In Defense of the Flag: A true war story: A pen picture of scenes and incidents during the great rebellion.--Thrilling experiences during escape from southern prisons, etc. — John Shaqi
In Defense of the Flag: A true war story: A pen picture of scenes and incidents during the great rebellion.--Thrilling experiences during escape from southern prisons, etc.Stafford, David W.
History
In Defense of the Flag: A true war story: A pen picture of scenes and incidents during the great rebellion.--Thrilling experiences during escape from southern prisons, etc.
Stafford, David W.
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Personal narratives; United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Prisoners and prisons; United States. Army. Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment, 83rd (1861-1865)
door. I still called to him, but he did not heed, so determined was he
that he would demonstrate to me that he was no coward. I could see very
plainly that this was the very house we had been warned not to stop at,
yet Henry continued to knock. There was a gruff voice heard, which I
will never forget until my dying day, asking who was there. Henry told
him that it was a friend. He was not satisfied, but still insisted on
knowing who it was. Then Henry inquired where John, his own brother,
lived. The old captain told him he would soon let him know where he
lived, so he came to the door and shoved out a double-barreled shot
gun, and before poor Henry had time to dodge, shoved my poor comrade
and friend to the ground. I thought when he struck the ground that he
had been killed, but soon he rose to his feet and pleaded for the rebel
to spare his life. Just at this moment I rushed up to the top of the
lawn, or stone steps, when he caught sight of me, and just as he was
about to level his gun on me I dropped backward and struck on all fours
at the bottom of the steps. Just as I did so Henry took advantage of
the situation and hurried behind the house. He ran clear around and
down through a cane field in the direction we had been going, and as
soon as I could gain my feet I started down the road as fast as my legs
could carry me. The rebel by this time was also at the road side and
sent another shot after me. The first shot came very close. Just as
I fell to the ground the rebel turned his fire on my comrade just as
he turned the corner of the house. Now as soon as the second shot was
fired at me he hastened to the barn, no doubt to get some steed with
which to pursue us. Just then there seemed to be a great stir at that
plantation house. My desire was to again get with Henry, and stopping,
I placed my fingers to my mouth and whistled the third brigade call.
At the time of Henry’s capture he was despatch carrier for our brigade
and also the bugler of our regiment. Now I had learned to give the
call on my fingers. This is the call in words: “Dan, Dan Butterfield!
Butterfield, get up you poor devil as quick as you can, and when you
get tired I will rest you again.” This repeated in the first words on
a horn or whistle is very interesting to anyone who has ever heard the
call. Now to whistle this call right in the face of an enemy seemed a
hard task, but it had to be done. Soon there came an answer, and within
five minutes we were again on our way, but the thought of ever meeting
with John Coltraines was now abandoned.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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