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

A KIDE IN BATTLE. 231
oiic-half the tlistancc in the opcninj^^ when I heard Rogers'
liello behind nie aiitl I ex[)cctcd he was shot. Looking back
over my horse's main I saw liis horse coming with all his might
and Rogers clinging to him. I felt if he could only hang on
to his horse he would bring him through. My horse was going
at such si)eed down that Icdgy road and over those rails it
would have been an impossibility for me to have stopped him.
He seemed maddened by the zip, zip of the bullets as they
came under and over us. I think the road had not been traveled
much ; it seemed more of a wood road, seldom used. At
any rate there was a big Cottonwood tree just in the edge of the
woods, about three feet in diameter, and located, it seemed to
me, right in the middle of the road. My horse was going at
such speed it seemed to me that he surely must dash his brains
out against the tree, but as we reached it he veered a little to
one side. I threw my right leg on top of his back and his side
just grazed it as we went on. On reaching the cover of the
woods my horse seemed to understand and slackened his speed.
I threw m>'self into the saddle and reined him in. I saw in the
woods a number of our infantry sitting down by the trees eating
hard tack. I sung out to them, "Boys, get out of here! The
Johnnies are right onto you !
" and you ought to have seen
those boys get up and get. Just then we came through the
woods, where T met an officer with a squad of men. He called
as I came out of the woods and asked, " What is the meaning
of all this firing?" I replied to him that the Johnnies were
right onto us. He said, " Why, I have orders to take a dispatch
to the left; can I get through?" I said no, unless you want to
get killed or captured. He replied, "I dare not go back; I
must obey orders." I told him to send one of his men with me
and that I would take him to Col. Smitli for orders.
But now comes the curious part of this fearful ride—a ride
nhich I shall never forget as long as life lasts, and a ride the like
of which I would not take again for all the inducements man
could offer. I attribute the saving of my life to my stopping to
pick up that blanket. Had I not stopped for that we should