The Maine bugle ... campaign; 1-5 Jan. 1894-Oct. 1898 - Maine.gov

96 THE MAINE BUGLE.
HIS HORSE BY THE TAIL.
George W. White of Co. G, First Maine Cavalry, of 1229 Steiner St., San Fran-
cisco, Cal., writes
I see the Bugle states that William Maloon of Auburn was at the reunion. I
remember him well as he was bugler on our company. I also remember the Deep
Bottom light; how our regiment was drawn up behind a little hill with the remnants
of a cornfield in front of us; we were mounted and not firing a shot, but the bullets
of the Johnnies were there wounding or killing some of our boys every once in
a while. I saw a bullet strike a man in the company in front of Company G, which
broke his arm. The poor man howled for the pain was so great and his captain
turned to him and said sharply, "shut up." A bullet struck a comrade next to me
and cut his jugular vein; he was just back from a furlough from Lewiston. Another
bullet struck another one of Co. G's men; he clapped his hand where the bullet
struck and said "I am shot in the leg," and one of the sergeants went with him to the
rear. He returned again in a short time, for it was a spent ball. We were ordered
to advance across a big field and were advancing when the Rebs came out of the
woods too many for us. They broke our lines and we fell back in disorder. Our
captain was swinging his saber shouting, "Right about and face the enemy," but I
noticed he was glad to get towards the rear himself. I had my horse hit twice before
he fell and pinned me to the ground. Had not Sergeant Drake came to my rescue
my bones would be mingled with my horse's bones to-day. He dismounted, and as
he said himself, he thought he lifted five hundred pounds to get me from under my
horse. Me took my carbine and saber and told me to get into the woods, as the Rebs
were close to us. Then Sergt. George E. Jumper came along and threw his foot out
of the slirrup and told me to take the stirrup and hang on. I did until I could not
seem to get along very well as the trail was narrow and the trees thick, so I took his
horse l)y the tail, but soon gave out. I never shall forget the kindness of George E.
Jumper; he then sprang from his horse and helped me into the saddle; then he took
the horse by the tail and said, "Use the spurs and get to the rear," as the bullets
were coming as thick as hailstones. We soon got back to our battery and were safe.
Only three days ago I saw George E. Jumper, hale and hearty; he holds his
age well.
BOTH FEET FROZEN.
William H. McPhail, Co. C, First Maine Cavalry of Perry, writes:
I was enrolled in Co. F, First D. C. Cavalry, the 6th of January, 1864. I was in
the fight at Nottaway river, Va., and the battle in front of Pelersliurg about the
14th of June, 1864, and battle of Ream's station and 1
attle at Roanoke river, and all
the others both great and small from the time the regiment went into service till the
sixteenth of Sept. 1864, when I was taken prisoner near Sycamore church, Va. I
was a prisoner until the 22(1 of Feb., 1865, at Florence, S. C. I lived on a pint of
Indian meal for days. During that lime I had swamp fever, and my feet frozen so
that all the toes of both fett were amputated and my feet badly injured other ways
by freezing. I have had hard work lo walk all these years. I get a pension of seven-
teen dollars per month only on my feet being injured, which is not near what I should
have on that claim. The swamp fever has caused heart and liver troubles for which
I have been trying to obtain an increase the last eight years. So you see I am badly
used up.