Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1905-07-29
Relieved Tense Situation.

Speaking of geese and rabbits,
said the corporal, reminds me that
had a Christmas experience on that
Stone river campaign. A few days
before Christmas George Hunt, Happy
Jack and myself went foraging to the
front. Jack wanted a goose for Christ
mas, George wanted a turkey or
rabbit, and l was ready to accept
spring chicken years old. We had
been over the country before and we
thought we knew the ground We
did, but conditions were so changed
by the presence of the enemy in front
that we had no freedom of action.
We picked up a little fresh pork and
Jack and l were ready to return to
camp.
George, however, cut loose from us,
saying that he remembered a place
where rabbits were as numerous as
they were in the four-mile woods at
home, and that he was not going to
camp until he had at least two. He
didn't get in until the next morn
ing, when he told an exciting story
about shooting six rabbits, being
chased by the rebs, and forced to drop
his rabbits to save his bacon. The
boys laughed at him, offered to bet
him d months pay that there were not
a dozen rabbits between our camp and
Murfreesboro, and the orderly put
him on double duty for being absent
at two roll calls. George confided to
me that he had had a hell of a time
and that rabbits were thick in the
woods beyond Layergne, but that rebs
were thicker than flies in Sam John
sons butcher shop at home.
ION the 31sct of December we were
1vip in Of riN ucr
an order to charge and listening to
the roar of nusketry and the rebel yell
on our right. The sound came nearer
and nearer, .,rt changed constantly to
the rear, and George remarked that
we 'uns were getting licked Sud
denly there came from the woods and
fields on our right and to our rear a
wave OF terrified animals. Rabbits,
squirrels, weasicS, and all the wild
things CT the woods swept over us in
a frenzy of fear. Many of the squir-
rels sought refuge among us, not few
burrowing into the mems pockets, but
the rabbits, scores of them, ran on
blindly with larger animals, a deer
leading the wild chase.
1t was an uucanny thing to look
at and the men in the ranks were
quiet as death. Not a single hand was
raised to catch rabbit or squirrel. All
were awed except George, who said
conversatiolally. The man who says
there are no rabbits between Nashville
and Murfreesboro is liar. Holy
smoke, see them IEn,' This relieved
the nerve tension that bade fair to
breed panic and the boys turned hys-
terically to badger George about his
escapade OF q few days before. He
insisted that what scared him was the
absence OF rebs in Our front, and if he
had r million dollars he would buy a
brigade of rebs and order it to charge
us. Scarcely had he said the words
when a charging line of gray swept
down upon us. The men sprang up
with q cheer. and I said to George,
Here's your brigade He. immensely
relieved, said jocularlv, It's a little
sudden. but it's worth the money.
Ten minutes more with the scared rab-
bits and l would have been a dead
man. This is something like And !
believe every man in the regiment
was glad that the time had come for
US to charge."-ChicaSo Inter Ocean.