The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1904-09-08

losing men all the time. but, rs
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- / started with
the others, when Il strange accident
prevented me. We were going through
quite stretch of woods, and got my
foot wedged between an exposed root
and the ground. In my efforts to gct
it out, pulling and twisting it. the
ankle got turned so that l could not
stand on the foot or bear it Oh the
ground. 1t was dreadfully painful, too
Some of my comrades looked back.
missing me from the ranks. and one
of them called out. asking what the
matter was. | replied that it was
nothing: that l had hurt my foot 4
little, but would catch up right OFF
OF course. had | called for help there
would have been 10 lack of it, and my
mistake was to take it for granted
that l could get off alone. 1t was a
mistake that cost NE 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 l made an effort
to get up. l sat down again. groaning;
/ 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 ell
dure the pain of moving long enough
To get so far to the rear that you
would be safe:" l can only say that
l 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 | could not
bear the idea of voluntary motion. y
desperate effort might have saved Inc,
but l was no more capable of making
the necessary effort than as though Il
mimic bullet had gone through my
body
1t was not easy to measure time in
such situations: but it must have
been half an hour at least that sat
there before saw Il living creature.
Then l began TO catch glimpses OF sol
diers i'll gray moving about i'll the
woods. 1t was Confederate skirmish
line. advancing very cautiously. evil
dently expecting TO be fired on. l saw
that they were dispersed all through
the woods, moving in such a way as to
keep sheltered by tie 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.
"Hold"' l said. Don't fire: ! ain
hurt. and couldn't get off,
He was suspicious of some Yankee
trick. and came up with his gun ready
for instant use. | told him my story
in few words. laying particular
stress upon the fact that | could not
walk Il stetp or even stand upright.
He shouted to sergeant. who also
came and examined me. BY this time
my ankle was considerably swollen.
and l had no difficulty in making the |
sergeant believe the truth of my story. |
Il reckon its as you say he re- |
marked. First. thought You was |
. deserter; but. all around. You |
don't look nor act like it. Miles. you |
stay with him till we get back"
The skirmish line passed on. and il |
was about an hour before l saw il |
gain. In the meantime my guard. !
silent man in an old but
ernut suit. sat down on the ground |
with his musket across his knees. and |
or some minutes stared me in the
lace. His reflections at last found |
rent in this wise:
"Yank, don't You wish You was at
lome:"
Indeed do was my prompt and
hearty reply.
I'll be id if don't. too. Fact. l
wish both of us We're Hand us that
,ag."
That bag was my hayersack. con
aiming at least one days rations of
lardtack and bacon. l passed it over
o him, and his homely face lighted up
oyfuily when he discovered the con-
ents. Then and there he devourcd
he whole. never asking me to partake
was not hungry. and as lie certainly
vas. the discOurtesy was overlooked.
'erhaps there was nothing else for me
0 do but to overlook it.
/ was taken up hy four of the Con-
ederate soldiers later i'll the day and
arried back more than Il mile. \
octor set and dressed my ankle. ana
he next day entered Richmond. but
ot precisely in the way the Northern
ewspapers were predicting. We were
bout TO enter that capital. li(ltnot
ee my regiment again until the fol- :
,wing February Tribune. /
Aged WoInanWas at Bali Ruii.
Mrs. Lucinda Dogan. now 81 years
Id. who was an eyewitness of both
attles at Bull Run in the Civil War, !
still living ut Groyeton near the his I
,ric field. On the morning of til. first
attic she was ordered from her home '
Y one of Jackson's officers, and before {
ne had been gone ten minutes the ar
llery fire, preceding the heavy fight
Il, had opened. She was seemingly
lscinated by the terror of the scene {
nd never 'strayed from it. \ railroad
1t runs through the farm near her |
Duse. 1t was along this graded way
lat Jackson formed his line for the
.cond fight. The line Of the railroad (