Omaha daily bee., 1902-05-26
Some Soldiers Yarns Spun
by Grand Army Veterans.

was private In a New York Company at
the battle Of the Wilderness. and took part
in the most bloody engagement Of that ex-
tensive fight.
I'VE had advanced Just to the edge Of the
screen Of woods which marked that wilder
ness" he said. when we encountered the
enemy. Our lines were so close together
that we could almost touch guns. All one
afternoon We fired by volley and at random
into those woods and received a whitening
fire in return. Soon the enemy's mmuni-
tion was exhausted and there was a Iull
in their FIRE. In a short time ours was
also gone and We sent for more. We sent
two men from a company and they could
not carry many rounds, but we had thirty
apiece when they returned and for an hour
We poured shot into the foliage and as the
enemy's ammunition had been replenished
the rattle Of the muskets sounded as strong
as ever. Then again the ammunition on
both sides became exhausted. ! don't know
who started It. but a moment after the
fire had ceased on either side someone
clubbed his musket and jumped for the
lines Of the enemy. In less time than It
takes to tell it those lines were massed in
a hand-to-hand conflict. Many men went
through the entire war without seeing
Al AA6N Alu tut
soldier did was to throw away his bayone..
Then he struck the butt OF his musket
against a tree and broke on the stock. The
barrel was all that he retained and that
made a most deadly bludgeon. You can
see the effect OF such a club"
Here Mr.. Yarton removed his hat and
showed his auditors the back OF his head,
where the skull had been crushed, leaving
a deep indenture.
Il got that from the lock Of a gun held
in the hand OF some confederate and /
Will never know who did II, for I knew
nothing for some time, but before was
hit l saw the bloodiest fight that ever took
place. l believe, One man lost his club
and drew his poeketknife, a long blade
with a strong hiIt. He jumped into the
thickest Of the melee with that and I saw
him rip open the bodies Of opposing SOL
diers before he finally was rendered pass
i've. When / returned to consciousness I
was q prisoner on the way 10 Anderson
Vile. but l later Learned that ! was re-
ported as dead by the company com
mander. that the report vent to head
quarters and l was legally killed in action
until l established my identity upon my
release. At Andersonville I was put in
charge Of a band of 1000 prisoners. It was
my duty 10 divide the ~rations, and such ra-
lions as they were. We had a busheI. a
peek and a quart OF meal a day for 1000
men. One day I would start at one end OF
the line and the next day at the other,
while the third day I would start in the
middle in order TO vary the distribution.
as those at the nnAl end OF the line would
get very little out OF the portion issued to
all. That meal included chan and cobs
as Il was all ground together and every
time there was a high wind our rations
shrunk amazingly. as all Of the chan would
blow away. But the end came at last. and
I'm here to tell about Il. even though 1
did receive what Was called a mortal in
jury by the surgeon who FIRST examined
me-"
The man who was prisoner Of war for
the shortest time on record in attendance
At the eneampment was probably Senator
steele, the present commander Of the de-
partment. He was q private in the Second