Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1864-02-25

wounded at the first line Of rife pits, and
General Hazen rode up, with the words, II
hope you are not badly wounded" ''Do
you think we'll make it2" asked the Col.
Il do, was the reply. That's enough"
said the gallant officer, II can stand t6isl"
and there he lay, bleeding and content, and
the tide Of the battle rolled on. ri 'C'E
"A rdivisioni General turned abruptly to
me, in the course of desultory conversation,
with "If you write anything about Wednes-
day's.affair, as yeu will, don't forget Col.
Millor, of the Both Illinois, one of the most
gallant little fellows that ever drew q sSord. /"
did not need that injunction, for Colonel
Silss Miller rodethrough the storm 10 the
summit OF the Ridge, at the head of his
regiment, like veteran till the little 36th
was phslanx Of heroes. Col. Frank T.
Sherman, Of your city, who commanded
Gen. Steedmsn's brigade, displayed cool
courage worthy the name and fame of llli-
nois. In truth, all the Colopels on that day
were fit to be named with him of continen-
tsl memory, "the old-fashioned Colonel"
who ''galloped through the white internal
powder cloud" o.
Indeed and indeed, death loves a shin
idg mark, and the roll Of officers for whom
their comrades say to-day, dead on the
field Of honor, will lend a splendor to
the storyi Of Mission Ridge. Clothed be
the 7th Ohio in mourning and glory, that
lost thirteen OF its seventeen officers Sheri.
dams division lost at Stone River sew.
enty-two; at Chickamauga ninety.six; while
ut Mission Ridge one hundred and twenty.
two bars, single and double, leaves silver
and gold, and six spread eagles, lay bloody
and bleRt-the total loss 10 the two divis.
| ions OF Wood and Sheridan alone being
twenty-three hundred and forty. four.
They cried in the white heat of Wcdnes-
day afternoon, ''The rebels mask their bat
teriesl They converge their fre' and yet
taking our divisions through and through,
the dreadful rain fell as evenly as if it had
been shed by the clouds of heaven.
Spots all along that rough and terrible
mountain route are waiting some poet S
breath to blossom with flowers immortal
Here, by this gray rock, lay the soldier, one
shoulder shattered like piece of pottcr's
clay, and thus urged two comrades who had
halted to bear him to the rear: Don't stop
for me--I'm of no account-for Gods sake,
push rlghtu with the boysl" and on they
went and left him weltering in his bloody
vestment. DO you talk of your royal pur-
pie and your Tyrian dyes? Beside that he
ro lying there. those tints grow dull as gray
x,o'Shoci' AAuiu ny tudt llttle oak, C0t
Harker, crowding up the hill, saw two
brothers, one wounded unto death, the 9TH
er bending over him. The Col. not seeing
the fallen man, ordered the other to move
on. But this is my brother" he pleading
ly said. The poor stricken fellow on the
ground rallied an instant; Eyes, that's
right, George; go on, 60 on!" George
turned piteous look upon his dying broth
er, grasped his musket and clam bered on -
And that was his last farewell, for the sum-
init reached, he hastened back, and there.
beside the little oak, the soldier lay in that
sleep without dream. Between the first
and second ranges of rebel works, right in
the flush Of the charge. Captain fell, and
two men came to his aid. Don't wait here, {"
he said; ".go back to your company; one use.
less man is enough don't make it three. -
just then cheer hoated down the mountain
as they took the rife-pit Don't you hear
that?' he cried ''march!" and away they
went. Such Incidents as these strew all the
way from base to crest; happening in an in
stant, lost and forgotten in whirlwind;
worthy, every one of them, of place in 10y
al hearts. With such spirit inspiring rank
and tile-a spirit as lofty as the Alpine trav-
eler breathed, whose burden, as he went,
was still 'excelsior"- can wonder that
Mission Ridge was carried in a November
afternoon? As think of it all, | seem to
have the poets quickened ear, and to me,
standing in the valley below from hundreds
oflips now white and still, voice flows
down the Ridges side in grand accord:
| "t "A voice comes like a falling star, .
|