Ironton Register 20 Oct. 1887 – Seeing Guy Rowe at the corner of Second and Center, Ironton, Ohio, apparently waiting for someone, the Register reporter thought he’d make the moment pass more swiftly, by inquiring of Guy if amid the carnage and thunder of war he had had any thrilling experience.
But Guy parried the inquiry with a promise to regale us with a good long one at another time. That’s the reporter’s usual experience, and if he consulted the convenience or pleasure of the man who narrowly escaped, the lively and interesting articles that have graced this column for nearly a year now would have been few and far between.
“You read Dr. Morris at Cloyd Mountain last week, did you not?” we asked.
“Oh yes,” he said, “and it was interesting, but our regiment was not at Cloyd Mountain, we were back of Lewisburg.”
“Well, you were in the Shenandoah Valley in 1864, I know?” we suggested.
“Yes, I was there,” said Guy Rowe “and many a hot time we had in battle, but you can tell all about that. There was a little affair that I often think about, where I had a ‘Narrow Escape.’ That was at Halltown, a day or so after the Battle of Carter Farm. Our skirmishers were out and kept up a little ado with the rebel skirmishers, and I thought I’d go into an orchard nearby and see what was going on. I had Capt. McQuigg’s spy glass with me and was leaning back against a tree with my legs straddled out a little.
“I was looking through the glass when some of the boys clustered around and asked for a peep. I told them to scatter, the reb skirmishers were within range and would draw a bead on us, for they would be certain to see us. Just then, a ball struck the tree above and the boys scattered. I thought I’d stay, but it was only for a moment, for a Minnie came hissing right for me and struck the tree right between my legs. I thought that was close enough and so I skipped it.
“But the next day I had a funny experience and a close call. That was when Early’s Army came down on our little line and pushed us back. We went pell-mell, every fellow for himself back to where it was safer. While we were thus falling back, I struck a little experience that will do me all my life.
A board fence stretched around an orchard and greatly interfered with the progress of the retreat. I espied a plank off of the fence, next to the top, and I made for that thinking to get through easily. But being in a great hurry and very anxious, things didn’t work as smoothly as I expected, for when I let down on the other side, behold I couldn’t get down. A spring on my sword belt caught on the board some way and left me hanging, and the more I ‘rassled’ to get out of there, the tighter I held to the fence.
“I pitched and tossed and scrambled and still couldn’t get loose. The rebs were close upon us. All the boys had gone on and there I was left hanging to that board fence. The reb balls hissed around, and the only question with me was, whether one would reach me before the rebs did.
While thus hanging in suspense, I made one last, final jerk and got loose. Then I flew. I must have kept up with the Minnie balls, for I can’t understand how else I could escape. Soon I got to our Battery, and then I drew a good breath, though it was some time before I caught up with my company. I was reported dead, but I was happy to make a personal correction of the rumor.”
This ends the story of Guy Rowe and his narrow escape.
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