Morris tribune., 1911-10-27

vat is this? "Freiberg' on the stock.
We got him. He is up in the tree
"Then l heart the officer Of my
picket post say, You deserter up
dere, come down. l came down, and
they took me pack into our lines and
to the colonel's tent. and l tell him I
deserted from the picket, and dey
found me up in tree, Waiting till l
got a chance to get in the enemy's
lines. I tolt the colonel all about it,
and he said: You miserable deserter,
do you think to impose on me With
such a cock and bull story as that?
If dere wasn't strong force in Cor
inth, With real guns, you think We
would be sitting down here Waiting for
'em to skedaddle. Take him away,
and tomorrow a court martial will be
ordered to try him."
"Oh, that's the way you disgraced
yourself, was it?" interrupted one of
the listeners. "How came it that you
weren't shot?'
II tell you. Hans Berger, who
came ofer from Nuremberg With me
/ in the same poat and enlisted in the
same company With me, vas on quart.
He gif the udder quarts viskey and
make 'em drunk. Then in the middle
Of the night he say to me, Carl, you
git l stole out Of camp and try to
go north, but it vas so dark that go
south. Ven l see dawn coming l
climb a tree. Getting up above the
udder trees, look down on campfires
burning. One man vas piling wood
on each camp fire. I see pehint the
breastvorks and a wagon train going
away and all the tents struck and
the troops marching out. l must haf
/ been south and east of Corinth, for all
the troops dere vas left in the place
marched not far away from the tree
we're l vas. Pefore it vas light dey
vas all gone
"Then l got down from the tree,
and forgetting all about my court
martial and that vas deserter. | vent
to the fortifca tions and vas: standing
on the parapet, With my hants in my
booklets. ven l heard peoples coming,
and, looking that way. saw our pick
ct line coming slow, With muskets
cooked. They saw me standing on the
parapets, and one of 'em called out,
Surrender or l shoot! | threw up
my hands. and the same man cried:
"'Who are you up dere in blueT
"And | said. I'm Carl Freiberg.'
"Den anudder man who knew me
said: Hello, Carl! How you vas"
And l says, Pm all right
"'Vere are the Confederates? asked
an officer.
"'Dey vent away pefore daylight this
morning.
"'How you know that?
II didn't haf time to answer this,
because the colonel. pefore whom l
vas taken the night pefore, rode UP,
and ven he saw me he said:
"Py thunder, dere is that deserterr
"'Yes, colonel answered him, and
here are the Quaker guns l tolt you
about
"He was ferry mad. Arrest that
man. he said.
$50 dere ! vas, arrested again.
"But they didn't shoot you this
time neither" Halliday interrupted.
"How did you get off? If man who
deserted once deserves to be shot one
who deserts twice should be drawn
and quartered."
Freiberg was too matter Of fact to
understand the sergeant's banter. He
looked at Halliday reproachfully and
sadly.
'I told you" he said. that desertion
story hang on to me so long as l lif.
wasn't the first time deserter. The
secont time I didn't mean to 60 south.
meant to go north
Freiberg paused, took out big ban
danna handkerchief and blew melan-
choly blast.
"Tattoor remarked one of the vets.
"Go on, Freiberg,' cried another
'Tell US the rest Of the story. We're
you really shot for desertion, and is
this your ghost we see come back to
tell US how the war should have been
fought?'
Freiberg blew another blast with his
nose.
"Forwardr' said Halliday, and the
narrator continued.
"All day our fellows were moving
into Corinth. l vas kept unter strong
guard. vas tired of army life and
wanted to go home. l didn't know
noting about vat vas going on, but
there was lot going on. Won day the
provost marshal come to me and said.
Come With me-
"Sheneral Grant had come to the
command Of the army, and the provost
marshal took me to his tent.
"'Are you the man who first saw the
Quaker guns in Corinth?' he asked.
eyes, sheneral,' answered.
wasn't deserting neider!
"'Only doing little private scouting
on your own hook?
"'Yes, sheneral.'
.!"'Vell. since you're so good at climb
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