The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1905-05-26

I have never prided myself on my
ability TO spin" an army yarn, but
occasion1y can remember true one.
More than 40 years ago is long time
TO carry memories of some of Van
Buren, county's citizens, then Uncle
Samuel's soldiers. We had marched
TO the sea and ever since have APP
preciated IN arc hing Through
Georgia with its sweet potato ac-
commandments. | have wondered why
we never sang of the Cardinals, as
Sherman's march through them was
as full of interest and incident as was
that TO the sea.
1t was in North Carolina one Sun
day morning, March 10, 1865, with
stiffened Joints and blistered feet, that
we obeyed the fall in with usual
reluctance and because we had TO.
( We had scarcely Strengthened out in
70 line when the scattering shots from
the skrmish line Of foragers began TO
! come in volleys, aud we came TO halt.
! About o'clock our brigade was NOV
ed out TO the left, and after a couple
of hours Of marching through woods
and fields, we crossed a swamp, and
under the high bank we came to
halt and formed in two lines Of battle,
the 18th Michigan infantry forming
the ID line with fixed bayonets. We
were informed there was lying Rebel
battery somewhere in the woods III
our front, that we were to advance in
two lines and if the advance line fail
ed TO capture them we were TO do so
at bayonet charge.
In this order we advanced and re-
ceived our first volley while climbing
a rail fence.
In perfect silence we marched down
through the woods until with a flash
as of lightning came the roar of the
enemies volley and with it our order
TO charge, which we did to within a
few rods of their works, when with
more men lying dead and wounded
I than the old 18th had ever had before
in the same time, we came to halt
and soon TO a retreat.
Here begins my yarn. In the con-
! fusion of retreat we came TO a halt
and were being rallied to again form
our line, when l found myself stand
} ing beside ]. G. Warner, known famil-
: iarly in those days as Rome" It sc
2 happened that Rome" and | slept
a under the same tent and fried our
}. bareback and "sow belley" in the
= same frying pan. In fact we belonged
e to the same "mess, and to our mess
a belonged a regular Geo. Washington
r hatchet. l think Rome" found( p i
d somewhere III Georgia, and he had al
a ways claimed the privilege of carry
It ing it, and l can see it now as it hangs
l. as many a day it did, in his bel
Y dangling over his hips. Just at tn,
d moment when he and l came to a hal
IS side by side, "Rone" discovered hi
e Ratchet was gone. Rebel bullets wer,
% singing like crickets about our ears
r and playing a merry tattoo all abou
y us. but Rome" at the discovery o
st his loss deliberately turned aroun,
IT with his face to the whistling bullets
t and as unconcerned as though cuttin:
II a beef steak remarked; by COLL, Nv
v, lost my Ratchet. / meant to hav
x taken that home with me- l believe,
TO then, and have never changed m
Is mind, that he would have marche
ID back in search of the lost Ratchet ha
as | not persuaded him we better take t
I'd our heels as a more valorous act
m which we did, and in less than a
- hour Rome had a bullet throug
=, his thigh.
i! presume Reed Shrine has not fol-
III gotten few hours afterward, when
m few of us went to the picket line il
ne front of some works we had hastil
b. erected. Reed got hungry, and sittin
on the ground, he made himself
target, and swinging his haversac
. around into his lap began to crunch
-. juicy bareback. He had got Just on
- mouthful when bizz-whif-c
minnie ball striking a dry stick b,
tween his feet and Topping the END
with leaves over his dinner dishes( +?
10. | think we all remember few minute
in later when came the first of for
20. charges to drive us from our lit
works, and then what followed, whic
| haven't time to relate.
G., w. MYERS