Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1905-10-07
THE BOOMING CANNON
REClTALs OF CAMP AND BAT.
TIE INCIDENTS.
Survivors OF the Rebellion Relate
Many Amusing and Startling Incl.
dents of Marches, Camp Life, Forag.
Tag Experiences and Battle Scenes.


escapes and attempted escapes; and
as soon as he could get chance he
related this, which certainly has Il
smack OF the real thing:
All through that campaign l had act
ed as mail carrier for a division of
the Sixth corps. Everybody in the d.
vision knew me, and never had any
difficulty in getting all the help that
/ needed from time to time could
tell a great deal about what happened
both at the front and the rear, be
tween that July and November. 1t was
my business to- get the mail for my
division separated from that OF the
rest Of the corps, when 1t could be
done, as quickly as possible. and to
make regular trips back with the out
going mail Many adventures hap
pened to me in this business; none
quite so stirring as that of the early
morning of Oct 49, 1864
For two days previous | had been
at Winchester. A mail was expected
and, as usual, | was on hand to get
what belonged to my division. got
1t on the evening Of the 18th, after
dark. knew that General Sheridan
had arrived from Martinsburg that
day on his way back to his army. and
that he was passing the night ut Win
chester, Everything was quiet at the
front, according to reports that had
come In that morning. The natural
and ordinary thing would have been
for me to wait In peace and comfort at
Winchester that night, sleeping in a
good bed, eating something better than
rationS that night and the next morn.
ing. and then falling in with the gen
erals eccort after breakfast. and rid
ing up to the front with them.
As it happened. should have made
about the same progress that | did,
had adopted this course: and. with
somewhat different adventures. should
have got my mail mp TO the division
about the same time
i don't know what it was moved me
to make night journey of 1t, unless
it was that was not sleepy. and felt
Il great deal more like riding than
sleeping. In that restless kind of con
dftion, 1t occurred to me that | might
just as we'll get the mail up to the
front ut daybreak as six hours latet,
and ! acted promptly on the idea. Ny
horse was a poor condemned animal
that the quartermaster had furnished
me some weeks before. claiming that
II was the best he could do for me. |
have no doubt he lied; but time has
softene0 his offense, IL 1t las not en-
tirely wiped it out in my recollection
of those days. That animal was knee
sprung and could not be depended
upon for more than two miles and A
half per hour. / had tried my best to
make an even exchange with some OF
the cavalry and orderlies when they
were not looking, but either they
Were too sharp, or | was too dull, and
the swap was never effected. MY
Rosnante was well known all through
the command. and | became the sub
ject OF much good -humored banter On
his account.
/ calculated that by starting froul
Winchester at. 10 o'clock that evening
! could pass over the fifteen miles be-
tween that place and the camp OF she
army by sunrise. There was some
risk of guerriIlas, but ! had learned
something of their ways, and was not
fearful OF their lurking along the
Valley pike that night
81 | started, reckoning without my
host 1t seemed to me that my poor
old mount never went SO slow. With
difficulty | was able to get him off 4
walk for three minutes at IL time. The
night was cold and clear until about
! o'clock, when a fog began to rise
passed through Midtown, Kernstown
Newton and Middletown, all places
thar the veterans of the Shenandoah
campaigns will recognize by their
names.
Just beyond Middletown / heard 4
noise of musketry away over to the
left, / stopped a moment and then
rode on, thinking il was only some
casual picket firing. A half mile
further | heard a volley from the same
direction, then faint sound Of what
we used to call the rebel yell"
was riding nearly in the direction
Of the sound, and Row turned sharp
off to the right 4 short distance over
the meadows IN that direction / saw
a small shed, and, obeying an impulse.
! rode into IT, / merely wanted to
stop and think what to do, as It was
pretty plain to me that an attack had
been made by the enemy. and that >
battle would follow
In the shed there was horse. ,rith
no equipments but headstalI and
Birdie. and fastened by the BITTER. II
was Just light enough for me to see.
and my eyes devOured that animal. II
was a Virginia thoroughbred. as hand.
some piece Of horsefeSh as | hal
ever seen.