Rensselaer Republican, Volume 16, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 December 1883 — An Incident of Gettysburg. [ARTICLE]

An Incident of Gettysburg.

“Here’s where I came to grief,” said a Twelfth Regiment man, as he stood upon Seminary Ridge. “How did it happen?” was asked. “Well,” said he, “if you wish I’ll tell you, but I fear I may be wearisome? I always had the uneyiable reputation of talking too much, and On that Ist day of July, 1863, my propensity to be too loquacious came very near ending my career. You see they brought us up t<f Abe brow of this hill on the double quick, and we found we had a beautiful chance to get a cross-fire on a brigade of ‘Johnnies’ that lay. down there in the open field. We peppered them awhile,> and then our boys began to shout ‘Forward!’ and ‘Charge.’ I don’t think the order came through the regularly constituted and voluntary movement on the part of the men, who were brim full of fight on this The Colonel and Adjutant both tried to find out ‘Who gave that order ’’ but all we knew about it was that everybody in the raiment was shouting ‘Forward.’ The advance was inevitable, so our officers placed themselves in our _i we went like a whirlwind. We had captured and driven in all but about twenty or thirty rebs, after a slight resistance, and my propensity to talk was so strong upon me that I couldn’t help telling the ‘Johnnies’ that were hanging behind all about our good treatment of prisoners, etc., and thus I didn’t notice when the regiment went back to its old nosition. When I came to my senses I found I was alone. I cone uded I would go back, and so inforqied them, but they very- emphatically ordered me to remain. Now, something had to be done, so I quickly determined to take my chances of instant death- rather than perish by the slower method of disease and starvation, and I informed them in not very elegant terms, modes of expression that I do not now' use, that they might go straight to a very warm country. Then I ran, and the faster the bullets came the faster I ran, until after a while a bullet from the right came and styijck me in the left groin, and down I went. Oh, you needn’t laugh; the bullet struck me in front, I’m happy to say, and I’ve never regretted the decision I made in such a hurry.” “What became of you afterward?” was asked. “Well, I lay there unable to move, till nearly dark," and had a good chance to review the rebel army, Os most of it swept over me. Artillery wheels and horses’ feet came uncomfortably near, but I escaped death —providentially, it always seemed to me. About sunset the ‘ Johnnies’carried me back to the Pennsylvania College, but it would make too long a story to tell all my experiences there. I will only say that from that point, lying near 4 an open door, I could see many of the movements of the rebel army, including the formation and advance of Pickett’s division, and could hear the yells of the rebs as they swept forward, and the hurrah of our boys when the charge was repulsed. There were fifteen of uS wounded men at the college the oflief “we cheered, too, when our boys did, until the .rebs threatened to kill us if we didn’t stop. I shall never forget the four terrible days I passed there— days of alternate hope and sea the joy I felt on that morning when gray coats went away and blue coats appeared. But I’m getting back into my old habit of talking too much. Please excuse me. I’m apt to forget myself when thinking of those days.”— Boston . Journal.