Weekly Trinity journal., 1864-01-09
incidents of the War.

From the q Army of the Cumberland ~ cor
respondent of the Chicago Journal, written by
the best descriptive writer in our armies, East or
West, Benjamin F. Taylor we take the following
interesting paragraphs
But here is q little story of something that
came out of the leaves on that Sunday whence,
as from first meridian, they yet reckon at Chat
tanooga had it in mind to tell dozen letters
ago but it has slipped out of sight till now
At one point there was a lull in the battle at
least it had gone, SCATTERING and laundering down
the line, and the boys were as much - at ease
boys be upon whom any moment, the
storm may roll back again. To be sure, occa-
sional shots and now and then a cOmetary shell
kept them alive, but one of the boys ran down
to a little spring. and towards the woods where
the enemy lay, for water. He had just stopped
and swung down his canteen when tick-a rifle
ball struck it at an angle and bounded away
He looked around an instant, discovered nobody,
| thought it a chance shot-a piece of lead you
know, that goes at q killing rate without any
malice pretense-and so, nowise lntrm OF pur-
pose, he again bent to get some water. Ping
a second bullet cut the cord of his canteen and
the boy "got the idea !" sharp-shooter was
after him, and he went to the right-about and
the double-quick to the ranks A soldier from
another part of the line made pilgrimage to
the spring, was struck and fell by its brink
But where was the marksman? Two or three
bows ran out to draw their fire, while others
watched Crack went the unseen piece again,
and some keen-eyed fellow sped a putt OF smoke
rolling out from little cedar. That was the
spot then the rebel had made him hawk S
nest-the choice Indian, Chattanooga in the
tree and drawing the green covert close around
him, was taking quiet hand at - steeple-shoot-
ing = at long range.
A big bue-eyed German, tall enough to look
over into the the third generation, andsa sharp
shooter withal volunteered to dislodge him.
Dropping into little runaway that neared the
tree diagonally he turned upon his back, and
worked himself cautiously along reaching a
point sc riously close, he whipped over, took aim
as he Law. and God and his true right hand gave
him good deliverance. Away flew the bullet /;
an instant elapsed, the volume of the cedar part
ed and - like big frog as the boys described
it. out leaped gray-back.; the hawks nest was
empty, and dead rebel lay under the tree 1t
was neatly done of the German man grown
May he live to tell the story thousand times to
his moon-faced grandchildren.
The sdea that the first boy at the spring
got, ;" might be pleasanter; when the notion that
somebody is making target of you creeps with
its chilly feet slowly up your back, you can
hardly help shrinking into yourself just little,
though you may not be quite ready to own it,
l recall in this connection, an incident derived
from the Division Surgeon who played a part in
it. He riding across the field where the
battle had ragged fercely but just swept on, and
was making his way slowly among the drift of
friends and foes-the blue and gray together
when wounded Federal soldier asked for water.
The Surgeon give him the. draught, when voice
from gray heap near by said, q Won't you
give me one, too Doctor?' "a Certainly will, -
and he just raising the rebel and bringing
round the canteen slung under his arm to put it
to his lips, when cannon shot from rebel bat
terry struck the earth on one side second
bounded by the other.
The man looked up in the Surgeons face with
half smile, st1'm ffraidthey mean us, Doctor. I"
At that instant third shot hit the % target"
and headless trunk fell from the supporting
arm. There was another dead rebel. Of a
truth they did - mean us, and the Surgeon
FASTENED away.
/
That nearly all our gallant, noble dead remain
unburied on the field of Chickamauga must send
a thrill of horror through the land that they
lie where they fell appalling and CHASTITY objects,
denied the poor hospitality of the grave-digger,
and offending the sunshine The words I" man P"
and " humanity" should be blotted out of rebel
lexicons. How shall l say it?-the birds of prey
settle upon that field and swine fatten their way
through the ranks of glory have this from
sources too many and direct !; the horrible asser-
ton is not shaded by doubt And yet the
reoels pass Gays III picking up ifaginehts VI ,ioh'
broken arms, anything that could possibly be
made of use, with which the field was strown,
and were only driven off when all the heavy air
was poisoned by the unburied dead. 90 Look on
this picture and on this !" day before yesterday
the gallant Hooker,s Federal soldiers consumed
the hours in giving burial to the rebels who fell
in the recent battle. Are the feet of the aveng-
ing gods shed fifth wool, that we cannot hear
their steps upon the threshold, fastening to
punish the incredible barbarity Of those traitors
whose guns playing as write-traitors to
Government, God and mankind.
/ Tur ALa LoI,farnia the nldAst neWsnanar in