The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1914-11-27
y. EXPERIENCES IN SOL
DER LIFE.
By DR.. r. c. Kibler.

& 9 9 9 g @ g q q q 9 q :. . o (: (:
In preliminary way, l want to say
that for sometime no article has ap-
peareG from me. have not been so
we'll, and Rev. Y Won A. Riser, who
is my stenographer and editor, has
been busy; but tope to write few
more war articles. am now at my
brother, J. A. c. Kibler's, where l have
lately come on an extended visit; but
my home is still in Decatur, Ga.
Two days marcl out o. Fredericks-
burg, Va, one night l was on picket
all night, and 80 close was the enc
ny that I could hear the men talking.
j felt rather lonely out there all by
myself. But it was not my first ex-
perienoe on picket lines; so knew
could do it, even If did get little
scared sometimes. About midnight
everything got quiet, and got sleepy.
Actually l had to put tobocco juice
into my eyes to keep them open. That
was decidedly the longest night Of the
war for me. When long-looked-for
day came slowly, very slowly, from
the east went to where the camp had
been. To my surprise there was moth
ing there but a few struggling men,
most of them picket men like myself, !
suppose. For while We did not
know what to do nor where to go.
The Yankees had been right over
there, and our army was now gone;
the Yankees might swoop down on
rs few men at any time and kill US
or take Us prisoners. l did not like
either horn of the dilemma; so We
finally trailed OF on the track of our
men, who had gone towards Freder-
icksburg. We learned later that the
Yankees had retired that night.
We marched all day. Tired and
sleepy we were, but We never stop
ped anywhere long. We wanted to
catch up. Have you never heard a
little child, falling behind its parent
or friend, cry and say: 'fN'ait for me!
Wait or me! Boo, 700, 400! l say
wait for me now!" Well, that des-
eribes the feeling We lad. The Yam
KEGS were somewhere near US, we
thought, and our men gone on ahead,
We did not know how far. If our men
could haze heard US We might nave
said Wait for US now You had
no business to leave u.s." That night
or very ate in the day, We caught
up. We went into camp for the mig t.
l knew ! could s-eep anywhere; so
Il got three fence rails, laid ITEM
across a ditch. Wrapping myself up
in my blanket, l stretched out my
weary limbs on the rails, and there,
IN the rain, over rushing and angry
waters below, slept tie sleep OF the
just.
Tne next day We were up early
and marching towards Fredericksburg,
which Place We reached that night.
1t was rather late W en- We got into
camp. l was so cold that tremblei
: like a leaf | was so cold | did not
fee, like making fire. l looked
around. and Com any E .:ad a good
! Ere. I asked them to let me warm.
knew most Of the men in that COM
pany, and they let me warm After
warming up, I sat down with my back
to tree, still near the fire, and went
to sleep, thinking only to remain there
a little vi lie. When l woke it was
day
Tie next night 1 had to dig breast
wo, KS. One hundred and fifty men.
more or less, worked were l did all
night That was anotner pretty long
night, but hard as the work was it
was better than fighting with bullets
flying around you all the time. At
daylight the next morning our regi-
ment was called up, and We were
among them, as tired and sleepy as
we were, and set in battle array. AS
soon as the fight began we were taken
out OF that part of the field and sent
to another place, where we were
needed worse, suppose. We we're
Marched along the road that led to
the city. Several Yankee guns of big
ealibre were shelling that part Of the
road just then and number of shells
burst near us. One struck post
post near me and, exploding shattered
the post into splinters; many pieces
OF shell and post fled about me; one
fragment of shell struck Lieut.. Peis-
ter; taking off his lef at the hip,