The Shasta courier., 1864-02-13
AFTER THE BATTLE.

| A battle and furnace are alike. 1t is
W, nderful how dull natures brighten and
grow costly in the glow of battle how the
sterling worth and wealth, the-e are in them
shine our, and the common man stands trans
| figured, his heart in his hand and his foot in
the realm of heroic grandeur. But ah, when
the fire is out. and the SCARED Earth is seam
ed with rigid clay the black mouths Of the
guns speechless mighty hammers and no
hands, the flags furled, the wild hurrah died
away, and ali the splendid action ofthe charge
vanished from the rugged field like flash
Of sunshine, and you wander among the dull
reminders, the dead embers of til. iltensest
life I'D glow that swt pit your ,uI out, only
yesterday, and drifted it on with the skir-
mi>h line, you begin TO know what these
words mean. ~ alter the battle"
1t is days since g:eat WAKES of gal.aat life
dashed against Mission Ridge and swept up
and oyer it IN surges; days since | tried to
| tell you how 1t all looked so many DAYS
that 1t is even now indurating into history,
and Yet feel like taking up the story just
where left 1t. on "Wednesday night, at sun
set, when our flags tapped like eagles wings,
and the wild cry IF triumph quivered along
the mountain. Standing on the edge of the
field l,l the moonlight, calm as $ Gods Arch"
stretches the rough valley that but an hour
before Jared with the rush and whir Of the
battle. From away beyond the ridge. in
deed three miles out, to Chickamauga Sta.
tion. the dropping shots from Sheridan 5 guns
family punctuate the silence, but here, lis
ten as you will, you can hear no sound but
the click of ambulance wheels, slowly rolling
in with their mangled burdens; no sigh no
groan. nothing but the sobbing lapse of the
Tennessee. | can never tell you with what
Il warm feeling at the heart looked up and
saw the Federal fires kindIe,l like "A new con.
sfeliation upon Mission Ridge; they were as
welcome as dawnng day to the eyes that
have watched the night out. The old haleful
glare from rebel camp and signal light was
quenched with something thicker than water,
and Chattanooga was at peace.
1t is strange that a battle almost ALWAYS
lies between two bresths of sleep; the dream
less slumher into which men alwavs fall upon
its eve; the calm repese they sink in at its
end Night fairly held its breath above the
camps; the viii g of silence was oyer them all
Then came Thursday morning. bright and
beautiful. You go out to the field and you
keep saying over and aver. " after the battle
after the battle" Men prone upon their
faces in death deep abasement. here one
his head pillowed upon his folded arms there
one, his cheek pressed upon stone, as was
Jacob'S at Bethel; yonder one, his fingers
stifened round his musket. Now YOU pass
where butternut and true blue have gone
d wn together, the arm of the one flung over
the other; Where Il young boy of fifteen lies
face upward, both hands clasped over his
heart. The sun has touched the frost that
whtened his hair, as if he had grown old IN
night. and it hangs like tears fresh fallen
upon his cheeks; where lieutenant grasps
bush. as if he died vainiy feeling for lit
tic hold upon earth and life; whera a stained
trail leads you to a shelter behind rock, and
there dead captain who had crept away out
of sight and fallen asIeer where rebels and
true hearts lie in short windrows, as fdsath
had begun the harvest aud had wearied of
the work. And So, through the valley and
up the ridge. in every attitude lie the unbur-
led dead; lie just as they fell in the glow of
the battle. And those faces are not rs you
would think hardly one distorted with any
passion almost all white and calm as Ben
Adhem's dream of peace; many frightened
with something like smile; few strange
ly beautiful. Wounded ones that have es-
capped the moonlight search have lain silently
waiting for morning. without murmur or COM
piaint; g,ed they are alive; not grieved they
are wounded, - did we not take the Ridge %
they say thus did the old soldierly spirit of
1ne flash up like an expiring candle, and go
on. right there on the field as he spoke; lie
died with the last word on his lips, and
= went IN higher
| said something of taking the backward
step and retracing the ground made classic
bv thousand deeds of vaior; t is work
bevunp the narrow verge Of Il writer of letters
but while abandoiTg it to more ambitious
hands | cannot deny myself the priv lege Of
recording two or three incidents. Colonel
Wiley, Of the Forty first Ohio, fell terribly
wounded o. the first line of rifle pits. and
General Iazen rode up. with the words, 4" |
hope yau are not badly wounded" . Do
YOU think we'll make p asked the Colonel
Il do,' was lhe reply. That's enough"
said the gallant officer. . can stand this y
aud there he lay bleeding and content, and
the tide If the battle rolled on.
4 diriSion General turned abruptly to me
in the course of a desultory conversation.
with "If vou write anything about Wednes
days affairs. us you will, don't forget Colo
mel Miller. Of tine Thirty sixth Illinois-one
of the most gallant little fellows that ever
drew sword did not need that injunc-
tinn, for Calanel Silas Miller rode through
the storm TO the summit of the Ridge at the
| head of his regiment like veteran, inspiring
/ nus illen tiii Tue ilttlc eiAth "ao
ianx of heraes Colonel Frank L. Sherman.
OF your city. who commanded General Stead
mans brigade. displayed a c, ol courage and
clear Judgment worthy the name and fame
of Illinois. In truth all the Colonels on that
day were 6tto be named with him of contiuen-
tai memory. the old fashioned Colonel,
who = gailopei through the white internal
powder cloud
Indeed and indeed, death loves shin
| ing mark, and the roll OF officers for whom
| their comrades say TO day, . dead on the
field of hoeor." will lend !, splendor to the
stosy of Mission Ridge forever. Clothed be
the Seventh Ohio in mourning and glory,
that LOST Is of its II officers. S..eri lan's IN
visen lost at Stone river 70: at Chisxaman-
ga. 90; while at Mission Ridge LED bars sin
gle AMI denbls. leaves silver and gol |, and
six spread eagles lay bio dy and hlent; the