The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-04-19
Pat Rohrbauah in Battle.

'Non So-c Aualy III your OeSk Tor them ,"
Pat Rohrbaush in Battle.
Pat Rohrbaugh tells of the first, last
and only battle that he was ever in. OF
course, now, legal battles are left out
or the subject matter This battle =,
which Mr.. Rohrbaugh participated VS.
real gun-powder AFFAIR.
Ny father" says Mr.. Rohrbaugh. in
/ telling OF the events, was a photog-
rapher and Travelled around with him
1 was just eleven years old We were
at Martins5urg. w. Va. with the army
when news came that the rebels were
coming to attack Harpers Ferry which
was IS miles distant. The army was 10
start to Harper's Ferry the next morn
ing so that night before We went to bed
my father told me that / would be safest
right there with Fawvers, the boarding
house family, and so he would not wax.
me IN the morning when the start was
made to the Ferry. He was going along
for protection. Well, about twelve O'Clock
that night 1 awoke with a start. for I
heard the clash of arms and the lov.
rumblings OF the soldiers talk as they
hurried back and forth. / felt over in
fathers place and he was gone Well.
right then and there / made UP my mind
to so with him. So l got up and put on
my pants and the funny part about il
Is that it never occurred 10 me that night
not TO be able to ind father / went
out on 10 the street which was lighted
up by lamps. Walking right down
among the soldiers, by happy chance
ran right into my father. He never said
word and when 1 announced to him
my intentions he said All right
Being acquainted with most Of the
drivers because. kid like. 1 took an in
terest in their horses. l ate my break
fast OF SOW belly with driver by the
name of John. / don't know his other
name. l will never forget him nor the
fact that he drove eight OF the prettiest
mules / have ever seen. They were pure
white and had small ears. When We
started, John threw me up onto his wag
on and there Travelled all the way. An
other incident that impressed itself on
my mind was the burning of the Ray
stacks in the darkness of that morning
in order TO keep II out of the hands OF
the enemy. / could see to pick up a pin
two miles from those burning hay stacks.
1T took the army q day and night to
travel that nineteen miles. j think that
the siownesS with which an army moves
is what plays the soldiers out. Toward
the end of the first days march the
young fellows commenced getting tired.
Every once in q while some one would
throw away his cot or his KNAPP sack
Whenever ] would see one about 10 do
so, / would call TO them 10 throw them
up on the wagon where i was. Espec-
tally in this connection / remember lit
tie hump backed Irishman. He was well
along in years and many of the boys
urged him TO throw his load up onto
the wagon but he always refused. saying
that the young fellows who were tired
needed the rest more than he did. AMI
so all the way. that little fellow carried
his burden without a groan.
ION the trip. / got awfuliy thirsty. /
and a soldier walking back
of the wagon lifted me down and giving
me pumice stone to which was at
tached a tube. he told me 10 get
drink out Of the rut in the road There
was a little water in this from tn rain
Of few days before. The pumice stone
purified II.
I'VE had not been at HarreT's Ferry
was walking around on the hoirhts nortn-
east of the town. and We heard a whiz-
zing over head. a shell burst two or three