The National tribune., 1910-06-30

cabin with a lean-to or shed attached.
The cabin was one-story and about IA
feet square. When 1 entered the cabin
I saw in one corner loom. The loom
had about IA yards of linsey cloth WOW
en-. In another corner were huddled or
crouched down on the floor a woman
and three girls-one II, one 10 and one
eight years old. The clothing of moth
er and children was almost literally
torn into strings from the waist down.
They had all worked in neighbors
cotton field, in order to get the wool
and yarn to weave the linsey with.
1 asked the mother if she could give
me some milk for a wounded soldier.
She told me that she was ashamed to
get up, but could go to the cupboard
in the shed, and if the milk had not
been taken / was welcome to it. / went
into the shed, and found a crock of
milk and poured it into my canteen.
Many of US were mere boys like myself
in physical strength, but the shooting
irons we carried, backed by consider
able courage, made US equal to the Dig
gest among us.
When / stepped back into the cabin
in came big, powerful soldier, weigh
ing at least 100 pounds, and every
pound of him seemed to be brutal. He
saw the woman and said: What are
you doing there in that corner? Get
upi" She said: "Oh, sir, our clothing
is torn so bad we are ashamed to get
up" Where is your husband" he
asked She told him in the army. He
said: II thought So
just then he saw the loom and said:
"Reb CLOTH - rebels don't need any
- cloth" He saw a butcher knife stick
ing in the Intel over the door leading
into the shed. He took the knife and,
walking Iup to the loom. raised it and
said: "I will make shreds out of this" !"
Then / sprang to his side, and with
my Colts pistol pointed at him said:
Halt, The instant you stick that knife
into that cloth / will kill you" He
turned to me and said: Sonny, who
are you talking to? / will slap your
mouth if you talk to me again."
/ saw that in order to protect myself
and the cloth ] would have to shoot
him or march him up to headquarters.
i said: l"Drop that knife, about-face,
and If you don't walk out of this house
by the time 1 count three you will new
er walk out" He saw / meant to shoot,
and ] did. He dropped the knife, and
with an oath walked out. / followed
him. When I came near headquarters
met the Surgeon, and gave him the
milk, and told him what | was taking
that man a prisoner to the Colonel for.
The Surgeon went with me to the Col
oneI, and / reported what he had tried
TO do. The Colonel called a guard and
said: Put that brute under arrest, and
for two days make him carry a fence
rail Then make him walk beside mis-
horse for two hours. then ride two
hours. then walk two hours"
The grateful look that mother gave
me, with tears streaming down her
face, as / left the cabin 1 will never
forget But I was afraid the brute
would some time take revenge upon
Ttrn daVg after fhfc "a
we found the Confederates at planta-
ton. They used the mansion and negro
cabins as breastworks, and were max
ing things hot for us. The house and
cabins were surrounded by a rail fence
Ny Captain said: Arnold, you and
Bud Owens go and lay down that fence
so we can charge" We dismounted, and
under a rain of bullets ran to that
fence. ] had torn down part of the
fence when | saw that was a specia
target for one of the Confederates He
stood at the corner of the mansion ]
dropped behind a corner of the fence
and tried to shoot him, but my carbint
would not go off. He was shooting al
me as fast as he could load The Con.
federater was standing on a stone chin.
ney, the house having been built or
brick pillars about two feet from In,
ground. l picked some powder int
the tube of my carbine, took aim a
his breast and fired, but in pulling tn,
trigger so hard to make it go 1 sho
him in the leg. In an, instant he wa!
gone. and by that time We had driver
them from the house and cabins.
When the fight was over l said t.
Corpl Baker: II shot a man, and h
must be, under this house." ] crawlec
under and saw his feet sticking ou
from the walls of the chimney. / saiC
to him: Come out" He said: 81 can
not; j am wounded badly" ] called Il
Baker. and we carefully brought hin
out.
We found he was shot thru the groin
I raised his head, and gave him a drinl
of water from my cantesa. He gave
me his hand and said: You shot me
but God bless you! I could have sho
you when you ran to the fence, for tn,
fence was no protection from my ain
at 60 yards. Some of our men wanted
to help me shoot you, but told then
Z to shoot at others. You were my meat
and 1 only shot at you to keep yo,