Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1905-02-11
SOLDIERS AT HOME.
THEY TELL SOME INTERESTING
ANECDOTES OF THE WAR.
How the Boys of Both Armies whiIed
Away Life I'm Camp-Foragiug Ex-
periences, Tiresome Marches-Thrii.
ling Scenes ON the Battlefield.


Japs have any fun on picket Now,
In the old days there was always
something doing in the First Ken
lucky, and it was more exciting in
the early days OF the war TO go on
4 picket than TO 30 scouting. On one
/ Kanawha Falls, l was detailed for
/ picket with Bob Murphy, Donald
Brick, and John Banister, of my own
company, and five or six men from
other companies. We were sent down
the river road and posted at the lower
end of the narrows. There was only
one post and the reserve held the road.
"The picket post was a natural fort,
1 formed by detached rocks that had
| broken loose from the mountain and
fallen so as to make rock inclosed
4 hastion large enough TO hold comfort
able five or six men, On the side next
the mountain was large rock, nearly
fiat on top, this top sloping downward
/ toward the inside of the fort This
/ rock was seven or eight feet high,
4
1 about two feet highrn which was q
standing invitation TO a man of aver
4 age parts to sit down.
II was on first relief and was posted
4 in the fols the officer in charge say
| ing; If you hear any one coming
down from the direction of the noun
/ tain fire and fall back on the reserve.
/ Soon | heard some one coming-~com-
ing boldly and making a good deal of
noise. | brought my gun into posi-
4 ton, and the old muzzle loader seemed.
1 in all its anxiety to get into action, to
/ describe all sorts of curves and cir.
cles. 1t gyrated like a searchlight
striving to locate the enemy, and the
inclination to pull the trigger was al
most irresistible, and finally | pull
ed it,
There was a tremendous explosion
in my immediate vicinity and a noise
/ In front like the scurry of cavalry
company Then there was a humping
against the big rock and i'm three min
utes l was REINFORCED by the entire
u
ing noise in front and some Of the
boys went forward to see how many
| cavalrymen | had put out of action.
Snug up against my little fort lay
I fine, 2-yearold steer, with short
piece of chain around his neck, and.
mark you, shot In the head. That
meant fresh beef In camp.
Il went Oh duty again at 2 a. m.
+ The boys had guyed me about my first
adventure, and l was on the lookout
! for some Of Murphy's practical jokes.
He made a full hand at that, and
Brick was not slow. 50 | was ex-
pecting to be harrassed from the rear
4 as 1t were | was sitting with IN
I back to the big rock. still as a mouse,
| listening intently, that | might not
/ be taken by surprise. | heard some
/ one sfealthly approaching my strong
/ hold from the rear, but | was salts
| fed that the fellow creeping up was
no secesh' but my friend Murphy,
4 and ! planned surprise for him. no
ma tier what his scheme might be.
Presently | felt my cap touched
/ from above and | lowered my head
/ so that whoever the man was that
wanted my cap he would have to
reach further and give me my chance
! Pretty soon | received quite a scratch
on my forehead. and my cap was
firted off. concluded Murphy, with
a stick, was trying to capture my cap,
I and / waited quietly for the next
move, when | proposed to grab his
stick or arm and yank him off the
rock. | did not have long to wait. /
/ saw the shadow Of the arm project
over my head seized it with decis-
1 ion and energy, and, throwing all my
strength into the effort. brought the
owner OF the arm off the rock and to
my feet
"But It wasn't Murphy Great
Scott! No There was a surprise for
two-a young black bear and myself.
The bear had been having a game
with my hat, and here he was. / stood
looking down at him, when he went
into action, giving my knee a hug. but
Of fresh beef in my haversack. and I
offered 1t to him. He ate it greedily.
After that we were friends. and / had
lots of fun playing with him while
was sitting ont my trick.
when / was relieved | took him
mp in my arms and carried him until
he became too much Of load. Then
| put him down. and much to my sur
prise he kept right at nay heels, and
we went unconcernedly to the reserve.
After a square meal he slept until we
were ready to return TO camp. and
then followed rs In. A man from
Cincinnati named Hemingway took
fancy to young bruln, and gave me
$40 for him Hemingway enlarged
on the adventure at the time, but I
had forgotten It until a reference to
the old camp the other day brought 1t
&