The Newtown bee., 1901-08-23
A CIR AND ARMY INCIDENT.

n oNAl\O ANNI ! A>SAOIl\1s
 AN ALLEGED DESERTER CHANGED
 WITH INSULTING A FAMILY AT THEIR
 HOME.-TURNED OUT TO BE ANY
 THING BUT DESERTER.-WAS THE
 ORDERLY OF A CAVALRY CAPTAIN
 A PROVOST MARSHAL'S GUARD AR
 RESTED THE EPARTY.-WAs QUESTION
 ED AND EXAMINED AT CORPS HEAD
 QUARTERS. ANYTHING BUT DEsER-
 TION WAS APPARENT.-OWING TO
 THE VERY PECULIAR CIRCUMSTAN-
 CEs UNDER WHICH HE WAS SERVING
 HIS COUNTRY, HE WAS SENT NORTH
 'FOR THE GOOD OF THE SERVICE.
 We old soldiers have all had our own peculiar experiences, sad and dan gerous, pleasant and gay, mysterious and inexplicable. If we should recount one-half of what we have passed through we would be put down on rec ord as inveterate prevaricatOrS. But the most Imaginable of all, and at the same time the most embarrassing of all experiences lever had, was the circum- stances connected with the arrest of a very beautiful young woman while a soldier in the grand old Army of the Tennessee.
 It happened in the lively little town of Jackson, Tenn, in the year follow ing that in which occurred the bOm- bardment of Fort Henry and the siege of Fort DOnelSon, at both of which places our own gallant Commodore FOOte achieved some of the nObleSt victories of his day.
 And here let me say that the last time had the pleasure of seeing and shaking hands with COmmodare Foote was on the afternoon of the day before the occupation of Fort Henry by our forces. New Haven was hls home. l was born there and lived there most of my life. 1 was visiting in Illinois when Fort Sumter surrendered, and when the call for troops was issued, l quaintance with Commodore Foote, but from boy up had known who he was. Consequently, when I met him, as did, 1 made myself known. He knew my father we'll, but remem- bered me only as boy. It was enough however; we were both from the same city and he gave right loyal welcome.
 After the fall of Fort Donelson oc- cured the two days bloody battle of Shiloh, or as it is sometimes called, Pittsburgh Landing, one of the most severe and decisive engagements tat occurred in the Southwest. Then came the siege of Corinth, winch was as nothing compared with those which l have mentioned.
 After the evacuation of Corinth, our corps went into quarters and was sta tioned at the little town of Jackson, Tenn, where we remained some five or six months. The lot of our particular company during this period was all that poor soldier could desire. On entering the town Company A, Twen- tieth Illinois Volunteers, was detailed as provost guard, our captain, Bradley, having been appointed provost mar shal. My position was that of clerk and deputy. My company pitched their tents inside the fences surroun- ing the county court house, while the officers made their quarters in the building.
 The people in the town were red-hot ''secesh, and none were more bitter against the "Yanks" than the female portion. Orders were issued requiring the citizens, men and women, to come to the provOstmarshal's office and take the oath of allegiance. They were also required to turn over all rifles, shot, guns and smaller arms, to the military authorities It was an almost daily occurrence to nave DeVy or laQleS come and inquire if they were obliged to turn over their little pocket pistols, derringerS, etc., which many of them carried under the garter of their hose. Done day as 1 was entering the City hotel, where l was taking my meals, a short, thick-set, blackhaired, chubby faced cavalry soldier occupied one of the steps. In ascending I came very near stepping on his foot. I remem- bered this afterwards, because he had his foot bandaged up, and about half of the upper part of his shoe was cut out, so as to enable him to wear 1t. mention this foot now, as it will eX- plain what occurred short time after. On the west side of the court house was the drug store of the town, pre-, sided over by one of the rankest seces- Sionists of the state, so the citizens told us and all theISoldiers were Satis- fled that it was sO But to us he was apparently one of the most su bservient Union men living. His family lived in the tenement adjoining the store, and there was an inside entrance from the dwelling to the store. One sultry af- ternoon this druggist came rushing in to our office, his face livid with rage and anger. He stated that a rebel de- serter had entered his dwelling from the store and had insulted and abused his family shamefully, and he wanted him apprehended immediately.
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