The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1904-09-08
SOLDIERS STORIES.
ENTERTAINING "REMINISCENCES
OF THE WAR.

Graphic Account of Stirring Scene.
Witnessed on the Battlefield and In
Camp-Vete-ans of the Rebellion Re-
cite Experiences of Thrilling Nature.
l was private in an infantry regi-
ment and we were sharply engaged at
the battel Of Hatcher's Rum in Octo-
Der, 1864. II you ask me on what part
of the field we fought, my answer
would have to be that l hadn't the
least idea. Pretty much all l can re-
member about what went before my
capture is that there was good deal
Of fighting and quite a number killed
and wounded near me. But when our
line, or that part of it that l could
see, fell back, there were only dead
men left on the ground Only dead
men and myself; the wounded had got
to the rear some way. Even those who
were badly hurt had got of. see
now that l never should have remain
ed there, and if the thing were to be
done again-as, thank heaven, 1t never
will be-you may be certain that l
would find some way to retreat Why
did not Is the most of the story Of
what led to my being taken prisoner.
AS to why our line fell back you
will have to find out from some Of the
war histories. / couldn't see any oc-
casion for it, though there may easily
have been reasons for it that did not
appear to me. We did not seem to me
to be hard pressed, though we were
losing men ali the time, but, as
learned afterward from what / saw
Of the ground In front Of US when
taken over IT, the enemy was losing,
too.
But the order was given, and we re-
treated; all but me- I started with
the others, when a strange accident
prevented me. We were going through
quite a stretch Of woods, and got my
foot wedged between an exposed root
and the ground. In my efforts to get
it out, pulling and twisting 1t, the
stand on the foot or bear it on the
ground. 1t was dreadfully painful, too.
Some of my comrades looked back,
missing me from the ranks, and one
CT them called out, asking what the
matter was. l replied that it was
nothing: that l had hurt my foot a
little, but would catch up right off
OF course, had | called for help there
would have been no lack of it, and my
mistake was to take it for granted
that l could get off alone 1t was a
mistake that cost me four months in
Libby prison.
The pain increased. and so long did
l sit there on the ground. holding my
ankle, that every soldier in blue had
disappeared before / made an effort
to get up. l sat down again, grooming
L was no more able to stand up than
was to fly. Long afterward, when
telling this experience, comrades said
to me: "Well, you must have expected
what was coming, and couldn't you en-
dure the pain of moving long enough
to get so far to the rear that you
would be safer 1 can only say that
1 did, Of course, expect what was
coming: but If there had been reason
TO believe that death threatened me,
instead of capture, ! could not have
moved a rod from where l was. The
pain was so intense that l could not
bear the idea of voluntary motion. A
desperate effort might have saved me,
but | was no more capable of making
the necessary effort than as though a
MIME bullet had gone through my
body.
1t was not easy to measure time in
such situation; but it must have
been half an hour at least that 1 sat
there before l saw living creature.
Then 1 began to catch glimpses OF SOL
diers in gray moving about in the
woods. 1t was Confederate siirmish
line, advancing very cautiously, evil
IDENTIFY expecting to be fired on. saw
that they were dispersed all through
the woods, moving in such a way rs to
keep sheltered by the trees as much
as possible AS they advanced, one of
them discovered me at the distance of
perhaps two rods, and promptly COW
cred me with his musket-
"Holdv' 1 said. Don't fire; 1 am
hurt, and couldn't get off,"
He was suspicious Of some Yankee
trick, and came up with his gun ready
for instant use. 1 told him my story
in a few words, laying particular
stress upon the fact that l could not
walk a stetp or even stand upright
BE shouted to a sergeant, who also
came and examined me- By this time
my ankle was considerably swollen,
and / had no difficulty in making the
sergeant believe the truth Of my story.
Il reckon it's as you say" he re-
marked. First, 1 thought you was q
.deserter; but, all around, you
don't look nor act like 1t. Miles, you
stay with him till we get back"
The skirmish line passed on, and 1t
was about an hour before I saw 1t
again. In the meantime my guard, a
solemn-faced, silent man in an old but
ternut suit, sat down on the ground
with his musket across his knees, and
for some minutes stared me in the
face. His reflections at last found
vent in. this wise:
"Yank, don't you wish you was at
homa7"
Indeed 1 Co." was my prompt and
hearty reply.
sxr,11 - = 20 5ox,s< - ~ =