Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1901-09-07
SATURDAY, SEPT. z. 1901
INSANE SOLDIERS EXPLOIT.
Grassy, Fellow Does what Hundreds
OF Men Had Been Trying
Four Days 20 Do.


"a queer thing happened at Kene-
saw, said the colonel in the Chicago
Inter Ocean. ION July l, 1864, we
were lying within 30 steps of the rebel
Sntrepchments, holding the position
reached in the charge of June pa. BY
this time we were used to the confed-
crates, and they had become aocus-
toned to our presence and pernicious
activity. This day they suddenly be-
gan to throw stones, and the range
was SO shore they hurt many of our
men. Occasionally cold corn-dodger
would come over with the stones, and
our boys would shout: For Gods
sake, j ohpnies, throw rocks, but don't
throw any more oornbreadl' And
then some of our men threw hard
tack st the rebels. and the Johnnies
called for more. All this time there
was a brisk rifle FIRE but the flying
stones and cornbread and hard tack
gave to the scene the appearance of a
frolic, and there was considerable hi
larity and confusion
''In the midst of the excitement
soldier with a tin bucket in his hand
stepped over our works and marched
straight over othe confederate works.
he was a stranger in our regiment,
and none of the men seemed 10 know
where he came from. Suspecting that
he was spy, L ordered some of the
men near me to shoot him. But be-
fore they fired he climbed up the con
federate works and was pulled inside
While we were in state of wonder
ment over the strange affair the con-
federafes asked us what we sent such
blamed fool over to them for. The
man, who belonged to the Second
brigadeAof our division, had become
insane during the battle. and he went
into the confederate works raving
maniac. We afterward found him in
the hospital, where the osonfederates
in our front had hurried him as soon
rs they discovered his condition.
The strongest thing sbont the adj
venture was that hundreds ofmeu had
been trying for four, days 10 do what
this crazy fellow did, and had been
killed or wounded, and yet this man
with mind aStray walked deliberately
across the narrow zone of fire, climbed
up their breestworiSs, and was not in
Jured. On the day of the charge and
the night after the rebels hauled a
good many OF our boys over their
1ortifiSatiops, so that part of the bust
ness was not new. But that a man
81 Iuld leave our works and march
-S~1AssIgn rover 30 tireirs was q new tx-
perience TO all OF us, and we could
scarcely Believe our eyes But for
that matter the whole experience OF
kenesaw was new TO us. We had
charged right up to the onfederate
works and had remained within %
steps of +heir rifiemen and dead and
wounded lying between the two lines.
II know Is was just 81 steps be-
cause 1 counted them June 81, when
the confederuteS aud ourselves bur
led the dead The armist&ce was asked
for by the confederates, and Gen. JEFF
c. Davis sent an officer halfway to
make terms. Our officer went for
ward 15 steps, and he stood within a
foot of the confed erste,w who had taken
just II steps from their line. The con
federates at this conference claimed
the arms that lay where our dead and
wounded had dropped them. Gen.
Davis replied that the arms were ours,
and would he ours as long as we could
fight for them. He would not con-
sent TO an armistice unless this pain
was conceded, and after parley it