The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1864-01-21

fish. 1t has been Colonel Fullerton's
fortune to have large experience in
truce conference, and almost always to
meet friends of "auld lang syne;" and
the waning of the moon was never so
apparent as the dwindling Of their
hope. In one of his latest interviews
at Chattanooga, rebel officer who, a
year ago, breathed fire and smoke as if
James Watt had made him, lungs and
all, admitted that he believed the grand
dream of the Confederacy as a power
on earth had "gone up;" but 81 tell
you," said he, "we mean to die hard !;
we shall fight it out" Flags of truce
and the bearing of hostile pickets to-
wards each other always puzzle a civil
ian. He cannot imagine how men can
stand with front to front, that may turn
upon each other any hour, even as the
upper and neither millstones, and grind
out life and heart like grain, and not
bear, man to man, the deadliest hate.
And yet nothing can be farther from
the truth. Right on the eve of the
battle Federal pickets contentedly
munched biscuit that rebel neighbors.
inlaw had tossed to them and an ex-
animation of many a plug of the Indi-
an weed in picket's pocket would
have shown the print of a rebels teeth
at one end, and "Yankee's" at the
other.
The small currency Of gibe and joke
passed as freely among them as is does
around steamboat landing in the
"Piping times of peace" and hall
fancied that sort of rough, rude
friendship might have sprung up among
some of them. Perhaps 1 told you
that, on Monday, the day of our recon
noissance in force, when the Federal
skirmish line moved out, the rebel
pickets stood leaning upon their guns,
and looked wonderingly upon them,
and not till our advancing line was
tipped with fire, did they seem to get
the idea that serious work, work with
blood and death in it, was actually be-
ginning. ~-
Now and then, little human smile
brightens wars grim visage, like a
flash of sunshine in an angry day. ]
remember one that / wish I could da-
guerrotype. The amenities of battle
are so few, how precious they become
Let me give you that little "touch OF
nature that makes the whole world kin. 81
A few months ago, the Sd Ohio, be-
longing to Streight's command, en-.
tered a town en- route for Richmond,
prisoners of war. Worn down,
famished, hearts heavy and haversacks
light, they were herded together, "like
dumb, driven CATTLE" to wear out the
night. A rebel regiment, the 54th
Virginia, being camped near by, many
of its men came strolling about to see
the sorry show of poor, supperless
}, Yankees. They did not stare long but
hastened away to camp, and came
streaming back with coffee. kettles
corn bread and bacon-the best they
!, had, and all they had-and straight
way little fires began to twinkle, bacon
f was suffering the martyrdom of the
/, Saint of the Gridiron, and the aroma
of coffee rose like the fragrant cloud
of thank-offering. Loyal gests and
rebel hosts were mingled our hungry
boys ate and were satisfied, and, fol
that one night, our common humanity
stood acquitted of the heavy charges
of total depravity, with which it il
blaokened. Night and our boys, de
parted together; the prisoners in due
time were exchanged, and are now en-
: camped within rifle shot of Kelley.
Ferry, on the bank of the Tennessee
g But often, around the camp fires,
have heard them talk of the 54th Vir
ginia, that proved themselves SO i'm
8 measurably better ssthan brother afa
Q off; !" heard them wonder where they
| were, and discuss the chance that they
] might ever meet. When they de
. nounced the "damnable Johnny Rebs,
y the name of one regiment, you may
r be sure was tucked away in a. snus
e place, quite out of the range of hare
/. words. f,-,a,a -,,,t.os.l. 81 -. .-l',
D 90 And now comes the sequel tha
!. makes beautiful poem of the who'll
T of it. On the day of the storming o
: Mission Ridge, among the prisoner
J. was the 54th Virginia, and on Friday
/; Lit trailed away across the pontool
r bridge and along the mountain road
9 nine miles to Kelley's Ferry. Arrived
. there. it settled upon the bank lik,