Show A very close sha 0 1 I believe I 1 got into tho tile clodest place during tho tile civil war that it banever roan ever got out ont of al alive 11 eat 1 1 r I 1 N harper the f Mulli lul hatton atton ke 6 f michigan now stopping t jhb laclede La cledo 1 I had been detailed ta to obtain information regarding tag Ir enthof of a detachment of pa stationed on the tennessee river aar effii decatur ala I 1 got the informs pa and was working my way wry back to ai when I 1 was discovered and pur all a scouting party I 1 had cona 8 f in int bat of A ri r n rt fraC a u d tag i r A 0 had a STO aiss cw i tr wi it a away way cefi antl il there vasa n 0 4 ng lo 10 co I 1 surrender or swim the swollen sirens I 1 plunged in but the current w stronger than 1 had anticipated and L the time I 1 reached midstream in strength was about exhausted I 1 roan mau aged to get told of the end of a fleatis alm itin log and drifted down stream w while hi I 1 0 tl ali I 1 johnnies made the water around n boil with their bullets 1 I soon drifted out of range an ail crawled lip up on the tile log only to diacove that it was already occupied by a 1 big water moccasin who was inclined to dispute powes possession sion I 1 had no weapon but a water soaked pistol if I 1 staid on tho the log I 1 would get bit it if I 1 got off I 1 would lie be drowned while debating what I 1 should do the log drifted within nathin range of tho the union pickets and they appeared to think I 1 had been raised up tip by a special providence as a practice target tho the first volley killed the inoc moccasin and before they could reload I 1 made them understand that I 1 was not trying to pull any feathers out of the tail of tile american eagle since 41 ince my iny escape from that position of fourfold peril I 1 have been wen something of a fatalist st louis globe democrat |