Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 214, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 September 1912 — STORIES of CAMP and WAR [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

STORIES of CAMP and WAR

NARROW ESCAPE DURING WAR Four Member* of Ninth Illinois Caval* ry Move Sleeping Quarters Just Before Tree Fails. March 6, 1862, the Ninth Illinois cavalry (Col. A. G. Brackett) left Pilot Knob, Mo., es route for Jacksonport, Ark. I was bugler of Company A, and was at that time a beardless Try of twenty. On the evening (ML. March 9 we camped on Alder creek. It had been raining steadily all day. and the creek bottom on which wo camped was quite wet and covered with pools of water, writes Q. M. Keller of Brookdale, Cal., in the National Tribune. The camp was pitched with all due regard to military regulations; each company’s tents were in perfect alignment regardless of waterpoola. The tent occupied by Corporal S. D. Cleland, George Webster, John Eberhart and myself happened to be directly over one of these pools, and as it was impossible to make our bed* Corporal Cleland went to Captain Bargb for permission to move the tent a few feet back on higher ground, but the request met with prompt refusal. Military rules at that stage of the game, had to be observed. Nlgbt fell early, and after a supper of bacon, hardtack and coffee we wrapped ourselves in our blankets and sat on our saddles. By eight o’clock we all decided we had had enough of it, and moved on the other side of the creek, deciding that military regulations “might go hang.” We found a dry spot under » large oak tree. It was hollow, and we soon had enough dry wood to start a roaring fire, before which we made our bed and were soon asleep. - About 12 o’clock Cleland woke ns up in no' gentle way, and to our surprise and consternation we saw the trunk of the tree was a roaring furnace, with sparks and fire spouting out of a hole 20 feet from the ground. That chimney certainly had a good draft Some of us were of the opinion that the tree could not possibly burn down before morning, and were going to sleep again, but after a heated discussion we gathered our traps and went back to our tent, where, seated-on our saddles, we dozed till morning. About three o’clock the whole camp was awakened by a loud crash, and when daylight came we found the tree ly-

ing directly over where our bed had been. Each of ns boys lived to see three years and over of active service, and were honorably discharged at the close of the war. The Ninth Illinois cavalry was brigaded with the Becond lowa cavalry, and had a well-deserved reputation as a fighting brigade. It was a common remark of the Johnnies that the Ninth Illinois cavalry and the Second lowa cavalry were married, for when they would ran up against one regiment they usually had the other to deal with. What He Might Have Said. A Green mountain boy was accused of some misconduct, and got off by tbe skin of his teeth, though a comrade in trying to defend him came near telling too much. "Yes, I got off; small thanks for what yer said.” "But just think of what 1 didn’t •ay.” Sear's Whereabouts. A member of Doubleday's Fourth N. Y. H. A., while lying in camp on the basks of tbe Rapidan, was approached by an officer, who asked: “Do you know anything of Major Sear’s whereabouts r “Yis, sor.” was the reply. “He just slot than down" to th* creek to be washed.” - - -i- . j Weak-C hosted. -Did you hear About poor Flaaaary!**. “Niver a word. Phwat was utr “A ”««<" ball struck him In th* 1 eh Ist an’ Wit him intofrely” -Well, Oils set surprised. Flan, ■ary always did have a weak chist”

Cleveland Woks Up In No Gentle Way.