Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 18.djvu/187

 General Joseph Eggleston Johnston. 187

two hundred yards to an elevated position near a small house, which he occupied until he was wounded. The fire of artillery and muske- try in our front was then terrific. I being in a few yards of where General Johnston sat on his horse, dismounted and stood with my horse before me. I had an oil cloth strapped on the front of my saddle directly in front of my breast. The minnie balls were flying so very thick I thought I would stoop a little behind my horse, when as I stooped a bullet tore through the oil cloth, just missing the top of my head. It was a powerful close shave. About this time fresh troops going into battle stopped to load their muskets near where I stood, and double-quicked towards the enemy. When the line moved forward after loading, there was an old fellow who had not finished loading, and while thus standing, a shell struck the ground in a few feet of him; but he coolly remarked to himself, " you cannot do that again !" During this time the battle was raging with great fury all along the line.

THE GENERAL WOUNDED.

Most of General Johnston's staff having been sent off on- duty

except myself and Colonel, and the air seeming to be alive

with whizzing bullets and bursting shells, Colonel would move

his head from side to side, as if trying to dodge them. General Johnston turned toward him and smiling said: " Colonel, there is no use of dodging; when you hear them they have passed." Just after saying this a shell exploded immediately in his front, striking the General from his horse, severely wounded and unconscious. I imme- diately sprang forward, catching him up in my arms, carried him out of the enemy's fire. Others coming to my assistance we moved him back about a quarter of a mile, and laying him down, hastily sent for a stretcher.

A REVOLUTIONARY RELIC.

He then regained consciousness, and finding that he had lost his sword and pistols said : " The sword was the one worn by my father in the old Revolutionary war and I would not lose it for ten thousand dollars ; will not some one please go back and get it and the pistols for me? " And several others and myself volunteered. On returning to the battle-field we found our line had been considerably pressed back and the spot where General Johnston fell to be midway between the line of battle, which was blazing in all its fury, with men falling