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In
October following, he was in another battle, at Perryville, where he
received his first wound, a ball passing through the leg above the
knee.
In this engagement Colonel Jacob, with a
part of his command, was temporarily separated from the greater part
of the regiment, and while cut off, was attacked by a largely superior
force of the enemy, led by a Major. Colonel Jacob was deliberating for
a moment on the demand to surrender, when the little hero drew his
pistol and shot the Major in the mouth, killing him instantly. A few
moments of confusion and delay followed in the rebel regiment, during
which Colonel Jacob and his men escaped.
A few
weeks after, he was engaged in a skirmish with some of John Morgan's
men, who were raiding through Kentucky, and the fighting was severe.
Johnny was set upon by a strapping fellow,
who gave him a pretty severe cut on the leg with his sabre, and
knocked him off his horse. A moment after, another rebel seized him by
the collar, and exclaimed: "We've got one little Yankee, anyhow." The
little Yankee did not see it in that light, however, and quickly
drawing his pistol, shot his captor dead, and a moment after the
rebels were routed, he escaped capture.
As he
was going back to Indiana on furlough to give his wound time to heal,
he was stopped at one point by a provost guard, and his pass demanded.
"0,"said he, "the Colonel didn't give me
one, but just told me to go along with the rest. But," added the
little soldier, showing his wound, "here's a pass the rebs gave me;
isn't that good enough for a little fellow like me?" The guard thought
it was.
His wound proved quite
serious, and, much to his surprise, and against his wishes, he received
his discharge in consequence of this and his extreme youthfulness. Not
relishing civil life as long as the hostilities lasted, he applied at a
recruiting office, but the condition of his leg excluded him.
Nothing
daunted, however, he sought and obtained an interview with the President,
who on bearing the story of the boyish veteran, gave a special order for
his enlistment. He had now made up his mind to follow the life of a
soldier, and joined the regular army of the United States as a bugler in
the cavalry service, and makes as fine-looking, neat, and obedient a
little dragoon as there is in the army.
Compiled and
edited by
Kathy Weiser/Legends
of America, updated March,
2010.
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