The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1906-12-20
THE BOOMING CANNON
RECITALS OF CAMP AND BAT.
TIE INCIDENTS.
Survivors of the Rebellion Relate
Many Amusing and Startling Incl
dents of Marches, Camp Life, Forag-
ing Experiences and Battle Scenes.

compared with the death sentence
hanging over a man." remarked Capt.
Charles ]. Dubois, civil engineer, who
was a member of Company X, Iowa
cavalry, during the civil war. Be
fore / went into the army l often Won
dered what a man thought of the night
before he was to stand up with a line
to be shot at sunrise. Now, know.
1t isn't pleasant"
The grizzled officer, who was talking
to friends on the courthouse lawn, re-
filled his cob pipe, pushed down the
tobacco and reminiscently studied the
match he was going . strike.
''Some Texas troopers gathered US
in while Blunt and Herrin were push
ing into rout Hindman's CENTER" the
veteran went on. Those Texas fei-
lows were scrappers, and If there'd
been enough of them we would have
had a tough job They got Lieut. Col.
Hubbard of the Colorado cavalry, my
self and several others. We were
taken to Little Rock, where Hindman
had his headquarters That was In
the year 1868. The winter had been
severe, and four country boys, VINO
had been fighting with the confeds, de-
serted, but were captured. The poor
chaps had run off because they weren't
half clothed and had nothing to eat
Hindman ordered them shot, and us
prisoners were where We could look
through the bars and see- 1t looked
cruel to shoot down those half-naked
country boys, but the commander said
he had to make an example Lots of
the ,Johnnies had been running off, and
he thought that would stop it. Hind
man had the reputation of being a
harsh man, and when he sent for us
before the smoke of the executioners'
guns had cleared away l will freely
confess my knees trembled with terror.
/ was first lieutenant, just turned p.
4 The dreaded general was seated at a
desk, surrounded by lot of gold-laced
officers. He asked me about the
strength of Herrin and Blunt. l told
him did not know, and he brusquely
Informed me that 1 lied. He next call
ed Hubbard. That gentleman was che
typical American soldier-tall, stern
faced, alert. He had been a cownan
out West, and was the nerviest man |
ever saw. His knees didn't tremble.
for / was watching and wondering by
what trick he kept them steady.
Colonel demanded Hindman, Sc
verely, what's the extent of Herrin's
forcesy
..Is don't know, sir said Hubbard.
truthfully.
whats Blunt's forceT
az don't know, sir
YOU'RE liar, SIR said the gen.
eral, fiercely.
1 Hubbard flushed, and walked for
ward a step.
General, he said, with suppressed
wrath you're a coward to talk that
way to a prisoner. If you were On
equal footing l would teach you les
son in manners
1.-THE old generals eyes blazed and
he fairly roared:
flake 'em away! Take 'em away
Shoot 'em at runrise THE whole ca
DOODLE
Lord! l thought those poor legs
of mine would certainly let me down.
Hubbard had extinguished what little
show we had, for after having seen
the merciless work of vengeance on his
own soldiers, I hadn't the slightest
doubt we would all go the same way.
But Hubbard wasn't bit frightened.
He was only as mad as wounded
tiger
General be said In q voice of
deadly earnestness, as he shook his
forefnger in the confederate command
er's face. for every one of us prison
ers you shoot Gen. Blunt will kill a
hundred. and he's got enough on hand
to do it. You hear mev
"They led us away from the storm
Ing general, and l began to overhaul
my conscience. Hubbard wasn't a bit
uneasy, but took no hope from that,
because l knew, II necessary. he would
walk right into his OWE grave without
the tremor of an eyelash.
They won't kill us; they won't
dare to kill u.s. he said; If they do,
Blunt will kill a hundred for every
one of us, and Hindman knows it
II told him it was poor consolation,
and went on with my preparations for
death. The musketed guards tramped
around outside, and occasionally look
ed in through the bars, generously call
ing Off the hours to us. 1 didn't sIeep
a wink. A rooster crowed down the
valley somewhere and my hair stood
on end with the thought that 1t was
nearly day, and that the guardsman
was fooling us when he said IL O'Clock.
He produced watch to verify his call,
and offered me cigar. We didn't
have the furtive hope that comes to
men whose applications for pardon or
reprieve have been. submitted to the
governor. We had only one Judge, and
we knew his sentence was final.
Daylight at last, and my kneex
were hopelessly panic-striclnn again.
A guardsman entered and we were
marched out into the courtyard, where
lot of Mississippi soldiers, smartly
uniformed and well armed, were wait
ing to escort us to the place of execu-
ton, l thought. Instead. they led the
way to Hindman's Office, where we
were again lined up before him.
so you fellows won't tell me the
number of those forcesT he said.
1--WE don't know said Hubbard
"'You wanted to fight me yester-
dayy
"'You called me a liar, general re-
turned Hubbard.
$50 did, admitted Hindman, but
I'm going to show you 1 didn't mean
It, I'm going to parole you boys TO
stay in the limits of Little Rock, but
warn you to keep away from those
Texas fellows; they'll get you drunk,
sure
Il wanted to shout Glory My legs
] sfraiobteped nm AGAIN and I faIf Tho