Putnam patriot., 1917-01-26
Abandoned At Winchester
The Crest Disaster Seen From the Rear
 by an 18th Conn. Boy

(W ritten Dy J n. Sa"yeis So' D A
 Conn. Lafayette, Ind, formerly oi Putnam.
 Continued from last week.
 Sunday morning dawned bright ana cool WAS up quite early to note my I found that my room was located in the rear of wing thal sxten ded at right angles to the front of the building. Directly opposite the door was flight of outside stairs lead ing down into small yard enclosed with some sheds and board fence. An opening in this fence near the foot of the stairs, led into open lots, beyond these lots was street of scattered houses All around was as quiet as country New England village on n Sun day morning, but later, firing be- gan, and all day there seemed to be desultory fighting all around the city Wounded men were brought in at all hours. In the afternoon, bugle calls and scattering fire, seemingly right in The streets, indicated that skir- mish line was passing. The only af- fair that appeared anything like a battle opened about 6 o'clock in the afternoon, seemingly north west oi town. Quite heavy infantry and ar tillery fire lasted perhaps quarter of an hour, though an artillery duel went on till toward eight Daring this day l went thru the rooms once, to see it any wounded of the 18th Conn. had been brought in. I found Richard Fraser with his right wrist shattered, await ing ampulation. He informed me that the regiment had been skirmish- ing most of the time, and that the rebels seemed to be all around us. Re- tanning to the room, 1 saw that a wounded man of one of the Ohio regi- ments had been laid on the cot next to mine. He had a bullet in his side. Late in the day surgeon came and took the bullet out. The Ohio man was accompanied oy his brother, a Lieutenant of the same regiment. This officer was not sick or wounded, yet he stayed with us till the fight was over. l wondered how it could be that he was absent from his post. Soon after those men came a very fat boy. a drummer, appeared and occu- pied a cot. He was also member Of the same regiment, and, like the. Lieu tenant, seemed to be perfectly able bodied.
 Taken Prisoner
 Monday !morning about 4 o'clock, this boy arose and went out. Very soon he returned back into the room saying excitedly: "Boys, come out and hear the firing" Off to the north the booming of cannon with the roll Ing and crashing of musketry indi- eated that battle of no small magni- tude was in progress. This lasted until daylight, then died away. In our immediate vicinity it was as quiet and still as cemetery. Half an hour had passed after we returned to the room. The fat boy, who seemed to be of restless disposition, again started out. In two seconds he bounded into the room with dilated eyes and white face. "Boys," he said, "there was 8 rebel down in the yard, and he raised his gun to shoot me.n "That,' satd the Lieutenant, means that our army has retFeated, and we are abandoned and prisoners.
 AS all seemed 10 be quiet outside, the Lieutenant took cautious look out, reported nothing in sight to fear, so we went out onlthe porch. Look ing westward across the vacant lots we beheld startling sight. A long line of Confederate troops were standing in the street with their backs toward us. Their right was about opposite our point of view. Their left was out of sight down the street. As we watched, orders were given. They right faced, countermarched to The left and disappeared. By this we realized that Winchester was in pos session of the enemy, and that we were indeed prisoners of war.
 Straightway there came into our minds all we had heard and read of the alleged barbarities of the Confed- crates to their prisoners. Of Libbey Prison, of .shootings, stabbings, rob- beries and what not. Whatever our fate might be, there was no escape now. However, we felt that if called upon 60 "shell out" we would save what we could. We all retreated to the room and began to hide our little belongings. The Buckeye Lieutenant thought the best thing flor him to do was to become a private. He pulled of his shoulder straps, broke the blade of his sword across his knee, bisn in the fireplace. The fat boy h Ad some extra clothing in a bundle, so, to sget rid of the bundle, he put the clothing on his back, wearing two shirts, two blouses and two pairs of pants. had the lovercoat and B bill as surplus property. Cutting a slit in the under side of my double shirt collar 1 tucked the bill into the collar and inwardly defied any old Johnny to find it. My overcoat being too bulky to tuck in anywhere, and it being too hot to wear it, l could con- caixa of nothing else to do than 10