Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-12-07


Those near said he ran through it
like steer, paying no attention to
rows. running over hills and breaking
down the stalks, and that they could
hear him until he got through into the
woods beyond.
Pat wasn't the only one who took to
tall corn. l did not hear or know Of
the order to fall back, until | found
myself nearly alone, and saw a move
ment to the rear.
Then l lost no time getting out.
took the road at fox. trot, when it
flashed through my head it was very
dangerous place, and instantly sprang
aside into foot path running by the
road side.
Narrow Escape From Death.
Miller came along the road had just
left, the moment l was out of it, and
going little faster, had passed me a
few feet, when a charge of buckshot
came whistling by. | distinctly heard
them strike him in the back and head,
saw several blood spots show on his
fell backward at full length. stopped
a moment and looked at him and saw
him straighten out with a convulsive
shudder that l was sure meant, death.
A man coming UP on the opposite side
of the road, stopped q moment, took
a look, and picked up Miller's gun and
went on. Satisfied l could do nothing
for him, and realizing it was death to
delay, l went on and very soon over
took the command, which was then re-
firing at deliberate walk. When the
rear was in front of the cabin, Colonel
Scott, on his little roam. said: Boys,
there are some mounted men at the
corner of the field in the road follow
ing us. Turn and give them a few
Shots Probably twenty or thirty men
halted, faced about and fired at the
horemen, about forty rods away.
Horses and men fell over each other
in the utmost confusion and disap-
peared in a cloud of dust That ended
the pursuit.
Sad Case of Lieutenant.
Second Lieutenant Ole Anderson of
our company left for dead on the field,
and was turned over to us next day by
the confederate surgeon. Nearing Lib
erty, we met re-enforcements, and
Lieutenant Colonel Scott proposed go
ing back, but it was getting late in
the day, and the plan was disapproved
by officers who outranked him. Major
Stone, mounted on a mule, his long
dark beard matted. with blood from a
scalp wound, bareheaded, with hand
kerchief around his head and his face
CHASTITY pale, protested noisily against
any renewal Of the fight. Returning
to our camp ground on the hill, went
through convenient hen house, and
for the first, last and only time in my
life robbed a hen roost, taking set
ting hen from the nest.
The boys laughed at me. They had
been through, and left the setting hen
as not worth while. But she had just
begun setting and made tender stew,
as l very. distinctly remember.
Lieutenant Anderson lay in the
Liberty hospital for three weeks, un-
conscious, and with only the faintest
signs of life. Vitality then very slow
ly returned, but left him mental and
physical wreck. He is still living at
DEBORAH, Iowa.
A young woman to whom he was en-
gagged became his wife and has de-
voted her life lovingly in caring for
him. !.
There were just thirteen men in our
company for duty after the fight,
and of these Sergeant Charles w. Bur
dick and Corporal Charles P. Brown,
were the only ones holding any rank.
We went on with the regiment to Fort
Leavenworth and Kansas City and in
October joined the balance of the regi-
ment at Quincy, ILL.,
Major John F. Lacey of Oskaloosa,
member Of congress from the sixth
district of Iowa, was member Of Co.
H. Third Iowa infantry, and was tax
en- prisoner at Blue Mills.
Red Shirts Were Targets.
At st. Joe the confederates had gone
through the stores of union merchants,
and got among other things a lot of
red flannel shirts, and many of them
were wearing them in the fight. A bad
mistake, as the red showed through
the brush and smoke, making good
mark.
Just before the firing began, Cor
porals Charles W. Quincy of our COM
pany handed me paw-paw, the first l
had ever seen. l remember very we'll
didn't like the taste, as with the first
mouthful came the crashing volley
from the concealed confederate line,
which might have had something to
do with it. Private Heath, whom we
called ''Muqua" Gndian name for
bear) because he used to scrap with a
tame bear at DEBORAH, when the
company was organizing, was near me
when the battle opened. We were un-
der thorn tree and the ground was
covered with red apples. Where are
they?" he said to me, Where are they?
1 can't see anybody" STOPPING down
he picked up a handful of the apples,
he handed me some, saying, 'If we
can't see anything to shoot at, we
might as well eat thorn apples" The
thick underground and the powder
smoke made it almost impossible to
see the enemy: the only thing was to
fire in the direction the bullets were
coming from. and that we did.
l have had it in my mind to write
report of this fight as a finishing
chapter to the Corn Belt" articles, and
if you will have this letter typewriter
will ,.o,,;co ond MT n with tho