The National tribune., 1902-03-20

Again I spoke. Gentlemen, is that
Ramseur's North Carolina Brigade"
Not a word.
1t now seemed folly for me to remain.
Who were these men? Certainly FEEDER
ais. | was in imminent danger OF being
captured. Two or three men might rush
forward and seize me before / could get
10 my feet. Yet, would not line of our
men out here be silent? They would be
very near the enemy and would be very
silent. But they would send man back
to make me stop talking. They We're
Yankees: but why did they not say some
thing do something? Perhaps they We're
in doubt about me. l was so near their
lines they could hardly believe me Con-
federate. / half decided to slip away at
once.
But 1 wished some conclusion to the
matter. l wanted to satisfy the Lieuten-
ant and myself also.
Again spoke, will you please tell me
what brigade that IS"
A voice replied, Our brigade.
This reply, in my opinion, was distinctly
Confederate. | had heard it frequently.
1t was on old thing. Often. when waiting
for troops to pass, you would ask, What
regiment is that?' and some would-be wag
would say, "Our regiment"
l rose to my feet behind the post. but
dropped again as quickly. Before l had
stood erect the thought came that possibly
the Yankees also had this old by-word.
Then another thought-hGd the Yankees
selected one man TO reply to me? Had all
but one been ordered to preserve silence,
and was this one an expert chosen to
entrap me? \ man perhaps who knew
something of the sayings of the Southern
| army?
Now, in an effort to bring things to
pass, | shouted loud, "What army do you
belong to?"
Another voice shouted loud, what
| army do you belong to?'
l had emphasized the word 'army." He
had emphasized the word "yOu."
Perhaps they thought | might be one
of their own men, sent out in front and
trying to return; but if that We're the case,
why did they not bid me come in? If
they thought me n Confederate, very like
ly they thought | was trying to desert
and feeling my way through fear of falling
into the hands of the wrong people.
| replied at once, Il am REBEL
What it was that influenced me to use
the word l do not know, unless it was
that | thought if they were our men I
they We're Yankees, they would at once
accept the challenge. L wanted to end the
matter.
They accepted.
A dozen voices shouted 1--WE are for the
Union" and half dozen rifles cracked.
They must have fired into the fence
row. | heard no bullet-but then, no bull
let can be heard at such n nearness.
l kept my pOst-hat on my face. 1t
would not be best for me to rise and run.
Perhaps | could get off by doing so, but
l could manage better. | would remain
quiet until they should think | had gone.
Then / would crawl away.
Two or three minutes passed. I was
making up my mind to start. Suddenly
a gruif voice spoke. 1t was near me. 1t
was in the fence-TOw. A Yankee had
crept toward me. He said at an ordinary
pitch. hut very gruffly, who are you,
anyway
If he is yet alive, these lines may in
form him that ] was Jones. 1t was my
time to be silent. / feared that he would
continue to come, but the next instant
knew that he was in doubts as to how
many | was. and | stuck fast.
| heard nothing more. No doubt he had
that the enemy had disappeared from the
immediate front.
Five minutes more, and had picked up
my gun and was walking back to our line
| struck it in front of Co. G., whose men
had been warned that | was out, but who
now had to be restrained from firing on
me. They had heard the voices up the
hill, and bullets had whistIed over them,
and they had thought me Il prisoner, so
when they saw n man coming toward
them they were itching to shoot.
We remained all night as we were, with
a gap in the skirmish-line at the left of
Pender's Division.
Ito be continued)