The National tribune., 1911-04-13

the rear of a few thousand cavalry was
to be in a very barren country, With
nothing eatable within two miles on
either side Our officers had been un-
usually strict en- foragers, but when L
saw others eating. after feeding my
horse, 1 started to look for something.
II began TO get dusk, and while 1 was
standing in the road trying to decide
which way to strike out a small colored
boy about 12 years old approached me.
iGetffng at sfassa Jollnson's Larder-
asked him where he belonged. He
said: 'At Massa Johnson's." l asked
him if Massa Johnson had anything to
eat. He said: Yes, sab"
He took me across fields TO a road
that led thru piece of woods
went on, and found a nice dwelling
house with a number of outbuildinss.
A colored woman came, and said the
soldiers had taken everything. I In
Guired where 1 could find some flour.
She timidly pointed to a building across
the way, which / found was locked. /
demanded the key, and got it. / found
the building to be a regular commits
sary, containing large quantities of -four
and tobacco.
isI shouldered a bag of flour and a
box of tobacco. saw jugs sitting near
tIfe door, and found they contained mo-
iasses. I took a jug also. We cooked
fapjacks that night until rGst mid
night
A Tilt With the Rebels.
Next morning before we got our cof-
fee boiled it WAS: Fall in, boys" The
rebels charged on our pickets and drove
Them in. The first squadron charged
the rebels back quite a ways. Only the
feetest horses could keep up. Only Is
or 20 were on the advance as we neared
sharp turn in the road and drew our
horses down to a walk, expecting every
moment that the enemy would charge
on us. Suddenly two cavalrymeu came
around the curve; then whole body
charged us. We turned our horses
around and started hack. As We came
to cut in the road one of our horses
fell down and partly blockaded the
road. The rebels gained on us rapidly.
] turned and saw one fellow was get
ting uncomfortably near me. He had
his saber raised. awaiting to strike. I
threw myself forward on my horses
neck, and gouged him in the hanks
with my spurs for al! / was worth. 1
must have held my own in the chase,
for i'm a moment or two we saw our
second squadron near.
We drew our horses out on the bank
as we did so. The rebels in the rear
that were charging Us could not see
our support. They ran into those in
front with such force as to dismount
number OF them. We captured Is in
that scrimmage. quite a number Of
our boys got severe saber cuts in their
heads that laid them up some time.
One young, rebel ran by us up to
Capt T. F, Rodenbaugh Just as he
turned to give some orders to the sec
ond squadron and fired at him. We
dared not shoot, IT'S our men stood in
range, and men of the squadron dare
not shoot, as We stood in range; but as
he passed us a number Of us fred and
wounded him seriously in the side. He
fell into our hands, and said he was IL
years old. Many would call that a
brave and daring act. I would call 1T
q most foolish one.
After this charge of the rebels we
dismounted and formed a good, strong
skirmish line. The road thus far ran
thru timber on one side and bushes on
the other, a few of us on the left side
Of the road, but the majority on the
Fight. was on the left side. A woven
fence, partly up, ran along the road. II
struck me that / might want to get out
In hurry, SO / set my Sharp's carbine
down beside a fair-siZed tree, and
caught the rails at joint near the
ground and heaved it over in the road.
Just as / Strengthened up "spat''
pane ball past my head into that
black oak tree. I dropped down behind
En old rotten log. and could see thru
the DusheS the rebels, about 1OO yards
I'm front, carrying rails. / had a good
position, and must have made the
splinters fly among those rails, as /
could see but little more of them NOV
ing about. Orders came to move to
the right. ] crossed over the road some
distance, and finding Serg't William B.
Brown, of my company, we selected in
our front nice tree for our protec-
hon.
3 Both Sides Close Together.
Il The firing was not heavy, but both
lines were near each other. Brown
And / had drawn the fire from rebel
behind a tree. He was a good shot
I and made us lie close. Soon another