Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-01-15
WAR "REMINISCENCES.
stones ItiVer--HerOism OF Rrecktn-
ridges Division.

| For the Union ana Dispatch
] BELFAST TENN. Jan. y, 8G7.-Mouut-
ing our horses we moved from the left,
where We were stationed all day during
the fearful work Of the 3lst ult, and took
our post on the right Of Breckinrjdge's di-
vision, preparatory TO the coming assault
which had been ordered. Friday morning,
] January 2nd, 1868, was clear and frosty,
but before the sun had assembled the mid
heavens, a hazy, fImy cloud, obscured the
/ sun and gave indications Of approaching
/ rain. II was the middle Of the afternoon
/ Of that day when that devoted band Of
/ men marched steadily and fearlessly on
! ward 10 the carnival Of battle under the
| eve Of that noblest Of KeHtuckiaus General
/ Breckinridge It's Of these men that we
/ would speak The historian will tell Us Of
/ their dreadful charge and bloody repulse
/ but be will fail to give as an idea even Of
/ their undaunted courage and heroic bear
/ ing Being but partially engaged on the
| 3lst, they were impatient to bear their part
/ ir the struggle that all felt must give Us
/ Tennessee or send us staggering and bleed
/ ing beyond the mountains.
How well they performed their part on
that day the roll call at night gave solemn
testimony. How the heart 5welled and
trembled as we saw that buoyant column
! of valOr dash fOrward-now they are lost
/ in the sulphury smoke of "yillainOus salt
! pctre, as battery after battery opens upon
! their doomed squadTons-nOw we hear the
wild yell of the charge, and we can scarce
! refrain from raising in our stITrups and
with cap in air Join in the shout, for
we can never fail to recognize that Con-
/ federate war cry, though all the guns in
! Christend0m were laundering in our ears.
! At this fearful moment the whole front of
| the Federal line seemed a solid, con-
tinuous blaze of fire, and the shells of at
/ least fifty CanOns Ia8 il seemed at that
| time were incessantly screaming through
| the air, plougEing up the ground, tearing
the limbs from trees aud carrying terror in
| their wake. We are quite sure that the
artillery fire of this evening, far surpassed
| In volume that of the 2lst at any moment
Of the day. Before such a terrible canonn-
ade no valor could stand, and soon this
| gallant division was rent, and torn, and
checked and finally borne back 10y the
stormy tide Of battle.
They recoiied and slowly retired. breast
ing at every step the murdcrous fire that
was redoubled on them when their front be-
Z
no exhibitions Of lear-nO dcmoriliza-
ton visible in their faces, as blackened
with powder and weary with the fight they
came back by our lines in squads, in com
panies, in battalions and dozens. These
men had failed to storm and carry the post
held by the whole Army of the Cumher-
land, but terror and want of soldierly
bearing was not the cause. We saw this
body of men enter the battle; heard and
saw the flash of their trusty muskets as
they delivered their fire; heard their cry
Of battle rise above the peaIing thunder of
artillery; saw their shattered lines retire
from the unequal contest; but we never
fred a gun in their behalf until the day
was lost. Then apart of our column was
hastily dismomted and moved rapidly for
ward under fire 10 aid these valiant men,
and support a battery which then seemed
in imminent peril. have lost the name
Of this battery. Bat for its guns, the day
had been far more disastrous than it was.
| Noblv these fellows stood to their guns.
Being lust behind them, we had a good
view of their energetic bearing while in
action. We are quite sure that this battery
saved the division and the army, for at
that time there was no reserve force in our
rear 90 have stopped the advancing enc
my Gen. Cheatham came round 90 the
right that night Darkness also came to
our relief, and soon after this our battery
was Withdrawn and night came with rest
to the soldier and comparative quiet to the
battlefield When the Birkenhead steam
er foundered at sea, four hundred discip-
lined men handed the women and children
into the boats and sent them adTift in the
hope that they at least might be saved then
they formed upon the deck as if on dress
parade and fired their own funeral volley
asthcv went down beneath the wide waste
Of ocean. This is discipline-that dis.
Cipline which makes an army inviuciblC
3 when combined with valor. The valor and
discipline of this division saved a remnant
Of their number. and handed the Army o.
| Tennessee" into a boat which breasted
many breakers afterwards, and, if it finally
E swlmpcd. il was no fault of the "whitC
plumed Hanson, who fell in the very
front of his brigade 'Tis a sad, and
, / vet q sweet remiuisCence to recall the
DAY when Hanson and Breckenridge and
. TLuer, and the sons of Tennessee and
kentucky fought and fell side by side 'upor
the field of honor In all probability th,
sound Of the cannon which tolled then
funeral dirCc, was heard by the dear onet
at home Glorious death And have Tho
loved ones forgotten them Have yoy
forgotten the day which shut them from
, your sight one has not forgotten them
! An exile in a strange land he may be
bat he has not forgotten that awful charg,
and those who sank 20 the earth all arourC
, him. on the picturesque bank of Ston,
River That clear. gray eve will often
swim in tears while he thinks of the past
and muses. over cause which is forever
D / , ..I,-+ ..,r7.,r sDlaal Nrp.r>-y1-g