Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1902-08-07

uents OF MarChes, camp Lite' FOrag-
ing Experiences and Battle Scenes.
"QuCer things" said the Major, hap
pened in the old army. In December,
looking after the business on the sew
eral Southern railways just opened by
Grant. Holly Springs at that time was
Grants secondary base Of supplies and
was well to the rear or his divisions
marching southwark. II was crowded
with military stores, and was guarded
by about 800 men under the command
of Col. Murphy. On the night Of Dec.
10 | was sleeping with Nichols. iele-
graph operator, in room above the
telegraph office, near the depot. when
Col Murphy walked us up.
This was about 3 o'clock on the
morning Of the 10th. and the Colonel
was very angry because Nichols did
not answer promptly. He said Van
Dorn's cavalry had driven in his pick.
cts. and that the rebels would attack
in force at daylight. He wanted to re-
port the situation to Gen Grant. and
Nichols began to call L. S.. the signal
for Grants headquarters, but got no re-
sponse. Nichols repeated that call u.
5. thousand times. it seemed to me.
when at last Beckwith. the operator at
Grants headquarters. answered. and
we shouted in gladness. Murphy die
tated a dispatch to the effect that he
would be attacked by daylight by SUI
perior force, and that all was lost.
"As the Colonel turned to leave the
office | called his attention to a large
force Of cavalry in blue coats dashing
toward us in the dim light of the early
morning, and told him with such a
force at his command all was not lost.
He said we had no cavalry outside the
tines, and swOre the men riding toward
us were rebels. Then he and others
ran from the building, while Nichols
and my old colOred servant, Moses, and
myself remained. The cavalry in blue
coats dashed up to the depot, where
two or three hundred unarmed Union
soldiers were sleeping. and sabered the
Door fellows as they came from their
blankets. We We're soon in the midst
II n hot fight, and, remembering
Grants order to never let telegraph
instrument fall into the hands of the
enemy, | caught up ii heavy club and
smashed every instrument in the room.
Then Nichols and hid in IA closet.
while old Moses prospected. We soon
smelled smoke, and discovered that the
cebels had set fire to the building. Look
ing out. We saw Col. Murphy at the
head of about hundred men charging
The rebel lines. He would break their
line, then charge back and strike at
another point. He kept this up longer
than | thought any man could. but Mt
last was surrounded and forced to sur
render. At this juncture | decided to
surrender myself and was soon one
on which Van Dorn's mounted men
were still pouring in.
They We're nondescrpt lot. infan-
trYmen mostly, mounted on farm
horses and mules, most of them
riding without saddles or brides. and
hundreds of them with only rope halt
ers. But they We're AS noisy as wild
! Indians. and they soon had full fifteen
hundred prisoners. When they came TO
parole us. they made each man write
his own parole from a printed form,
and in writing mine | scheduled myself
as civilian and promised not TO beaI
arms against the sO-called Southern
/ Confectionery The officer in charge
| objected to the 'So-called' and crossed
1t out, They paroled all the whites,
but carried off all the negroes. and /,
with others, proceeded To Corinth.
where | found old friends in the Sev-
enth Illinois. Scarcely had | reported,
however. when the Colonel sent me
out with foraging expedition to Iu-
pelo. some twenty-five miles away.
"That night | realized that | was
again in the enemy's country fully arm
ed and equipped for a fight and with
Il parole In my pocket. This had a
serious look when the picketS were
lrivcn in by great crowd Of men bear.
ing down on camp. We soon diScoV
cred the supposed rebels were Colored
men who had escaped from Van Dorm
aud among the first to come in rang,
was old Moses. He was wild with de
light when he saw me, and | felt bet
ter over my parole. In time | reported
TO Gen, Grant, who refused point blank
to recognize my parole, rs it was lssucC
to civilian. | preserved the dOcu
ment, however, and | have it vet
Il had queer experience AT Kcue
saw" said the Captain. ~ SerGenn
in one Of the left companies Of the Elf
'y-Second Ohio as the regiment cam,
under the direct fire of the enemy turn
ed pale as death and faced to the rear
IS he made few steps to the rear h,
aue face TO face with his cOmmandin.
officer. The Colonel caught the SIR
gcan, 10y the shoulder, and said: Fac
The other way, Joe At this he ser
granr turned mechanically, led IN