The National tribune., 1906-08-09
A THRILLING EXPERIENCE.
- II
A True Story Of Very Dark Night in
Eastern virgiuia.
By LYMAN E. STOWE.

By LYMAN E. STOWE. .
Though I served three years and four
months in the Northern army during
the great war Of 81 to '65, and though
participated in II heavy battles and
| many skirmishes and was very often on
scouting or picket duty. have never
before written a story of any one Of my
adventures, thinking sometime to pub
lish book of biographical sketches and
anecdotes of my war experience. But
l will relate one of the most thrilling
adventures of my life, reserving the
right to use 1t in the book above men,
toned, providing ever get time to
write the book.
/ have read many exciting stories Of
the great war; blood-curdling stories,
hair-raising stories; stories that were
intended to arouse a feeling of wonder,
patriotism and pride in our soldiery;
but 1 never read an adventure that bore
the earmarks of truth which quite
equaled this startling and strange ex-
perience of my own. which l vouch for
as truth.
1t was just after Burnside took COM
mand of the Army of the Potomac and
started the army moving toward Rich
mond.
My regiment, the I'd Mich, had done
some mighty hard fighting under that
old hero of Chapultepec. the gallant
Kearny. But now we were transferred
to the First Division. Ninth Corrs.
This corps was noted as one which
had done much travelling and hard fight
ing. 1t had established the first foot
hold in South Carolina, made dash m
North Carolina, had taken an active
part In Pope's campaign, with head
quarters in the saddle, and won many
laurels at the battle of Antietam. Now
| its gallant commander was placed in
command of the mighy Army Of the
| Potomac.
| Is it any wonder that the boys of my
regiment should feel like cat in a
strange garret or like a child that had
| lost its parents and been sent to live
among strangers?
Our old General, whom we had near
ly worshiped. was killed at the battle Of
Chantilly, and his command broken up,
and we were separated from our dear
old comrades and placed among Strang-
ers. To add to our discontinue, We
were reminded by our new comrades
| that we were now under General that
| would lead us to Richmond and sue
cess. and told that the Ninth Corps
would show US how to fight, as though
we knew nothing about fighting. after
a year and a half of hard campaigning.
The comrades OF my regiment talked
the matter over, and concluded that we
were considered interlopers, as it were.
and would probably be placed in every
hole where it was considered necessary
to sacrifice men. This idea seemed
borne out by the fact that or the very
first day after we joined the Ninth Corps
we were placed on the extreme right,
and to lead the advance Of the army in
its march toward Richmond. There was
nothing ahead of US but "a company of
cavalry. and that was considered worse
than nothing. for at this time dead
| cavalryman had never been seen by a
member of my regiment. unless It was
in the hospital. where he mad died for
1 the want Of exercise. However, we
would not have cared for this had we
not been compelled to march long after
dark, silently picking our way through
fields and woodlands, cautiDped every
minute to look out and prevent the rat
tie of cups or click Of accouterments.
At length we were halted in field
called White Plains, a place I have
never to this day been able to locate,
except that 1t is somewhere in east Vir-
ginia. pr"
We flied into the field and stacked
arms, a picket guard was detailed, and
we were told to make ourselves COM
Portable.
We soon found the balance Of the bril-
come up behind us and gone into camp
so silently that we hardly knew they
were there. Not a fire had been built,
and hardly man in their camp could
be seen stirring. Not so with the I'd
Mich. They were seeking wood and
water and such things as would tenc to
make them comfortable. 1t must needs
be extreme measures indeed that would
keep a I'd Mich. man from his cup OF
coffee before retiring for the night.
I left my bunk-mate to build a fire
put up our dog tent, and prepared such
things as were necessary for our COM
, fort. while 1 took my musket and ouI
canteens and plunged off into the dark
ness in search of water. On. on. went
stumbling through fields and climbing
over fences, until I began to think
was full mile from camp, and. quite
: likely, away outside of our picket lines
had apparently far outstripped ali
my comrades who were on the same
errand, and who had probably become
discouraged by their failure to find wa
ter and had turned back, for it was
deathly still. l could not hear sound
: anywhere, but determined / would no!
give up until 1 found water. All, what
Is that dark line ahead? A few steps
more and close scrutiny proves to me
1t Is q piece of woods. There, surely.
must find water. In my mind I was
already filling my canteen with fresh
cool water. and thinking of my bunk.
mates delight when l should return
triumphant when so many had failed.
> Let the reader imagine himself in ar
enemy's country, mile from any COM
rade. stumbling through fields. ovel
: fences and bitches. the night as dark
, as a stack Of black cats, doubling
whether or not he could find his way
back to camp. nerves entirely unstrune
: by passing events, and expecting every
: moment to be fired upon BY an am.
: bushed foe. II he can imagine himself
in that predicament, he will be able tC
understand something of my feelings az
1 approached that piece of timber, only
to find a large growth of cedars planted
for a fence, which separated two fields
, or meadows.
s picked my way along the fence very
: carefully until I found a passagewal
through. AS I passed through the sky
beyond the dark line made it appear
much lighter. But. we gods! what haG
I done? AS 1 stepped over the ridge Of
t ground that is always found along these
e growing fences. stepped squarely on 6
man who, with four others, were lyine
fiat upon their stomachs and looking
i out over the field. The man I trod OF
r turned over, and it brought fme to my
n knees. as he exclaimed. '.Wha the devi
are your" 1 answered. "A Yankee sol
e der, and the first man that moves dies
= for I am not alone, SO surrender a
S once" "The devil; so are we," was hi!