Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1906-06-16
THE BOOMING CANNON
RECiTALS OF CAMP AND BAT
TILE INCIDENTS.
SURVIVORS of the Rebellion Relate
Many Amusing and Startling Incl
dents of Marches, Camp Life, Forag-
ing Experiences and Battle Scenes.

49, NlAu Ian IL. auNcESOu. lIlS
Is my first visit TO Chicago in fifty
years. was here in 1896. and l came
IN this morning. As everybody comes
TO Chicago, | decided to come over and
inspect the town MS a regular assign
ment Nearly everybody seems To he
here, but do you know, l am disap-
pointed. | had sneaking notion that
would meet John Folsom on the
streets, recognize him. and have long
chat with him.
John was Reb, and l was a YanR
in the great Buell-Bragg foot race from
East Tennessee to Louisville in the fal!
of 1850 We struck up an acquaint-
ance under the most extraordinary cir.
cumstanceS, and | would like to COM
pare notes with him now. The two
armies marched for a month on nearly
parallel roads. Neither general wanted
TO fight but each wanted to reach Lou
isviile before the other In the feints.
bluffs and covering maneuvers there
was liable to be at any time general
mixup.
''ln this particular case | hurt my
self coming down Muldraugh's hin. and
the next night, finding l could not keep
up with my company, l dropped out
and, completely Frustrated, crept into
cornheld and lay down under tree
| knew the Confederates were hanging
on our flank, but | didn't care | went
to sleep and slept through the night
In the morning. when | opened my
eyes, | saw not far from me leg
trousered in gray. l OWNED that the
Confederates had passed along the road
and that a straggler had shared my
quarters
This looked serious, and | realized
that my safety depended on quick ac
ton. The Reb was still asleep, with
his gun alongside of him. In five sec
ondS | was sitting aStride of him and
was holding his arms to the ground l
weighed over 200 then, ana the Reb in
formed me before he opened his eyes
that a horse had fallen on him. When
he did open his eyes / fiercely demand
ed his surrender. He said there was
no need of making SO much fuss about
it. lie would surrender.
Il at once removed the pressure rs
sisted my prisoner TO his feet. patted
him into shape, introduced myself,
learned that his name was John Fol,
som and we proceeded to get break.
fast. We felt better after that, and in
| friendly spirit discussed the situation.
Ii was clear to us that, if we went to
ward Louisville OH the road before us,
we were just as liable 10 meet Con
federates as Unionists. Therefore, we
agreed that we would go forward, each
one carrying his own gun. If we struck
detachment OF Unionists he was my
prisoner; IL we came upon a Confed-
crate picket line, ! was his prisoner.
This seemed to both of us a very
good plan. But the times were out OF
joint, and the first man we met was a
suspicious civilian hitching his horse
to light wagon. He wanted to know
why in thunder we were going about
together that way. | explained that
the Reb was my prisoner. He wanted
to know why In Sam Hill | didn't take
his gun away from him. Then he or
dered the Reb to take my gun away
from me. lie would not listen to any
explanation. and We Joined teams on
him, tied him to a tree, and, taking
his horse and wagon, cut out for Louis
vile.
I'VE made good time and had just
agreed to modify our protocol so as to
permit a quick journey to Louisville as
joint partners in the outfit when we
saw three Confederate cavalrymen
guarding bridge In front BY this
time the clause in the protocol provid
ing that in ease we met COnfederates
was to be John FolsOm's prisoner was
a dead letter. / didn't want to be cap
tured, and John, having friends in
Louisville, didn't want me TO be cap
tured.
80 we took to the woods, and max
ing great racket with our guns and
our horse and wagon and calling out,
Here they are. boys, at last We
caused the caYairymen 70 retreat, ana
went on pell nell toward Louisville. In
due time we reached the Union lines
near that city, where fresh trouble
awaited us The pickets were in a
state Of excltiment, and they would not
let us in. / wanted to 90 forward and
explain, but they threatened to shoot
me If / moved an inch Finally, as
luck would have It, the officer Of the
day, cool headed fellow, rode out Ia
investigate US.
I'VE were in the middle Of the road.
seated in our wagon, when the officer
and a squad Of cavalry rode up They
all laughed when they saw us, and the
officer asked how we came to be to
gether. / explained that Folsom was
my prisoner; that We had been between