Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-08-13

uninjured arm, the winner in many a
| fist fight. He did wonders at lodging,
tripping and smuggling" as he ran to
and fro near the fence to head off such
gray skirmishers as might attempt to
fall back. |, with my fence rail, fol-
lowed him closely and succeeded in
preventing some awkward situations,
for the reach of an arm does not equal
that of musket with bayonet on it.
When either Of us downed man, Mick
followed with a vigorous kick below
the belt. The kicks were brutal, but it
was Mick's duty to hold the line of that
fence. The odds We're heavily against
him, and he was obliged to use any and
all means within reach.
Fighting with fence rails as weapons
was new to us, but we took to it kind
ly. We had to. They demanded lot
of free space, Which was not always
to be had, for the tree trunks would not
GET our of or way. and some of us came
to grief while downed by our weapons
having collided with trees. Once |
rushed to Brlinard's assistance, sup
posing him in deadly peril. for two of
the few remaining Jolnnies closed on
him with their bayonets ready to lunge.
But Rrainard turned like Il teetotum,
holding his rail horizontally. 1t struck
one of the .Johnnies and knocked him
down. In an instant Brainard jumped
and landed with both feet on the stom-
ach of the fallen man. He also said,
II beg your pardon" but the fallen
mans reply was couched i'll language
unfit for publication. Then Branard's
rail struck the other man below the
belt, and he, too, fell. Sergeant Mick
saw the encounter and screamed:
"Hooray, Brainard! Ye little dhivil!
I'll thrain We up to the lightweight
championship av Ameriky whin we
git back to Summerton."
About this time there was visible
scarcity OF Johnnies in fighting trim.
In fact, there was but one-the only Of.
flcer who seemed to be with the party.
He had an eye like u hawk and had
dashed to and fro as rapidly as If try
ing to learn our number and resources.
Suddenly it occurred to him that he
had done and learned all in his power
and that it was time to return. l tried
to head him off and bring my rail to
bear upon him. At the same moment
Mick roared:
''Grab their muskets an their ammy-
milton! Git back to the fince an foire
wild 'em as fast as yez kin! Niver
moind Amin, but make all the noise
yez kin, SO they'll think we've cleaned
out their sliirmishers am are beginnin'
the foight ag'in"
Fully half of us had had some mill
tia practice with muskets, and all the
others had used muzzle leaders against
large or small game before the war, so
we made quite a racket, which, to my
delight, caused the enemy to break into
companies and move to the rear under
the natural impression that their Skin
mishers had been overcome and we
had resumed business at the old stand.
But was still in chase of the officer.
Once l succeeded in knocking him
down by tripping him, but lie was on
his feet again in an instant. Suddenly
saw Sergeant Mick near me, brandish-
ing his severed arm. The sleeve had
fallen from 1t, and it was really
slightly though displaced human mem
Der. / would give half my possessions
and hopes for one like it, for twas
mass Of muscle, with an elbow joint as
big and H'otuberant as cobblestone.
Mick raised 1t to the position of rear
cut against cavalry and landed it
fairly on the back of the officers neck.
The officer instantly landed on his own
back, and the fight for the fence was
over. Then Mick looked across the
fence, saw the retiring enemy and
croaked:
They've tlirowed up the sponge!
Niver moind the killed an wounded
just yet. Look quick to the .Jolnnies
as was punched wild the fince rails!
Glory be to the poikes nv aud Ore
land! An tie the hams an fate av
thin that's gittin' over bein groggy."
We obeyed orders and found some
very sick men, whom we bound so they
could not get away when they recover
ed. Then we did our best for the
wounded. Mick had already sent an
other mounted messenger in search of
the regiment to report that the enemy
was retiring, and there was fine
chance for a chase and charge. But
the regiment was not found. 1T found
us two hours later. The affair appear
ed to have been one of many of it's
kind, in which an advance of the enc
my, accommodating in force, had been
reported so imperfectly by negroes
from beyond the lines that our regi-
ment had taken the wrong road, found
nothing ard, like many times before,
cursed "the reliable contraband" and
grumbled at II long hard ride for moth
Ing. But they buried the enemy's dead
for us, which was great comfort, for to
kill man and then have to bury him
is worse than war. think it's worse
than hell.
Hadn't you better so back to camp,
sergeant, now that the fuss is over?"
suggested Brainard as we waited for
the regiment. "Your wound needs at
tention."
Mick did not seem to hear. He was
leaning against his horse, looking ten
derby at his severed arm. and we heard
him say, as if he We're alone with it:
"Ah, Norah, little did yeZ liver know
av the strength We was putin into that
arm whin twas around yer swate
waistw
fro BE Continued
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