The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1915-05-14
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> SOME EXPERIENCES
> OF SOLDIER LIFE
(Bv DR.. r. c. Kibler, Decatur, Gal

q (By DR.. R. c. Kibler, Decatur, Ga) 9
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\ 1t i1as been long time since last I
wrote an article for the papers. There
te several reasons. l have not been
II and l find my memory getting
the great war in Europe and Asia
usurped all newspaper space and
bed all public interest. Then. too,
Kid Soldier" articles came out,
by editor-stenograpner, Rev. Y.
Riser, has been so busy building
Church at ST. Philips.
here is another effort-the eff
certainly good, but l don't know
the result.
er the battle of Fredericksburg,
DsAge 13, 1862, we went into winter
quarters, using large tents. There
were six men 10 tent We had fine
time. Wood was in plenty. water was
handy. Boxes of good things to eat
came in from loved ones at ZONE. We
had no duties-or not too much.
One day when there was snow on
the ground several inches deep we
were called out of our snug tent to
do picket duty down in the city,
was on post on the river bank. There
was no fence or tree or house to get
behind where l was, so l had to take
the cold wind just as it came. 1 felt
it, too. Everything froze up. 1 got
so cold that when l was relieved l had
to be led back to camp to thaw out. A
gland in my body had swollen to the
size Of a hens egg. 1 suffered great
and excruciating pain. My brother and
Mr.. Fulmer had to warm blankets for
me and roll me up in several. l got
warm after while.
The next day I was sent farther
back 1 had to ford a creek, knee
deep, with thin ice on tie water. I
was sick enough when 1 got back. They
sent for DR.. Brown. Wnen he came he
put mustard plaster along my spine
already quivering. 1t takes brave
man to stand mustard plaster; one
good and strong-and hot! just
could not stand it. Wihined like a
child: Doctor, take it off! Please
now, Doctor, it hurts me! Doctor, I'm
burning up" The NJ. D. stood there
and laughed at my misery. But, after
time, he did take it off-and it burnt
as badly after it was Off as when it
was On. I can nearabout feel tnat
thing yet.
Being physician myself, used to
seeing other people suffer, just could
not bear to be burnt up like that-and,
I suppose, 1 was little more critical
of the attending physician that the av-
erage patient would have been. Well,
the NJ. D. kept giving me quinine. I
did not like Quinine either. Medicine
tastes bad to pbysicians-you bet it
does! The doctor said I had been
nearly dead with congestiye chill l
got over my trouble after while. Ny
terminates, and all the others, came
back to the winter camp, where we had
a good time till spring.
l want to digress a little here. They
don't seem to go into winter quarters
in wars these days. The doughty Ger
mans don't mind snow and ice. They
seem to like it. 1 guess the bad things
get worse, and the good things get bet
Ter. Anyway, war has gotten worse;
but our Confederate-Yankee war was
bad enough for me.
On May 5, 1868, we left camp, never
TO return to that place. Old Hooker
came over the river to see if he could
not use his horns on Lee. They met
at Charlottesville. May the 5tn was
the time. Our regiment was run about
from. place to place, and did not get
into much of the regular fight; but it
was not the Yankees taat ran US.
Finally we got out on skirmish line,
where We fought little Placing some
cannon and making good use of them,
we saw some Yankees run off with
broken arms, or fall as they ran, to
hide behind tie wheels of their ar
tillery.
The next day we were sent to a
place about two miles away, where our
men were falling back. We took po-
sition near Salem church, where we
were opposed by the Yankees. who
came swiftly forward, cheering as they
came Just at the right time, Long
streets "Bull Dogs" barked big and