The National tribune., 1902-07-31

tried to get around the flank OF the rebel
infantry. York was absolutely unarmed.
l had the Enfield and boldly took the ad-
vance, being dressed, of course, Us Con-
federate private, and ready here to play
the struggling forager. York was follow
ing at a distance of 100 yards or 80; at
the first alarm he would hide himself, or
go in different direction to avert sus-
picion of our being companions. i came
in sight of the New Market road and
turned toward Richmond. At my left was
| a wide, open space, narrow wood skirt
ing the roadside In the road some 300
yards from me 1 saw a man coming, a
Federal infantryman, fully accoutered.
His head was hanging, aud his body was
bent, as he trudged along in the hot dust.
looked behind me. York was not in
sight. The Federal continued to ap-
proach. / hid behind cluster Of bushes;
l knew the man was in imminent danger.
and feared that / could not help him: the
Confederate pckets must be very near us.
l was hoping that the mana lost and
lonely straightforward pass without see
ing me, and reach safety; if he should see
me and make an exclamation, the atten-
tion OF some videt might be attracted, and
l should be compelled to retreat and try
a more circuitOus way.
| The man was coming; he was within
100 yards of my bushes; suddenly l saw
six COnfederates at my left; they also
were coming. Likely they had been hid
den from me by swell of the ground
now they were in plain sight, coming rap
idly; they would cut off my line of re-
treat.
| The man cOmes-the six men come; /
see that the man is lost; see that l am
lost unless l can prove myself n rebel.
That the men see the Union soldier is very
clear but they do not see me. They will
intercept the man just two rods in my
rear / step into the road, with my En-
field presented at the blue man 90 feet
away. He drops his musket and raises
his hands; he is German, and speaks no
English. Now the Confederates are
| around us.
"Take charge of this man. 1 must go
on" l say.
"All right" says one of them, Ser
geant; well take him back. We were
making for him; didn't know anybody was
here"
Sergeant, / want a receipt" said /.
"Got any paper! I've got pencil"
mo"
One of the men tore leaf from his
pocket diary and handed it to the Ser
geant.
Jcnes, 1st S. c., for one prisoner. The
signature was Madison +. Hawthorne,
Sergeant. Co. f, 18th s. c. V.
marched up the road. The squad with
the prisoner fingered near ~ road No
doubt they were .'going through him.
which means that they were taking all the
United States property on his person, if
not indeed his individual effects.
| York was now cut off. Enemies were
between us. I did not doubt that he had
seen the recent performance, and feared
that he would be badly puzzled as to my
conduct. He was a sharp fellow, was
York; but my action in capturing a Fed
eral would be hard for him to see through;
yet l would hope to find him in Richmond.
He could get there.
Now at the left of the road 1 saw a
skirmish-line in the edge of some timber.
/ saw but few men, really, but l knew
that there was skirmish-line. I could
see parts of it on the left of the road, and
on the right also; but on my right the line
seemed to curve back toward the west. /
went to the right. In a few minutes
heard a shot, and another, and another,
| all seeming to come from one spot. Be
fore me, at a distance of say 40 or 80
rods, was dwelling-house; from the
| windows of the upper story shots were
| being fired. l went up to the house and
| entered.
Do you know why I went into that
| house? If its occupants should prove to
be Federals, / could make fresh start;
| if they were Confederates, / would be a
big rebel. too-that was the whole of it.
! The occupants of the house were Con
Efederates-ive; | made the sixth. We
| were Thomson, Norton, Grassland, Moore,
Watson, Jones. / knew they were Nc
| Gowan's sharpshooters because / knew
| West Norton, and knew Grassland, for
l had served in the Gettysburg campaign
with these men. The other men whose
names / have just called l did not know,
but soon became acquainted with them.
"HellO, Westw says l.
"Why, who are you?" says he.
"Hello, Sergeant" says Sam Grassland
to me- and holds out his hand. "Glad to
see you; we's been wonderin' whether we
ought to send back to the battalion for
help, but / reckon we've got enough"
Norton now recognized me; had slept
with him many night. But you're not
in the battalion this year." says he.
mo, not this year." / said; what you
got OH hand here, boys!"
From the upper windows these marks
men had command of a good many rifle
five or 30 pits were in full view, 300
yards, in a hollow. Bullets came tap
ping, tapping on the walls of the house
and on the chimneys; occasionally one en-
tered. Thomson was bleeding from a
slight wound ON his hip; the ball had
crushed a hole in his canteen first.
My position was delicate. 1 could not
uott " leigh. 81 lew, II Wouiu
be ct once known that my Enfield was
worthless. Suddenly l said:
''Thomson, rest awhile and lend me
your gun"
What for, Sergeant?'
"NIine won't shoot. I'd throw it away,
but it's too good to lose. It's choked."
"Wait till l fire once more says Thorn
son.
There were but two windows overlook
m tho YanEaas Tho me would fra ol-
ternately and step back into the room to
load. Rap, rap, came the Federal bull
lets.
Thomson fired and handed me his gun.
My cartridge-boX was full-Springield
cartridges, you know, but they fit an En-
field well enough. l loaded. Thomson
took my gun and went downstairs. /
fired at the ground so yards from the
house, stepped back, and began to reload.
All at once q most terrific shock W; s
felt; bricks flew into the room; hole as
big as your head was in the chimney; the
room was full of dust and litter; big
hole was in the wall of the room opposite
the chimney.
Now at each window were two men,
trying to get shot at the artillery; the
men were loading and firing as fast as
possible.
Look out! Run DOWN. shouted
Watson and Grassland at once, and there
was a stampede for the stairway. We
were running for the cellar. The cannon
there was but section of battery
pnun1o1 orov l.nocl,inp hnIaS in tho nm.