The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-11-19
An Adventure Of the War.
BY HON. OLIVER P. MORTON, UNITED STATES
SENATOR FROM INDIANA.

By HON. OLIVER P. MORTON, UNITED STATES
SENATOR FROM INDIANA.
There were a number of Indiana reai
ments in the Union army that fought the bat
tie Of Shiloh, and many of them suffered Sc
verely. Immediately upon getting news @
the battle, as the Governor of the State,
caused to be prepared such sanitary supplies
s. would contribute to the comfort and re-
covery of the wounded and sick, and charter
ed several steamboats, to carry them to the
field, and to bring home such OF the wounded
as were capable OF being removed. also de-
termined to 60 upon one of these boats to
visit the Indiana troops, inspect their condi-
comfort and health. By way of explanation
I will state what may not be familiar to all
your readers, that the battle of Shiloh was
fought upon the west bank of the Tennessee
river, about one hundred and fifty miles above
the point where it empties into the Ohio. II
was arranged that the boat should start from
Evansville on the Ohio river, which is on the
southwestern border of Indiana, on Sunday
morning, and the supplies were forwarded sc
as to be on board at that time. 70 get there
myself, was to leave Indianapolis at eight
O'Clock on Saturday evening, on the Terre
Haute train, and on my arrival at Terre
Haute, take a special train for Evansville
which is one hundred miles south of that
point.
Calvin Fletcher was an old and highly cs-
teemed citizen of Indianapolis, one OF its
pioneers, lawyer by profession, but for many
years had applied himself to banking and
agriculture, and was one OF the wealthiest
men Of the State. He was devsut Chris
tian, distinguished for his beuevolence, and
welded an influence second to that of no
Mt or oit Ha ypa a a ms n iOfpO Sp
patriotism, and when the war broke out gave
bis mind aud heart TO the support OF the gov
eminent and the preservation OF the Union.
He was among the foremost in all efforts Tor
the relief of our army, and took part in the
first organization of the Indiana Sanitary
Commission, and worked with it faithfully
until the end of the war.
When l announced my purpose to visit the
army he at once volunteered to go with ne
and said DE would be in readiness to start al
the time fixed.
About three hours before the time for de
parture he icame to my Office, in the State
House, and Saiu that circumstances had trans.
pired to prevent him from going, but that he
was determined to be represented, and weuid
send bis son "Mily;" and SAID he, eff 'Mily
never gets back l will take care of his wife
and children"
This was the familiar name by which he
called Miles j. Fletcher, a young man OF
twenty-eigbt years, and then State Snperin-
tendent OF Public Instruction, an office 10
which he had been elected by the people the
yer before. He was ripe scholar, possess
Ing classical and scientific attainments of a
very high order, and was, at the time of his
election, professor in the Ashbury Univer-
sity, at Greencastle. He had an ardent tenn
permanent, pure character, lofty ambition, and
was, perhaps, all things considered, the most
promising young man in the State. l arrived
az the depot about twenty minutes before the
train was to start, and found the old gentle
man there. Said he, 81 have put into the
ties of Catawba wine Tor the use of yourself
and .Mily,'ior the food and water may be bad
where yOn are going. 'Mily' is not here vet
and an in hurry, and if do not see him
tell him that ii he never gets back l will take
care of his wife and children" 1t was the
second time he had made the remark, and it
struck me with peculiar force. Had be pre-
sentiment that his son would never return
The journey was not entirely free from dan
ger, Tor the banks of the Tennessee river were
in many places infested with guerillas, who
sometimes fired upon passing boats; and
there were other perils beyond those attend
ing ordinary lie at home. He then babe me
goodbye, and with ''God bless you," left the
depot. In few minutes the professor ar.
rived in high spirits, and gave to him bis ia
theirs message. We went into the sleeping
car, and being very tired from the labors Of
the day, at once entered berth, the Pro-
fessor assisted me in undressing, and saying
he would call me before we arrived at Terre
Haute. He said he should sit up to see his
wife at Greencastle, which was on the line of
the road, and where his family resided; that
he had telgraphed her to be at the depot
when the train passed, and to bring his over
coat. Just before midnight he aroused me,
and said, "We will be in Terre HATE in few
minutes" He was very lively, and said,
among other things, 81 have the advantage OF
you. l have kissed my wife since you kissed
yours she received my dispatch. and Was at
the depot waiting tor me-" At Terre Haute
we lett the car, and entered the special train
which was in waiting to take us to Evansville
and which consisted of locomotive and q
single passenger car. The conductor said We
should make very quick run, tor they had
telegraphed down the road to have the track
clear, and we should only stop for wood and
water. We soon started at a rapid gait, and
the whole party, some nine persons in all
were wide awake and full OF fun.
The Professor produced small carpet-ba
from which be took some lunch, which was
served around, and while we were discussing
1t, he told several storles-and he was an ex-
cellent story teller-of his speech making tour
the year before in the county of Sullivan
through which We were about to pass and af
ter some twenty or thirty minutes spent in
this way, the company made their several dis.
positions for the ride. The stove had beer
taken out of the car, and in the middle
where it had stood, the seats ran lengthwise
instead OF cfOsswise, in the usual way. | ]ail
down with my head to the rear, and nv feet
forward, on the long side seat, and the Pro
fessor laid down on the same seat, with bis
head to the front, which brought our feet TO-
gether. We were soon asleep, and about that
time entered the county of Sullivan, in which
there lived class OF people who were disaf
fected toward the government, and sympa
thized strongly with the rebellion, and somt
OF them carried their opinions to the extent o
overt treason, and had already obtained fol
the county dsagreeable ,notoriety.
We had not been long asleep when we were
awakened by terrible shock and crash.
Immediately sprang to my feet, which brought
me at the side of the Professor, and felt thai
the car was still on the track and movng
The Professor threw his feet off the seat nnoy
the floor, raised his head from the carnet.hae
upon which it was lying, and with his lef
hand threw up the window this side. and pu
his head out to see what was the matter.
1t flashed through my mind that this wa
dangerous, but there was no time to speak; i
V~o sh eA2O WOlh VI a AuOucul. AL lie In
slant CT putting his head out of the window
it was darkened as by some passing object
and his face dropped upon the wndow-sIll.
took him by the shoulders, and laid him bacl
with his head upon the carpet bag, and h,
was already dead. The blood spurted from
the side Of his head in torrents, and ran acros
the floor OF the car in a stream. A portion O
the lett side OF the skull, as large as the pain
of my hand, had been knocked out, and tn
brain was protruding from the mortal wound
BY this time the car was stopped, and all wa
still. Never before had l so powerfully real
lied the awful presence of death.
Our company stood around and eazed will
horror upon the lace of the dead, and for sew
eral minutes not a word was spoken, A hor
riDle suspicion entered my mind that it wa
not accidental: that it was intended for Inc
but, by al inscrutable dispensation of Prov
dence, had fallen upon him, and this wa,
strongly confirmed by subsequent disclosures
1t was bright moonlight night; and her
We went out Of the car, the cause OF the dis
aster was apparent. Our locomotive and ca
were still upon the track, but the locomotive
much broken. Some distance in the rear
and close alongside of the track, and nearly a
right angle with it were the shattered re
mains OF large cattle car, with which it wa;
obvious the locomotive had colided. Subse
quent investigation showed that this car had
ior Two weeks been standing upon switch
some two hundred yards from the point OF
coitlslon, and had been seen in its accustomed