Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-08-07


painted white, and there were not many
of either. The road. like all other roads
in the south (and everywhere else In
farming countries in the United States
was just about wide enough for two
wagons TO pass each other. so 1t al
lowed us to ride only four abreast.
Sometimes the road bent and sug
gested that there might be n change OF
view beyond, but there wasn't There
was absolutely no change of scenery
that we could remember for the first
IL miles Of our ride that day. 80 we
really felt some pleasurable excitement
when we halted at a railroad crossing
and saw near by station building, q
freight depot, tankhouse, a black
smith shop and a store building. though
our captain told us that all had been
unoccupied for months.
We fed our horses with oats which
we had taken with us on our saddle
bows, with instructions as to just how
much to give at a meal, and dined on
hard tack from our haversacks and wa
ter from brook. The long ride had
given me such an appetite that l was
sorry that / had not brought at least
part of my ration of pork. 1t might
pass for butter when n man was very
hungry. l was somewhat comforted
however, to note that my horse, which
was tied next to Mick McTwyny's al
the long rail fence beside the road, had
frightened Mick's horse and eaten that
animals oats before tasting its own.
Brainard and l met at lunch, and J
had Just asked him how he liked being
trooper, and he had expressed the
hope that the Confcdcracy might fec
as shaky on its legs as he, when We
heard shot or two in the advance. A
sensation passed down the line, and We
all started on foot to see what was the
matter, but the captain ordered:
ITO horse! Mount! Remember YOU
tours! Forward"
Looking out the road, we could see by
the dust cloud that the other companies
were in the saddle and moving for
ward. We rode about five minutes
hearing from time to time few shots
but no bullets. Suddenly. however
across field of wheat stubble came
one OF our men on horseback. making
a great noise as he appeared to be
trying to check his horses gallop.
"a cavalryman ought to be able tt
manage his horse without so much
fuss" said |, with some pride, for ]
had been taught to manage horses by
the rein alone.
"The poor fellow is hurt" said the
lieutenant who commanded our pla
toon. Seems to be his thigh. l guest
his horse is hit too"
Down went my heart into my boott
or up into my throat. | couldn't deter
mine which. If this was war. | want
ed ii to stop at once. Just to imagine
myself coming wounded and screaming
across a field like that poor fellow
made me feel deadly sick. | strained
my eyes in the direction from which
the wounded man had come, but saw
nobody else. Meanwhile the surgeon
had gone out to meet the man, who
/ now was quite near us, and called to
some one to take down part of the
fence so the horse could reach the road.
BY the time the poor fellow reached
the roadside he was very pale and lean
ing low on his horse, and we could see
a broad red stain along the leg of his
light blue trousers. He was helped to
the ground, and the surgeon quickly
cut away his clothing and examined
the wound, while we moved on, my
heart still being elsewhere than in its
proper place.
On, on we rode, and the farther
we went the more l wished we were
going in the opposite direction. l am
ashamed even now to remember how
many different kinds of coward | was
that day, but | was giving my entire
MIND TO the subject, and in such cir.
cumstances man can accomplish .
great deal. Fortunately it was i'm
possible to keep up the strain long
time, so within an hour or two / was
cool enough for anything. | was too
exhausted to be anything else.
When l rcgained my senses sufficient
ly to think of something besides my
self, ! was astonished at the GOODNESS
or carelessncss of our lieutenant. He
iI"i oli't Dcth IL private sOl'IcT III Ollc
of the older companies, which were at
the head Of the column, but he did not
ride ahead to ask questions, nor did he
even dismoUnt and speak to the wound
ed man, though he must have known
him. In the middle Of the afternoon
we passed n member Of one of the old
companies going to the rear for some.
thing, and our lieutenant asked:
"What is it?"
"Nothin' much" said the man. "Their
pickcts was iayin' for u.s."
Nothing else"
"No, except Big Browns boss was
killed. He got one Of theirs, though;
that's all"
Nothing much!" That's allw If q
poor fellow, shrieking with agony over
n broken thigh, which was being hurt
still more at every step Of his horse
was nothing much," what would be
regarded as something? If the "pick-
cts layin' for u.s. could inhict so much
misery, what would be the result Of a
full battle? Again ! wanted to &c
home.
But no battle occurred that day. and
we dsmounted before dark and pre-
pared to bivouac in the woods for the
| plying ample water for men and horses
Brainard and wanted to 20 right UT
to the front and learn all about the