The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1904-09-08
Little Picl,s Adventures.


When we of the cavalry were fall
ing back before Lee as he was headed
for Chantilly and Bull Run. a squad
c1n Of US that had been detailed to
bring a wounded officer away from a
house that would soon be in the pos
session Of the advancing Confederates
found ourselves shut up in front and
rear We numbered about thirty men,
and had a two-horse ambulance in
which the wounded man had been
made as comfortable as possible. We
had, indeed, advanced about a quarter
of a mile before we discovered the
box we were in. The Confederates
who had come in behind us were cav
! airy, and owing to a turn in the road
and bit of woods, had not yet seen
US. The lieutenant in command con-
suited with the major whom we were
bringing away. and explained the sit
uation.
Prepare me as well as you can for
the ride, give me a revolver, and then
form your men by tours and ride right
down on the rebs and cut your way
through" was the order Of the major.
l was in the advance set Of tours,
and the man on my right was next to
| the highway ditch. All Of a sudden,
| just as we were waiting the order to
advance, little negro boy, not over
three years old and as black as the
blacklist tar ever made, appeared in
Lie ditch alongside of Parker He
seemed to have been hiding in the
weeds, and think he must have fallen
out of car or got parted from the
family as they were hurrying into the
Union lines before Lees advance At
any rate, he was there and alone, and
as we saw him, Parker said:
Good lands, but here's a niger
baby right under foot and all alone!
| What shall we do with him?"
| At that moment we got the word to
go ahead, and Parker leaned over,
picked UP the child, and placed him in
front of the saddle. Two or three of
us called to him to drop the boy, but
he didn't do it. AS we moved forward
Pick" was there and hanging on for
dear life, his eyes as white as raw
onions and every tooth plain to be
counted We were right on the rebels
before they saw US, and it was biffl
bangl slash! and we opened a lane
and went through, every horse on the
keen run and the wounded major fir
ing away whenever he found target
4 ~ htc hxV1l A<o
| through Pick" was with US end all
right, and he had seen his first battle
Of the war. One would have said that
he liked it. for his grin was broader
than before and he did not seem a bit
scared
During the bloody days that fol-
lowed the little fellow was with
company wagon, and did not see him
for q week. Then Parker took him
down to Alexandria and left him with
q colored woman, but a few months
later. being made company commits
sary and having the use Of a wagon,
he brought Pick back to the army. got
a tailor TO make him a suit of clothes,
and then the boy was a fixture with
US. He took to army life, and every
one Of the company took to him, and
had any one misused Pick 1t would
have gone hard with him. He was
with US to the very last, and / saw
him munching hard tack and look
Ing on while Lees ragged old veterans
laid down their arms at Appomattox.
| He chung to Parker above all others,
and although the trooper was a rough
| fellow and unmarried. the offer Of
| 500 for his little niger, which was
made over and over, was no tempta-
| ton.
| When the war closed Pick was
taken north to Ohio. sent to school and
| then put to trade, and it was only
month later that walked In on him
| in a Cincinnati cooper shop and found
| him a lusty big fellow with a home
| and a wife and two children. He had
never been back to Virginia. and al
! though he had made many efforts to
| find his father and mother. not u uace
Of them had ever been secursH-
II reckon fist dun got losted In d.
hurry he explained. IAN de family
| had % many odder chillen dat dw
didn't fink It Wort while to stop an
| look for me. "-Detroit Free Press.