Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1908-03-16
A BRILLIANT
STORY Of
THE WAR
SERGEANT JOHN II. ROBINSON.
(Conclusion)


it. and have often wished I had
this little skin. that ! might keep
it and preserve it as long as | live
in remembrance OF it's kindly service
in carrying me safely from the land
OF my enemies to the home OF my
friends-to the land / love.
After leaving my little bark /
walked up into an old field to where
there had recently stood a straw
rick. and there | slept until day
light. and from thence made my
way the next morning to road
which | followed about five miles
which led me to nice brick farm
house. in which lived doctor
(name not recollected). Here | was
treated very nicely, given a good
breakfast and lunch to carry with
me. with directions to get to Bowl
ing Green, about thirty miles away.
I found, upon inquiry of this doc
tor, that | had landed in King
George county. Virginia. told the
doctor where had left my skin and
he said he would send his wagon
down and get it as he needed one
about his mill pond.
was three days making the trip
from where I landed TO Bowling
Green in Caroline county, Virginia,
and on my way met up with several
men belonging to Col. Mosbys com
mand. On my arrival at Bowling
Green. l made application to the
provost marshal for transportation
TO Richmond, Va, which he gave
me, stating that he had two Yankee
prisoners to send and one passport
would do for all.
We arrived at Richmond after
dark, and l went Immediately to
the office of the provost marshal
and reported myself as an escaped
prisoner. | was very closely inter-
rogated as to who ! was, where |
was from, the command to which /
belonged, and who | knew from the
counties of Mercer, Giles and Taze-
well and was requested to name
some of the officers from these
counties, and my answers being sat
isfactory, / was sent to the wayside
hospital, and from thence transfer
red to Chimborazo, which was the
hospital for Virginia, Maryland and
Tennessee soldiers. | there remained
about ter. days. TIE lizard of ply
sicians met every other day to ex-
VIZ
who were able for duty and who
were entitled to furloughs. / at
tended each meeting and insisted
that ] was entitled to a furlough and
gave my reasons therefor. The doc
tors were all agreed that man that
had escaped from prison and had
made his way back tc help defend
his country, should lave a furlougl.
but they failed TO recommend it and
became weary and told the officer
In charge. TO give me a hospital dis
charge and report me for duty,
which he did. then went over to
the office of the provost marshal
and secured from him a passport to
my command, then near Saunton,
Va. While at the office a general
alarm was sounded throughout the
city that the enemy i'm force were.
approaching and all able bodied men
in the city were Immediately press
ed into ser ice and rendeZyoused in
a large warehouse, called Confeder-
ate soldiers home, and were kept
there until they would volunteer.
volunteered I'm the first company
that came out, which company con
sisted of sixty men, a mixed lot.
some from the infantry, some from
the artillery and some from the cav
airy, commanded by a general stan
officer from Mississippi We were
soon fully equipped with arms and
ammunition and marched to the
outer line of the city defenses.
where we spent the night and the
next day tramping in the bitches
and in the mud but no enemy ap-
peared. The second night drew nigh
and we struck camp, had a big log
fire and were all standing around
trying to dry our clothes. for we
had had a heavy down pour OF rain
that day and our clothes were wet
through and through.
Our company had lost very heav-
ily not I'm any engagement with the
enemy. but by being worn out. by
being dragged around I'm the mud
and rain until only seven remained.
all belonging to the cavalry, which
led our captain to say that the in
fantry were always throwing up to
the cavalry that they we're not
brave men like they were. and now
we had only seven men left and
these all belonged to the cavalry. I
mad but little TO say i'm the matter.
but just thought on this wise. that
as soon as it gets a little darker.
there will be but six brave cavalry
men left, and so st turned out
Il