The National tribune., 1907-06-06
A CLOSE CALL.
A Cymbal Player Played the 'POssum Act
With Success.

Editor National Tribune: OF all mar.
row escapes from being captured 2hat
were made during the civil war, claim
that that of member of the goth Ind.
band was equal to any. 1t happened
Oct. 4, 1861, on the occasion of the re-
treat of seven companies of the regi-
ment from. Loggerhead Inlet TO Fort
Hatteras. These companies had been
sent, with the Colonel in command, up
Pamlco Sound to protect. it was said,
THE loyal fishermen of Chicamicorlico
Island Not far above was Roanoke
Island. where there were a lot of john
MES who came down in all their boats,
steamers. sailboats, flatboats and tugs,
some 5000 of them. to try conclusions
with us. Col. Browns first thot was to
put up 4 fight, but he concluded dis
erection was the better part of valor, and
we began our retreat to Fort HatteraS.
Five of us, including the member of the
band before referred to, were the eX-
treme rear squad on the retreat Only
two of us carried musketS, the Ser
seant-M Major and myself We were our
sued by the Sd Ga, who were dragging
two small cannon thru the sand, not
having any horses, while the rest of the
force had gone on down to intercept
us below and get us between two fires
The Colonel of the Sd Ca, the only one
who had a horse rode on in advance of
of his men being in sight, we thot he
was one of our own men who had been
lucky enough to find a horse, so We
waved to him to join us. He came gal
Looping down, and as he came up drew
his revolver and began shooting, call
ing upon us to surrender. The Ser
geant-hIajor fired his musllet, and so.
did | mine. but l aimed too low and my
shot hit the horse, who stopt throwing
the Colonel over his head. The band
man Immediately took for the high
grass, firing self-actiOn revolver. The
Colonel began curSing us, saying he
would give us quarter if we surrendered
before his men came up: otherwise he
would kill us. The Sergeant-Major and
| talked it over and decided We had bet
ter take advantage of his proposal SO
We threw down our guns and went to-
wards him, where he was standing with
the other two fellows, who were cooks
between him and us. BY this time the
Colonefs men had come up, and he or
dered the Captain to form a skirmish
line, go down thru the grass to the
water. and when they found the man
who had escaped, to shoot him. We
saw the line formed and heard the or
der and listened breathlessly for the
report that would finish our unlucky
comrade. However, no shot was heard
and finally the men came back, not
| tfdNluS Dtcu dDlc 10 Tie HAIL., III
credible as it seemed. How a man could
possibly conceal himself from 100 men
who were searching few rods of grass
can hardly be imagined, but such. in
deed, was the case. Our comrade es-
capped, and was at last accounts in Cali
fornia, still telling the story. 1t seems
he ran down near the water, where
there was grass. mud, and water, and
sank his body in the mud and water,
with his head out, concealed by clump
of grass. He had to hide three days
before he could make his escape. The
skirmish line passed him and came
near stepping on him, but did not dis
cover him. He heard the ColOneHs or
der to shoot him and thot his time had
surely come. His name was Pierson,
and he played the cymbals in the band.
If any one can tell of a closer call I
would like to hear TN. B. Easton,
Sergeant. Co. E. goth md. Saltwater,
Okla.