Troy weekly news. (Troy, Idaho) 1897-1933, 1906-12-07
On the Battlefield



l was advancing with the line when
I was knocked down by a bullet strik-
ing my hip Not knowing that was
badly wounded, attempted TO rise.
AS l did so | was knocked senseless
by more lead striking my skull.
When l regalned consciousness was
in the center of battlefield | have
been exposed to shot and shell coming
from one direction. but this was the
only time in my life | was obliged to
endure a hot fire coming from two OPP
pOslte points of the compass. | could
not rise to run away if would, and
had l risen l would not have bettered .
my condition. In the one case l would .
have been shot down at once; in the .
other l must take the risk of some mis-
sile either striking the ground where |
lay or bursting near me. Round shot
coming from one direction passed liar
above me, shells burst beside me. while
the air was alive with the songs of bull
lets, sweetly terrible. Something fell
on my chest anG rolled off ON to the
ground grasped it. 1t was lump
of half melted lead Two bullets had
met above me and been fused by the
impact. The din of incessant thunder,
shreking iron missiles. yells, groans,
can only be described by one word
hell.
The fire instead of lessening grew
fiercer. l must do something to get
out of 1t or be killed sooner or later,
since no one could live long in such
tempest. | raised myself on my elbow
to look about me. On my right was a
line of bushes. They indicated wa
ter course. If l could drag myself
there and find it what l supposed,
might get down into the water. where
l would be comparatively safe. The
desired line was several hundred yards
away. Nevertheless | determined to
make the effort.
l was obliged to pull with my arms
and push with one leg. The wounded
hip seemed like load of stone that
was obliged to drag with me, to say
nothing of the eXcruciating pain COM
ing with the slightest movement.
While l was working through dead
and wounded-always it seemed in my
way-I was stunned by an explosion
not ten feet above me, and for mo-
ment half conscious l supposed the end
had come. 1t was Il bursting shell
Had it exploded just before it reacic,
me should have undoubtedly been hi
by its fragments. Bursting directly
over me. its motion carried them be
You'd me.
heard the thunder of horses hoof
and knew that it denoted a cavalr!
charge. The sound was far to m.
right and to my left. | looked and saw
them coming. They would pass owe
me. l would be crushed. They wer
not in column fortunately, but il
line On they came like a troop 0
fiends, here and there a man falling
from the saddle, horse rearing an
plunging forward or dropping dead i
his tracks. | saw the Confederat
gray, but it made no difference to III
whether they were friends or foes
Their mad ride had nothing to do wit
. mercy; it was to destroy. A lieutelar
was riding directly tor me. With a
effort almost superhuman l raised IN!
self. He saw me, but only in time
1 lump his horse over me. OF the tr'
file behind him two men saw his hors
, lump and, suspecting some pitfal
passed on either side of me. In ii
second file, a loose line, one hors
Jumped me; no other came within
dozen feet of me.
Like a storm rack they had suddenl
loomed like a hurricane they ha
d passed, and as a receding tempest WI
= draw the wind in its trail they DIRE
the fire.
For time, relieved of the danger
lead and iron, | lay exhausted. He
and there came a groan from those wi
had fallen while the cavalry was pas
ing; then the fire grew hot again, and
dragged myself on. 1t was that Ia
hundred feet which came near prever
ing my reaching the goal. was ha
an hour doing it. But at last l got
the bushes and, pulling myself throu
| them, looked over the bank OF
| stream. The current set against
| bank I was on, and | saw that t
| water was beyond my depth. Seizi
| a bush, | let myself down and, buoy
! by the water, foated immersed to L
| waist.
| Oh, the blessed relief from pa
| caused by that cool current about l
| wound!
In an hour the firing suddenly ceas'
| Then l bethought myself of getting
dry land. l pulled myself part W
J up by the bush l held when l fou
il was loosening az the root. II
- bore my whole weight on it, it wo'
II give way l was in no condition
I swim and I should drown. / was