Putnam patriot., 1912-03-29

his true and trusty rifle. Moving slowly and cautiously ,through the timber, he thought he heard footsteps, and was certain he heard the cracking of sticks. He had followed trail which was conducting himi deep into the pocoson. Halting, he listened. He was sure he heard steps: he gazed into and through the bushesiand saw
 men. He moved few paces forward, looked again and saw not only men, but men who wore the grey! He was on an easy-go hunt after rebels. But he was alone, and before him, huddled together, he counted twenty-six men! One Yankee against twenty. six of the chivalry! He had but asmoment to think. If he returned to our lines for aid the rebels would be gone: he there fore resolved to act, perhaps inspired by and repeating those burning words of the great revolutionary orator and patriot, Hive or die, sink or swim, sur. | vive or perish, give my heart and hand to this cause! He pushed for ward and cried sHaltr and then and i there in that isolated spot, .halted one first lieutenant, one sergeant and twen- ty-four privates. of the Fifty-sixth ] North Carolina Volunteersl Our un- daunted corporal brought his rifle to an aim and demanded an uncondition- al surrender. With this demand the Confederates complied, and then com | meneed discussion us to how they should be conducted into our lines. | The rebel lieutenant allowed with con siderable force of language, that no one Yankee corporal could take him and twenty five men through the woods to the Yankee forces. Such taking in did not quite eomport with his ideas of dignity and the eternal fitness of things. He would obey the orders of commissioned officer of equal ra nk commanding a company, but could not possibly follow a single corporal into the Yankee lines, though he ad. mitted that the corporal was very good looking and . decidedly clever Yan. kee, which nobody would deny. Just at this moment, which was exactly the nick of time, . drummer boy of the Twenty seventh Massachusetts Volun
 teers put in an appearance. Keen
 forced by these drum sticks, the cor
 poral saw his way out of the difficulty
 He directed the drummer boy to go tt our lines, report the capture, and ob
 tain help. The boy, entering with zes
 into the business, soon returned, ac companied by Captain Parkhurst ana Company Of the Twenty fifth regi
 ment. Parkhurst, not knowing wha
 he was to find, advanced cautiously
 with an advance guard. He found ths corporal and his prisoners, and aftel returning the compliments of the sea
 son, the lieutenant and squad of twen
 ty-five, formed between the platoons o
 Company I,Iand were formally march
 ed to our lines and delivered over tt the proper authorities, but, previous te this, the rebel lieutenant surrendered { Colts revolver and the sergeant new rifle to Corporal Tourtellotte. The cor poral gave the former to the drummer boy, and retained the rifle and still
 keeps it as valuable memento of tha
 occasion. Corporal Wilson of Compa | ny G, engraved upon it's stock these words -'Gum swamp, May 22d, 1863 Captured from one of the Fifty -sixtt North Carolina by Corporal Oscar Tourtellotte of the Twenty fifth Mas sachusetts Volunteers, Company D."