Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1906-11-10
THE BOOMING CANNON
ReClTALS OF CAMP AND BAT.
TIE INCIDENTS.
survivors of the Rebellion Relate
Many Amusing aud Startling Incl
dents of Marches, Camp Life, Forag-
ing Experiences aud Battle Scenes.

brief one. The affair was exciting
enough but 1t began and ended so
quickly that l have hardly got over
the surprise Of it yet. was a captain
on the staff OF General Emory, com
handing the Nineteenth Army Corps.
On the morning OF the 10th Of October.
1864, we were reused up before day
light by the heavy firing over on the
left Something was evidently wrong,
and we had our horses saddled at once.
We occupied, with Sheridans staff. the
stone house-the 'Hite House." | have
First Division. l w2s dispatched over
to the pike" to see what the trouble
was and report. did not reach the
pike Immediately; there was a great
deal between me and It to prevent, and
as for reporting" l never saw the
Nineteenth Corps again till the next
spring.
The morning was foggy and 1t was
impossible to see a man at that hour
more than a few rods off, but could
see the flashes Of the muskets of some
OF the regiments of our corps, and
met fugitives from the Eighth in large
numbers going to the rear A great
noise Of shooting, and a yell that was
never made by any but Southern sol
diers was heard from the left, and
saw enough, besides what these fugi-
uyes told me, TO be sure that there
was an attack and a panic In the
Eighth. 1t would have been we'll for
me If had been satisfied with what
/ had thus far discovered, and had
gone back TO headquarters with the
report. I should certainly have found
headquarters in the saddle" and
they were never so near me again
that morning But I wanted to do
my whole duty. l was anxious to see
the whole trouble with my own eyes.
that I might make a faithful report,
and on I went.
TO avoid the streams Of fugltives, I
bore we'll Off to the left intending to
reach the pike rather below the line of
their hasty retreat. l had not ridden
half way to the pike when I came slap
on four soldiers. The meeting was so
sudden, in the obscurity of the fog,
that they seemed to rise out of the
ground. At a glance ! saw that they
wore gray, and that each of them had
a musket.
/ can see now that If had acted
with the greatest promptness l might
have wheeled and gaIloped back unin-
5ured before fine aim could have
been taken at me; and then again
might have been knocked dead off my
horse trying It. was not quick
enough to take the risk. pulled up,
and their muskets quickly covered me.
They saluted me as "Yank," or
dering me to dismount, and conveying
their wishes to me in explicit language.
They had the controversy all their own
way, and I yielded without trying TO
argue the question. l got down, and
was taken to the pike and up II to-
ward Fishers Hill, to place where
many Union prisoners had already
been collected. The hurser was swelled
to twelve hundred by night, and we
were started up the valley on the long
way to Richmond before Sheridan's
cavalry could overtake us.
That (said another comrade) re-
minds me OF what happened in plain
sight OF our picket line, off on the left.
near Hatcher's Run. before that battle
had been fought.
Our major was in command Of that
part of the line. He had come ont
from +he reserve with a sergeant, and
and see what he could see. It would
not have been a wise thing for q horse
man to do. They were afoot. and 1t
was positively foolish. But they went
full of big head, 10 tell the truth.
The country was clear In front.
there being nothing but some scattering
timber to break the view for perhaps
three hundred yards. was one Of
the pickets, and | watched the major
and sergeant as they strolled along out
to the front, probably suspecting no
danger
What followed ! got partly from my
own observation and partly from the
account Of the major when he came in.
As he and the sergeant approached
low stone wall being not more than
twenty feet from it, three muskets
were thrust over It at them and
voice shouted Surrender, Yanks. or
well shoot
The sergeant at once threw down hls
gun. He was captured, Of course and
sent to the Libby
Not so the major.
know the man pretty well, and
think can tell what flashed through
his mind on that stern hail, and the
discovery Of what was before him.
1t probably occurred 70 him that he
was where he had no business 10 be
that the months of weary captivity
before him would be followed By an
official inquiry az to what he was