The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1902-04-17

just above the hips; on reaching down
| found l was lying on two-inch limb of
neighboring fallen tree, my body being
suspended as if over a swing-rope about
six inches from the ground.
Seeing several Confederates near by |
called them. They came to me, when
| told them l desired to be lifted from the
/ limb, and away from the dead man at
my right, SO l would not be obliged to
turn nv head to one side. The head &C.
cupied nearly two inches Of the space
where mine would be if lying straight.
One man took hold OF my head, another
my feet. and one my shoulders. The one
at my feet lifted them first, fully three
| feet high. l could feel the broken thigh
bone cutting its way through the muscles
below. I gave such piercing shrek that
he dropped my legs as though frightened.
told them to try it again, and to all lift
together The one at my hips lifted first
| this time, and felt the sharp cutting bone
coming through the flesh. / put my hand
down and could feel the end just under
the skin. I gave another yell, with the
same result as before. Then ! told them
that would do, and they left in the direc-
| ton of Dover.
| Serg't John Lamb, of my company,
came hObbIing up to me. He had been
shot through the heel, and could walk but
slowly and with great pain. told him
he would certainly be taken prisoner, as
they were already gathering them up;
whereupon he turned and started away,
| but was, have since learned, caught by
! the enemy, and taken to Nashville.
On looking to my left l saw a COnfed-
| crate caYalryman riding toward the fort.
| hailed him. He rode up and asked what
| I would have. | told him | wanted to see
his gun: that had just been shot by the
cavalry and would like to know what arm
they used. He passed it to me. On ex-
animation l found it to be a Colts re-
vOying rife, nearly new, 90 caliber. He
said his regiment was armed with them,
and liked them very much, and that they
were a very effective weapon. | replied
/ that I was satisfied with their efficiency
and was q sample OF it, then thanked him,
and he rode away.
He had scarcely left me, when / heard
heavy musketTy firing in the rear. 1t drew
nearer by degrees, when suddenly l
saw a large number of Confederate infan-
try passing by, many directly over me.
They were Immediately followed by the
blue coats"
I l heard some one say, 'Hulloa; what is
The matter with yOu?' On looking up I
recognized Lieut.. Morgan Potts. | knew
him before the war. He ran on the ILL.,
nois Central Railroad as an express mes
senger between Dunleigh and Blooming
ton. Ill. | asked him what troops these
were He said the Sth No. and 18th Ind.
that ne was a First Lieutenant in the Sth
Mo. and in command of his company. He
asked me what he could do for me. /
told him nothing now, but to 20 on with
his company and stop when he came back.
BETWEEN THE LINES.
The Confederates passed down the
rayine below me, and over the rise on the
opposite side near where our regiment
fought in the morning, formed at once in
battle line. and opened fire. The two Fed
eral regiments not being in an adyan-
tageOuS position for an engagement, fell
back past mel judged by the firing about
; 40 yard&-formed in line OF battle, and the
fight opened.
The rebs fired low. and the bullets
''>i>t" all around me; but as | was moi
iii condition 10 dodge, | had to take what
came. Several struck the log near me
and the Splinters flew in my face. This
log WAS next 10 the soldier on my left
from il came the limb that was giving me
- much pain aud annoyance.
II seemed as though the battle lasted an
hour, when both parties stopped firing
and the enemy retired toward Dover
could hear no noise now, except the cries
and -sroanS of the wounded. Some of those
: near by / could individually recognize as
they grew fainter and fainter, and finally
ceased altogether. The soldier on my LEFT
T. had stopped grooming before the last bat
e tie and putting my hand en- the forehead
, | found il was cold. The heads of tn,
: other two felt like pieces Of ice.
] | was bareheaded. having lost my car
l when / fell the first time. | could fee
r that it was growing very cold; judged i
must be II or 20 degrees below freezing; tn,
{ trees snapped, and the branches and twig.
! moved with a sharp, crispy sound.
, NIGHT on THE BATTLEFIELD.
J.. Night had come, and l was evidentl,
IA between the respective picket lines. AL
+ hope Of being taken from the field van
iShed, and was left 10 my reveries NJ,
9 mind was unusually active, and invoiun
4: tIrily ran 10 subjects singularly appro
z pirate 10 the surroundings. | thought o.
d the cold December battle of Hohenlinden
+ and rccited Thomas Campbell's poem OF
h that subject. aud reviewed Nap0leon's re
e turn from Moscow. and thought of tn,
D suffcrings of his soldiers, and, solloGuiz
: ing. said: Some of them lived, and VIII,
+ mot =
; | must have remained in this thought