AN INCIDENT OF ROCKY FACE.–

1. March 2009 by admin.

Brigadier General Morgan related the following incident that occurred on his line of operations. While his brigade occupied the gap, between Oak Knob and Rocky Face, a corporal of Company I, Sixtieth Illinois, broke from the line, and under cover of projecting ledges got up within twenty feet of a squad of rebels on the summit. Taking shelter from the sharpshooters, he called out:

“I say, rebs, don’t you want to hear Old Abe’s amnesty proclamation read?”

“Yes! yes!” was the unanimous cry; “give us the ape’s proclamation.”

“Attention!” commanded the corporal, and in a clear and resonant voice, he read the amnesty proclamation to the rebels, beneath the cannon planted by rebel hands to destroy the fabric of government established by our fathers. When he arrived at those passages of the proclamation where the negro was referred to, he was interrupted by cries of “None of your d—d abolitionism–look out for rocks!” And down over his hiding-place descended a shower of stones and rocks. Having finished the reading, the corporal asked:

“Well, rebs, how do you like the terms? Will you hear it again?”

“Not to-day, you bloody Yank. Now crawl down in a hurry and we wont fire,” was the response; and the daring corporal descended and rejoined his command, which had distinctly heard all that passed.

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