Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1901-01-31

iLEWT%N Sam Copeland OF
@lNEVN. Company G, Fifty
vss1a = = -@aO second Ohio. Al
Kenesaw, just after the second assault,
| we fell back a short distance, threw up
intrenchments, and held our ground. In
the hot work that preceded Private
Club Of Company X had been killed
and his body lay only a few yards In
front Of Company G.. The rebel fire
was SO heavy that the body could not
be brought inside the breastworks and
scores of bullets struck it every min
ute, much to the annoyance of the men.
Finally Copeland, saying that he
could not bear TO see poor Club treated
in that way, started ON a run for tree
near the body and made an attempt to
cover 1T with gum blanket. He threw
the blanket as planned, but it fell SO as
only to partially cover the body. Cope
land lodged behind the tree, expecting
to run back and complete his work, but
the rebels, noticing the movement, con-
centrated their fire on the tree behind
which he stood and he could make no
movement toward Club, nor could he
get back to the breastworks.
Corporal McCue a little later made a
dash forward toward another tree and
pulled the blanket over Clubs body.
The rebels gave him a special volley
and kept up the fire SO steadily that he
could not get back. This was the stu
alton for long time, the bullets coming
from the enemy striking the two trees
and the gum blanket over Club with
spiteful sharp little spats. Finally
Copeland, after wearing himself out in
returning the fire of the rebels, sat
down with his back to the tree and in
formed the men in the breastworks that
he was going to take things easy and
have nap.
I'm a few minutes he was actually
asleep with the rebel bullets splinter
ing the bark Of that tree down on him.
When he went to sleep he carefully ar
ranged his person so that no part Of it
could be hit, but as he slept one leg,
which had been thrown over the other.
relaxed, and the foot went further and
further to one side until it was exposed.
Just as the boys had noticed that Cope
lands foot was in danger rebel bullet
went through the toe of the shoe, cut
ting the leader of the big toe.
The Corporal scrambled into the
breastworks in a state of mind When
his shoe was removed his big toe stood
straight up from the foot, and even
when an operation was performed it
still stood up. To the very last it made
him a cripple and was SO much Of an
annoyance that any question in regard
to the obstreperous toe called out the
answer that it was nobody's business
how he hurt his toe. He didn't want
anybody asking about his toe, but if he
ever caught the man who fired at him
when he was asleep he would murder.
him in cold blood.
ION the same day Capt. Samuel Roth
acker of the Fifty-second, after plac-
Ing his men behind the breastwo
sat down to rest. He put his foot IN ON
little sapling so that the toe showed
above the line of intrenchments. In
stantly the rebel sharpshooters gave
that toe particular attention. The splin-
tiers few from the tree and finally a
bullet Clipped off a part Of the shoe. but
didn't touch the foot Rothacker cut
some branches of a tree, making a
shield behind which he took close oh
servation of the sharpshooters in front
He soon placed the man who had
been pegging away at him. The rebel
was behind a tree some
yards in advance of the main rebel line
OF skirmishers. Rothacker watched
him closely and noticed that at inter-
walls he put out his head to take obser-
walton. He was so close that he could
See that the man had blue eyes. Ror-
rowing a rife, Rothacker watched his
man and shot him. The next day. nm
der a flag Of truce, the dead on both
sides We're buried, and the rebels fold
the story of the shooting of the blue-
eyed man behind the tree.'-Chdcago
Inter Ocean.