The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1916-09-29
"REMINISCENCES
XII.

| think it is about time / was getting
a furlough. There was nothing of any
special Importance going on and a
limited number of furloughs were be-
ing granted, so just after the oc-
currences related in my last number
took place excepting of course, what
| wrote about Town Creek, my capture
and Sans going home) / concluded
would put in an application for one
and see what would come of it. | did
so, and it went through the usual
spool of red tape and in due time
came back with so many endorse
ments on it that I was glad l started
it out on a full sized sheet of paper.
The endorsements were all "approv-
ais" however and when it was handed
to me real thrill of genuine pleas
ure and happiness ran all through my
system when / examined it and found
that | held in my hands a document
which enabled me to anticipate ten
days of delightful enjoyment up at
the dear old home with father, mother
and other members of the family,
none of whom / had seen for fifteen
or sixteen months. Of course you
know that I thought out and planned
a great many things that I would do
during those ten days in which l
would be free from army duties, army
rations. and army associations with
linen only" especially the latter, for
don't you know was anxious to see
SWEET, lovely female faces once more,
and particularly those of them that
were near and dear to me. So my
mind was running and turning out
things like a long reel at a movie
show, displaying things I intended to
do, people I expected to see and-oh,
a whole lot of things that would
have filled up twenty days let alone
the ten that expected to crowd them
into. But it was good to think about
them even il in the realization I fail
ed to bring them all within the scope
of ten days, so I let the reel of my
mind run on and on while I was get
ting ready to leave the camp and
after I got on my way and all along
on the journey homeward. Once fair
ly on the way the train seemed to
move so slowly and it stopped so often
and stayed so long at all the inter
mediate stations; and the engines
were wood-burners in those days, and
stopped at wood-racks along the road
to take on wood, and it took so long
to fill up the tender, and the water
tanks were not always at the stations
or at the wood-racks, and they stop
ped at the tanks for water, and it just
seemed to me that they could have
half drained the ocean while they took
on few thousand gallons, but by and
by the train crossed the Edisto river,
the dearest stream in all the world to
me, and l know that the next station
was where I would get midway!
All off for Midway" the brakeman
shouted as we neared the station. /
did not wait minute but arose from
the seat and went out on the platform
and was ready to step off before the
train came to dead stop. Well, /
was off at Midway, but still four miles
from the dear old homestead, so what
next? No one at home knew / was
coming, as | had not time to write
after I knew my furlough was ap-
proved, so no one met me. l looked
around a little to Sc if | could see
any one from over in the old neigh
borhood, but saw no one. | did not
waste time looking about, for four
mile hike was nothing to me then, so
| lit out for home in good soldierly
swing, knowing that I could easily
make it in an hour or less-but I did
not do it, for in passing the home of
Capt. Bill Zeigler he saw and halted
me, and came out to the road and ask
ed me many questions about people
he knew who were in the army anc
camped near US, and he made special
inquiry about John Autley and told
me what John had written his people
to send hin-among other things
sausages-and told me how John
spelled the word, but | shall not at
tempt to repeat the captains words
or his manner of telling it, for it is
utterly impossible in written words to
convey to another the slightest idea
of his manner and peculiar information
in TELLING that or any other arnr1SinO |