The National tribune., 1903-12-03

We had been Captured in sight of Atlanta
and l might say within our own lines.
sat up and stared siupld.y around-at tn,
reDeI Captain who stiil held his pisto
within Two inches of my mead; ut has
men standing about with their guns leveiel
at Larry, ne and the boys; Ut tue bianb
Terror OF the boys, who turned their eye
With dumb, ANXIOUS appeal toward me
at the sun shining Oh the brown leaves o.
the oaks, even 1T Il squirrel frisking a.ont
tbe branches with his cheeks poucned ou
with Deech-nuts to lay away Tor the w III
ter. he stopped for a moment to loch
at us with feeling OF wonder at wha
SO many men were doing there, and no
body paying any attention to mm.
looked around Tor my gun. 1t was in the
hands OF a short, chubby fellow, evidently
the Orderly Sergeant OF the company, To-
ne wore three cheyrous and damon,
made of lawyers red tape, badly faded
W bile he Kept his eye on ms Captain ana
on us, lie WAS stealing glance at tht
wonderful new gun.
= stop gawking around eand get up
fank. said the rebel Captain, kicliIn.
me again, this time on the thigh Stan
Up, and let me look yo' over!'
Il rose stlffly to Ely feet and faced tn.
Captain. Instantly | saw that he was .
man from whom | must expect the worst
lie was one of those coarsc-flbcred
ownatured fellows who when they haI.
the power, are brutal because that is then
way of showing off. He was q tail, raw
boncd man, with long, coarse, sandy hali
combed behind his ears, and goat-lik,
bunch of the same ON his chin. lie had
small, squirting, gray eyes, and a shark
ike mouth, from the corners of which to
Dacco-juice trickled. 1t was the face of IL
-owdy and bully, or such Il face as W,
often saw in our army i'll the cary period
Of the war. Most of them disappeared
after the first battle, however, those re
naming being worn by boss wagon-mas
ters.
II noticed now that my holster was
empty, and that it was with my own pis-
t9l that he Eas covering me.
We'll, yo' blue-belied Yankee, where
are yo' from, and who are yO!' he de-
manded.
- am Sergeant Wilson Holcomb, OF
Co. A, 200th Indiana Volunteer Infantry.
and darn sight better man than you are
Il had seen at once that there was ne
earthly use in being civil, besides | was
mad enough at being captured that way
10 say anything.
any blasted Yankee that ever lived. Yo'r
from Injianny, yO' say? Injianny was
settled by hOss.thieves and counterfeiters
and their seed is Wussen they are
"'All the mean men in Indiana come
from the South, L answered, and the
meanest are from Georgia. They learn
all their meanpess down South. The In
diana PeDitentiary Is so full of GeorSians
that they are bulgipg out of the windows,
The Captain's1, claycolored face got
fairly blue, lie was so angry. He raised
his fist as if he would knock me. down,
but saw from tile way / squared off at him
that l would be only too glad to play a
hand with him, at that game. He turned
it off by looking around to curse one OF
his Sergeants for mot going on tying be-
hind them the hands of the boys.
What in blazes is the matter with
you, Bruner, you sneaking jay-heeled sand
hitler. he yelled with torrent Of ,oaths:
What are yOui iodfng around about! Half
o. 'em will get. away from yo' first thing
yo' know Then his sluggish mind had
another thought, and he turned furiously
upon me, thrusting the revolver into my
face and saying
Surrender, you white-livered Yankee
whelpv
II saw his purpose at once 1t was to
murder me under the pretext of infOrcing
my surrender. Immediately dropped my
hands.
".YOu rotten fool said l., you know
very wellI have surrendered. What can
do without my arms? You have them
in your hands,
'WlIar've yo' been? How did yo'
come here? he roared, with his pistol still
at my head. 'Yo've been sneaking for
days and nights through our camps. You
are n spyi l Orter hang yo' for a spy
".What nonsense! 1 am a regular sol,
dier. You know that very well. am in
full uniform, and l have been on regular
military duty
'Yo' done stole our countersign and
sneaked through our camps of nights he
shouted. That makes yo' spy-the wuss
kind o. spy. Briles. make nooses in a
couple of picket ropes and throw 'em over
the limbs of them beeches thar I'll hang
both of these Yankee hounds.
"'lf you want to be murderer you
can make any old excuse said resoute-
ly. You know very well that we are not
spies, but regular soldiers. If you dare
to hang us, it will cost you very dearly.
Billy Sherman will hang Ave for your one,
and your own top-knot will go if our folks
ever lay hands on you. Our going out of
camp was well known at headquarters,
and where we were going. They probably
know all about you, and what you have
done, SO you had better have a care for
your own scalp. If Billy Sherman should
you, you would be gOner. They would
only be too glad to get rid Of you
'"rhis was a random shot, but it struck
the bulPs-eye. l reasoned that a man of
his character would be likely to be in
trouble with his superlors, and pretty GER
tain to be made n scapegOat if scepe-
goat were required.
eff you dare to treat u.s. continued
as anything but prisoners Of war. 1t will
be u sorry day for you. / don't think you
are in any shape to bring down any more
on your head than you have now to an.
swer for
His countenance changed. He hesi.
tated and finally ordered:
them beeches thar. till l can git ready to
attend to yO'.'
''There was nothing to do but obey, and
we did so. 9riles. the Sergeant, had
obeyed his orders with devillsh alacrity
and had two fio0ses swinging over the
limbs Of the heeches, at the roots Of
which Larry add I took our seats,
"He's all blow the dirty rebel wind.
bag said Larry td me as we sat down
He won't dare hahg US. How the divi
does such a vie Ras-pips be holding q
commission in any prmy?'
"'He is Liable 70, do anything I said
HE Is out hsrgf by, himself In Independent
command, and thinks he 10 the biggest
to give him piece Of my mind. If
"'Oim wild -ye mol boy said Larry
'Ye laid 1t into him in great shape. Go
ahead and give him some more. Don,
moind me, nor nince matters on my ac'
az am most afraid for the boys I re.
Piled. I am afraid we have got them into
a fearful scrape,