The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1907-09-19

the killing for an hour or so while we
stretch our limbs and get rested"
Mighty glad to make such a con-
tract"
"All right. We will let up three min
utes from now and give you three min
utes to get back into your pits before
the shooting begins"
ut is bargain"
Then these brave men climbed out of
the pits, Strengthened their legs,
stretched their arms and talked to each
other on as friendly terms as so many
farmers who had met at a line fence
might be expected to do.
By and by the man who led in max
ing the contract stepped out from his
associates and said: I'm sorry, Yank,
but the time it up. Hunt your holes
and watch out"
When the boys were safe In their
graves, as the picket-pits were often
called, and as they sometimes proved, a
Yank called back, I'VE are fixed John
MES; let her silver"
And they ''slivered," both sides.
1t was murderous business, that pick
ct firing, much of IT,
The pickets of the Second Massachu-
sets and Third Wisconsin made such
an arrangement with the men over
there one hot afternoon. Things went
along charmingly for more than an
hour, when young officer appeared on
the Confederate line and ordered the
men to go to firing.
Eve can't do 1t, sir" said the ser.
geant. "We have agreed with the Yam
KEGS to quit shooting for two hours,
The time is only half up"
Sergeant, order the picket to begin
firing at onse."
81 can't break my word with the Yam
KEGS, sir"
''Then I will. Begin firing, every man
Of YOU"
Not man touched his gun or started
for the pits.
The young officer seized a gun and
shot at the Union pickets. That was
the signal for our line to open fire. TIL
balance of that day the Confederate
pickets in front of those two regiments
didn't shoot to kill. Those who didn'i
shoot in the air separated the chunk OF
lead from their cartridges-blanked
them.
That night a dozen or more of the
pickets left their pits and crept into
the Union lines, giving as their excuse
the conduct Of the young officer. Their
haversacks were filled the next morn
ing by the Massachusetts and wiscon-
sin boys as they started on their jour.
ney north. French leave? Precisely
Surgeons and chaplains were not ex-
pected to get around where there was
much danger. Some of them did, how.
ever.
DR.. d. Cooper Ayres, surgeon of the
Seventh Wisconsin, father of Captain
James c. Ayres, Of the regular army
very seldom missed a battle-the whole
of it. When he saw sure signs of a
fight he would give careful instructions
to his assistants and the hospital stew
ard what to do, buckle on a sword and
insist on "g0ng in" AT first his colo
mel objected; once he ordered him back
TO care for the wounded, but counter
manded it after DR.. Ayres had explain
ed his preparations for the wounded.
When he became brigade surgeon he
had hard struggle before the COM
mander gave his consent for the chief
of the medical staff to serve as an aid
in battle. This surgeon was always
one of the jolliest Of the staff on the
eve of a fight. He jollied the young
fellows, and in a fight Vas here, there
and everywhere, cheering the men with
expressions not often heard under SIM
liar circumstances. Here are a few of
them: "Give it to them, boys; they will
never tell on you." Push them back
they have no business to come out and
shoot at visitors this way!" "Pitch
right In. lads, and finish the job at once
hnd we'll all go homer -'You can't go
home and see youp mothers until those
fellows are whipped, boys. so give 1T to
Them real hard!" "Don't be afraid,
boys, so long as the surgeon is around -
DR.. Ayres stood near the first man
wounded on the right of his regiment at
the battle of Gravelly Run. Dismount-
Ing, he hurriedly wrapped bandage
about the mans arm, told him where to
go to get the wound dressed. picked up
the mans gun and stood In line and
tired a dozen rounds They knew him
In that part of the army as the fight
Ing doctor"
DR.. S. W. Eaton, who for nearly for
ty years was pastor of the Congrega-
tional Church at Lancaster, Wis, was
chaplain Of the same regiment. His
preaching and praying were popular
with the men; his sermons and prayers
were short. Chaplain Eaton took 1t
upon himself to see that the boys got
their mail, no matter where they were.
At Gettysburg he went to the front
with mail and got the names of the
killed and wounded. The wounded he
visited and wrote letters for scores of
them. He was up all night writing let
ters to fathers or widows of the men
with white faces and silent bodies. No
man in the brigade as more respected.
He was a genuine chaplain. I suppose
there were many such; l saw but few
of them. Our first chaplain did not re-
main long enough to test his metal. His
one sermon was preached to small
audience on Kalorama Heights, near
Washington, now a beautiful part of
the capital city, in August, 1861. The
rest of us were rejoicing over a report
ed victory at Port Royal.
Private Jehn NJ. Springer became
chaplain of the Third Wisconsin. Like
DR.. Eaton, he was popular, and, like
him, was not afraid of a battle. He
watched with and prayed for the sick,