Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1901-09-19

INSANE SOLDIERS EXPLOIT.
Grassy Fellow Does Whist Hundreds
Of Men Had Been Trying
Four Days to 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
tnt-enchments, holding the position
reached in the charge of June %. By
this time we were used to the confed-
crates, and they had become accus-
toned to our presence and pernicious
activity. This day they suddenly be-
gan to throw stones, and the range
was % short they hurt many of our
men. Occasionally cold corn-dodger
would come over with the stones. and
our boys would shout: For Gods
sake, Johnnies, throw rocks, but don't
throw any more cornbread!' And
then some Of our men threw hard
tack at the rebels, and the Johnnies
called for more. All this time there
was brisk rife fire, but the flying
stones and cornbread and hard tack
gave to the scene the appearance of =
frolic, and there was considerable hi
larity and confusion.
''In the midst of the excitement a
soldier with tin bucket in his hand
stepped over our works and marched
straight over to the confederate works.
He was stranger in our regiment,
and none of the men seemed to know
where he came from. Suspecting that
he was spy, 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-
federates asked us what we sent such
blamed fool over to them for. The
man, who belonged to the Second
brigade of 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 confederates
in our front had hurried him as soon
rs they discovered his condition.
"The strangest thing about the ad-
venture was that hundreds of men had
been trying for four days to 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 breastworks, and was not in
jured. On the day of the charge and
the night after the rebels hauled a
good many of our boys OFF, their
Notifications, so that part otithe bust
ness was not new. But th# . man
should leave our works ana march
straight over to theirs was atRew ex-
perience to all of us, and W 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 confederate
works and had remained within -
steps Of their .rifemen and dead and
wounded lying between the two lines.
II know it was just % steps be-
cause I counted them June %, when
the confederates and ourselves bur-
led the dead. The armistice was asked
for by the confederates, and Gen. jeff
{. Davis sent an officer halfway to
make terms. Our officer went for
ward 10 steps, and he stood within a
foot of the confederate, who had taken
just IA 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 be OURS as long as we could
fight for them. He would not con-
sent to an armistice unless this point
was conceded, and after q parley it