
gler came up and asked to ride. We took
| him aboard, put him at the brake. and
gave her a shove and We're off. We Were
! only fairly under way when we met two
officers. They tried to halt us, saying they
would arrest us, as the goods belonged to
good Union man. They did not know
us or we them, so we threw the brake
loose, told them to go to, and away we
sped faster than steam. We got her
| checked just opposite our friends house
He and the old darkey helped us get the
things up to his house, and our lone strag-
| gler went on with the car, as he said he
wanted to get up with his regiment. He
| could go on about five miles farther to
where the track was torn up.
| We stayed all night, and had fine
dance. and the old lady and negro girls
baked biscuits and stuffed all our haver-
sacks with them and fried ham.
| We took our leave, and on our way short
| ly after starting we heard an awful noise
in rear of us, and ON looking back saw
| coming down the track another fiat car
faster than steam could run one. Some
foolish fellows had got behind and had
come to this station and run out cal
that had no brake to it. got on to it and
it got going too fast for them. They had
them being almost killed. We grabbed VI
an old tie and laid it on the track. think
ing to derail the car 1t was derailed, bu
it fell back on the rails and sped on unit
il struck our car of the evening before
and there was smash.
| We went on until we overlook the di
vision (Sheds), but could not find the &c
Ohio. Some told us on inquiry they hat
been ordered out east on road about
five miles. We went out there, but wer,
told that the cd was back west, SO W,
about faced and marched back and started
west, and had gone about Il mile and me
our regiment coming on. Blosser and
were both drummers, and the Major re
ported us to the Colonel He sent for IL.
next morning to report at his quarters
We found him and the Adjutant in hi.
tent. We walked to the door and Saluted
The Colonel said: We'll, boys, how is i
you have been absent from the command
two days and a night:'
We told him he had given us the priyi
lege of marching out of the ranks the da!
before and we had eluded the rear guard
on our own orders to have good time
We showed him our blistered feet, bu
did not tell him of going back mile ant
n half for ladies' shoes. We told him al
else, the whole truth, and when done, be
fore the Colonel could say anything
could plainly see he was amusedJ, the Ad
jutant, being a rather meddlesOme fellow
brawled out, Put them in the guard
house, Colonel; put them in the guard
house for two weeks"
The Colonel turned to him and said: &c
to your tent Immediately. l am talking
to these men." He went double-Quick.
When he was out of hearing the Colone
said:
"Well, boys, cannot blame you for al
act / could hardly evade myself, but bt
careful hereafter. as you were running {
great risk of rpttinr killed or c1ptured -