The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1907-01-31
SOLDIERS AT HOME.
THEY TELL SOMe INTERESTING
ANECDOTES OF THE WAR.
How the Boys of Both Armies Whiled
Away Life in Camp-Foraging Ex-
periences, Tiresome Marches-ThriI-
ling Scenes on the Battlefield.

said veteran Colonel of the FederalS
who now lives in Bensonhurst, ''the
cavalry operating on the right wing
of Sherman's army had early one
morning a brisk little fight with Arm
strong's brigade of Confederate caval-
ry in the scrub oak bushes near Dial
las. Seven or eight Union soldiers
were killed and as many wounded.
After the enemy had retired the wound
ed were collected in leg shop beside
the road, where the surgeon attended
TO their injuries. Among those hurt
was a boy belonging to the Fourth
Michigan. He was not more than 10
years old, and rather small for his
years. His wound was serious, being
body wound which bled internally.
The brigade surgeon in charge was the
surgeon OF the Fourth and knew the
boy we'll. When he came to him, as
be lay On a bed of shavings. the boy
asked:
Doctor, am l going to die?"
My poor boy, replied the surgeon,
you are badly, very badly wounded,
and l am afraid we can't save YOU
The tears stood in the doctors eyes
as he spoke.
We'll, If l must go l must, and
there's no use fretting about It, said
the little fellow.
"Just then he looked toward the
open doorway and there stood his sol
der friend, boy like himself, who had
heard of the critical condition of his
comrade, and stood near him weeping
his heart out in sorrow.
Hello. Billy feebly called the
wounded lad. Don't cry. Come and
bid me goodbye; I'm dying like a sol
der Then, holding his comrades
hand and looking Up into the faces
around him, he exclaimed: 'Hurrah for
the Old Flag!' A smile was On his
face when the LIGHT went out of his
blue eyes.
Previous TO the skirmish mentioned,
and while the Union cavalry were in
scntinels were placed at various points
to prevent surprise The country
was almost an unbroken forest, with
dense underground. After the fight
the position of the cavalry was chang
ed, and the sentinels, 1t was thought,
were all called In. But one, whose
post was somewhat remote, in the Thick
woods, was overlooked. He had been
posted in the early morning, and all
that day and the following night he re-
manned in the wilderness without water
or food. He heard the noise of the
combat; he noticed the silence that
followed it. and rightly imagined that
his comrades were gone. On the fol-
lowing morning at roll call he was
missed, and then it was remembered
where and when he had been placed
on duty. and q detachment was sent In
search OF him. He was found. weary
and almost hopeless of relief, but in all
the long hours of solitude, darkness,
thirst and hunger, he had not even
thought Of deserving his post. His duty
held him there. and life was not to be
weighed against duty.
Sometimes this fearlessness vas
shown by other than regular soldiers.
In the early summer of 1862. Morgan
and mis- band made their appearance
in middle Tennessee. and Gen. Dumont
with his cavalry, left Nashville In pur-
suit of him. He came up with him at
Lebanon, and at dawn dashed into the
town where Morgan had passed The
night The fight that followed didn't
amount to much, for Morgan. although
great raider, was poor fighter, and,
as usual, when confronted by Union
| troops who meant business, he skedad-
died. Some of his men were so hard
pressed that they could not go with
him. and these did some firing from
windows OF houses in which they had
taken refuge One rebel ensconced him.
self in the second story of little cot
| tage, and from a window facing the
street fired several shots, two of which
seriously wounded two of our soldiers.
| This one man commanded the street.
To appear In front of his fortress was
II
to receive his fire which he delivered
quickly and then retired. How to dis
| lodge him or get shot at him was n
puzzling question. and 1t is quite prob
able that the solution would soon have
been found by burning the house had
not a young negro servant Of the Ad-
| jutant remarked:
| "1f you'll glib me carbine I'll wing
dat rebel.
| "'All right, jim, replied the Adju-
| tant. Here's a gun Let's see you do
it.
Jim took the carbine examined the
loading, and deliberately walked up
the street, took his stand opposite the
dangerous window. There he remained
watching for perhaps ten minutes or
more Then lie suddenly blazed away.
The rebel had appeared, looking out,
doubtless for chance at some Union
soldier never suspecting mortal enemy
in the young negro standing opposite.
| Jim had shot him dead"