Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1907-10-19
THE FIELD OF BATTLE
INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES OF
THE WAR.
The Veterans of the Rebellion Tell of
Whistiing Bullets, Bright Bayo-
nets, Bursting Bombs, Bloody hat
tiles, Camp Fire, Festive Bugs, Etc.


Dave Jenkins was Just past 10 years
old when he enlisted in Federal regi-
ment IN his native State, Missouri, as
volunteer at the commencement of
the Civil War. Dave was bright boy,
strong as horse, quick as a cat, and
had not an ounce of superfiuous flesh
on his bones. He passed unhuEt
through a number of the severest bat
ties Of the war, among them Pittsburg
Landing, but at last he was captured
BY the Confederates and taken to An
Jacksonville, Ga.
When captured he had about one
hundred dollars in United States
money greenbacks his person, and
some trinkets of different kinds, all of
which he was allowed to keep; he also
had big knife with blade about I've
inches long. The handle Of this knife
was so made that II could be separated
Into two parts, and when so separated,
the big blade was in one part and In
! the other part were a fork which
could be opened and shut like a knife
blade, and a German silver spoon
whose bowl was as large as that of an
ordinary tablespoon, and which opened
and closed along the side of the handle
with the hollow part of the spoon next
the knife handle. Many old soldiers
vet living will remember this kind of
Knife and will tell you what very
useful implement it was.
The Confederate soldiers, many OF
them, wanted TO buy this knife from
Dave, but he refused all offers to pur-
chase it, though he sold of many other
articles.
Dave reached Andersonville and was
turned loose in the stockade: here he
spent many long months, saw much
misery among his fellow prisoners, aid
ed many of them with his money, no
ticed that attempts at escape we're usu-
ally frustrated in some way, and at
length came to the conclusion that at
| tempted escapes failed because too
many persons were concerned in them.
His hut stood not far from one cor
ner of the stockade, and he had looked
| over the ground many times without
seeming to do SO, and had concluded
that escape was possible by means of
a tunnel The prisoners In Anderson
VILE used to dream of tunnels, see
Them In their waking hours, have Wis
Ions of them In delirium, and instead
of babblings Of green fields, and absent
friends, and far away Northern homes,
their words were OF tunnels as the
breath left their bodies Hence there
was nothing unnatural in the determi-
nation of Dave Jenkins that he would
make tunnel and that he woald es
cape. Accordingly he set 10 work and
using the fork and spoon part q hts
big knife as spade and mat,~eh II
worked night after night, for daS : end
weeks and months. The most embar.
RAISING part of the undertaking TO him
was the disposal Of the earth that he
excavated some of it he placed in and
under the wretched collection of rags
brush and straw that served him for q
bed, some he carried away in his peck.
cts, some he hid about his hut, always
being very careful to do nothing TO ex.
cite any suspicion among his captors as
to what he was doing, and on the 10th
of August, 1864 his tunnel was com
| pleted and all that remained was for
him to enter It and break his way out
at the end of II, and then find his way
to the Federal lines; this was all, but
when you reflect that he was boy
reared In the country, without any
knowledge Of geography, in strange
State, surrounded by vigilant and re-
lentless enemies, you will agree that
the undertaking was enough to bring
misgiyings to the stoutest heart.
He measured bis tunnel internally
with the greatest care. and he was
satisfied that its length was sufficient.
He determined to make his attempt
that very night, as he did not want to
let the tunnel lie unused for any length
OF time lest II might be discovered He
| waited until just after midnight, when
he entered his tunnel, wormed his way
B W Tue Gnu Va Ahe IDdSSdRt anu very
cautiously opened small hole. To his
horror a guard passed within less than
/ ten feet Of him. While the guards
back was toward him lac pushed his
way out. making no noise as he did SO.
/ and stepped behind a small bush. and
the guard passed, going in the opposite
/ direction to that which he had been
walking before. Dave clutehed his
knife tight in his hand and buried the
keen blade between the gsard's shout
/ ders; he sank down, a shudder passed
over his body and be died without a
+ sound Dave was about 10 take the
guards gun and cartridges. but aban-
doned them when he found he had a
revolver belted around his waist. He
took this and the belt dragged the
body a short distance away, and hur-
ried from the scene. He knew that ca
cape was an absolute necessity lie
! had killed a guard. and should he be
,e.,oyt,,rn1 ha -C,,ld ~. c,tr,s,,r. rgf.. ~,