The National tribune., 1908-09-17

flight. There remained with me but
one comrade. At this late day / ain
not certain as to who that one was, but
/ think it was w. H. M0wby, of our
company, and if am mistaken I desire
to be corrected. We raised the almost
inanimate form, and placed it across
our rifles, which we carried "hand-
barrow fashion," for some so yards thru
name anc= =s.,aa1<o-- Under favorable cir
cumstances this would be accomplished
in few seconds, but it took us fully
10 minutes, owing to the. fact that the
dense smoke which surrounded us would
not permit us to see anything, and con-
seqnently the many blind rushes we
made against trees greatly retarded our
progress, and we then discovered that
the flames had so gained on US as to he
in our front as well as in our rear.
Our situation now had become most
critical, and warned US plainly that we
must abandon our hapless and helpless
burden in order to save our own lives,
and another hasty examination showed
US that he was still breathing heavily.
and we then left him, in the hope that
life would be extinct ere the flames
reached the body.
In abandoning him to his fate we
had previously done all that mortal
could do under such distressing and
alarming conditions, and had nothing -
which l am sure my comrade, if still
living, will bear me out should he hap
pen to read these lines, in which event
will be most gIad to hear from him.
I had previously noted on entering
the wood from the clearing that we had
advanced about 200 yards at the time
of retreat, and deducting the SO yards
already covered there remained about
$50 yards OF burning bush which still
separated US from the clearing. We un-
strapped our blankets from our KNAPP
sacks, and spread them over our heads
and shoulders to protect us from the
| flames, and it took fully 10 minutes
more in blindly cropping and butting
against trees to reach the clearing, and
then only to be fired upon by the Con-
federats, who in the meantime had
taken advantage of our confusion 20
advance their lines. This unlooked-for
danger compelled us to again take to
1.-THE burning bush, which we did by
skirting it for a few moments, and per-
lceiving fallen tree about 100 feet 10
our right in the clearing, We made a
dash for that and reached 1t in safety
altho the bullets plOwed the ground
around us during the few seconds IL
took to make the run. We now threw
ourselves fiat on the ground, as in this
position the log sheltered US from the
bullets of the enemy. who, however, lid
us the honor OF exploding a shell over
US, but which did US no injury We
| could now see our regiment behind the
breastworks, some 400 yards distant
but had we been offered the wealth OF
the United States as an inducement to
!!continue our Journey in our then utter.
Ily exhausted condition we could MOI
have done so. and our next hour was
lspent in violent spasms Of coughing
lsneezing, splitting and vomiting, caused
by the smoke and heat which we hai
inhaled in the burning woods. aftel
which we were rescued from our peri
lous position by the advance of oul
tskirmishers.
We then rejoined our regiment, and
reported the death of Count Won Haaie'
to our company commapder. Serg't VIM
lWesterhold, who, however. was too busy
to listen to the narrowing details as in
serted here, and they are now mad'
i,siblic for the first time.-Stephen w
i CoakIey, 1927 Seminary Place, Chicago