The herald., 1912-07-11
A Veteran S
Yarn
Ey DANIEL CLAYBOURNE

were literally true when the veterans
first told them, but the old chaps have
gradually forgotten much Of them.
which they have been obliged to supply
by invention. These invented parts.
after much telling. have gradually be-
come impressed on the minds of the
story tellers as truth. That the story
shouldn't lose any OF its original in
terest the invented parts have been a
trifle more Munchauseny than the real
parts.
The consequence is that now and
then a pretty lively yarn Is got on
by some old Septuagenarian which lie
really believes TO be true, but which
has grown up in the way | have men
toned. This is one of them.
"I was in at our victory at Chicka-
mauga," the Union veteran began
when he was not headed off.
"I thought we were knocked into a
cooked hat at Chickamauga," said q
man only forty years old.
"Mebbe you was there and wasn't"
growled the veteran. Reckon you
wasn't born then, you kid. Well, as
/ was saying, was at Chickamauga,
and II you don't believe me look at
this stump OF an arm. l was first lieu
tenant of a battery, and the capn
being killed, l succeeded to the COM
mand.
"My battery was stationed with
General Thomas corps around a hill
that withstood the whole Of Bragg's
army.
"They were pumpin' shot and shell
into us and we was givin' it back
to 'em when l began to be conscious
Of q number of mimic bullets singin'
about my ears. For a while l was so
intent on hammerin' the Johnnies that
/ didn't think much about the waspy
things, but suddenly it came to me that
a sharpshooter was tryin' to pick me
off.
Il tell you that wasn't comforting
surmise. Not by any means. The
night before we had cut down all the
trees in front Of US in order to give
sweep to our guns, and just beyond the
clearing was the edge of a wood,
where the Confederates were at work
on us.
81 looked up at these green trees just
In time to see httle puff Of smoke in
the branches of one of 'em, and at the
same moment ball seemed to Craze
my ear. put up my hand expectin' to
feel blood, but l didn't; the ear was
still there.
Il had telescope pointer on my
gun that had been invented by sci
ent1fic officer, and I thought I'd try
and get that fellow with one of our
percussion shells. / had to aim quick,
for l knew he was reloading for an
other shot. Fortunately one Of the
guns was Just ready to be fired and,
laying the telescope on it, I sighted
the gun. The glass enabled me to see
the man in the tree, and he had Just
rammed another bullet home when l
got bead on him and fred.
''The smoke that followed prevented
my seeing exactly where the shot
struck, but I saw my man come tum-
bling down. The tree stood apparently
unharmed. Whether the sharpshooter
had been killed by my shot or dropped
by the conclusion Of the shell striking
the tree, couldn't tell What puzzled
me was that couldn't see any smoke
from the explosion.
II soon forgot all about the matter In
the work / was doin', but after the
fight l got curious about what had
dropped the man in the tree and what
had become Of the shell had fred at
him.
81 couldn't 60 to examine the
place. for / was busy till we left the
ground on which we had been fightin'.
But the thing troubled me, and 1 took
the first opportunity after the close of
the war to go down there and find out
: about It.
THAT was about the time when
they were laying out the National park,
end met a number Of ex-Union and
Confederate soldiers there. / found
the tree l wanted to examine and as
approached It saw man looking up at
Its branches. When I reached him
asked him what he was lookin' for. He
said that during the battle he was up
In the tree as a sharpshooter, and, see
Ing an officer workin' a Union battery
effectively, he had tried to pick him of.
BE had fred and missed several times
and was ready for another shot when
he felt the tree shake, he lost his bal
ence and fell to the ground. He was
|adly shaken up, but that was all the
Manage he received. asked him
where the shell struck, but he said he
didn't know.
II had an idea that 1t had gone into
the ground at the roots Of the tree. He
seemed as much interested In the mat
ter as I, and, picking up a rusty bayo-
net lying near, he began to poke 1t into
the ground at the foot Of the tree. The
first thing / knew l saw the ground
rise up, and the man who was pokin'
was scattered to the winds with pieces
Of iron, dirt and smoke.
BY gum cried, I guess you won't
be tryin' to pick me of any more. /
knew that shell would do the business,
and 80 1t has done 1t at last"
"Oh, my good gracious!" exclaimed
several listeners, but q severe glance
from the vet prevented them from ex-
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