The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1878-05-04
staff would give all necessary intor.

| INdl'VIS' al nav It'lIVu. ~ etIIlI
mel directed me to tent, aud | called
among the s|ecpe,s for Capt. Phillips
| A grntf voice from the dark ness asked
what was wanted. Told my purpose
The grn!f talkcr curtly replied that
Capt. Phillips had work to do to-mor.
row and needed rest, and Gen. Hind
man must furnish his own guide. Just
then Capt. Phillips awoke from his
sleep, and kindly offered his services
remarking, "Grncral, it won't hart
me-" The gruif voice still INDUCED
in some muttered objections, and then
Invited tie in while Capt. Phillips was
getting ready. The speaker was Gle
hurup; this was orr Introduction, and
it is needless to say was not pleas
ant\y impressed. The adventures Of
my company that wild night were 70
mantle, but they have nothing to dc
with Clebnrne, SO | pass them over.
| STRUGGLING IN BATTLE.
During the second days battle o.
Shiloh the fighting was terrific, with
occasional lulls. 1t seemed az if botl
sides spent themselves at intervals
and rested their fury in absolute ex.
hausti"n. With straining desperation
our line held its own under fierce anG
repeated attacks. The pressure at
times of overwhelming numbers upon
"nr decimated columns was literally
awful. Thousands of demoralized
soldiers ANONYMOUSLY struggled back
deaf to entreaty or menace. The or
der was issued for the cavalry to be
dispersed into squads and bring the
struggling infantry to the front. The
shame of that day, glorious in the tre'
mentions andacity and heroism Of the
few who stood jmmovable against ev
cry assault, was this distressing de.
sertion. 1t did not often happen tc
the Southern soldier, but the contain.
ination Of uuusal camp luxuries, cap.
tured from the enemy, had spread a
devi|ish timidity or s'mething Else
uuwonted with generally ever reliable
soldiers.
CLEBURNE BRIGADELESS.
The writer was pushing these strag.
g|ers to the front, when fami|ia,
voice hailed and asked what l was
doing. 1t was Cleburne alone, with,
out even staff officer, lis brigade
scattered to the four winds, not a man
to follow him. In the horrible car.
mage of the two days fight his com
mand had dwindted to nothing, and
he was a leader without men.
He joined me in my duty. Some
times we found ten or fifteen men,
with m officer, buried in the bushes,
Sinking the danger. l would that
conld pass over these facts, but histo-
~ demands the truth. Spots they
are upon an admitted and magnificent
chronicle of gatIantry. / can recall
CIeburne Will, pistol in hand, ordering
such fellows to the front 10 his harsh.
loud voice-a voice dissonant in its
high tones, but sweet in it low tones.
CLEBuRNE DOING A PRIvATE's PART.
Later in the afternoon We met Col.
Carney, a volunteer and on Hardee's
staff, who told Us that Gen. Beanre-
gard had ordered a retreat; ana still
later we met Gen. Breckenridge, who
had charge of the rear guard, who
confirmed the intelligence, and still
later We met Gen. Ha,dee, sitting at
the foot of tree, unb|anched and cool
as he always was amid the worst dis
aster. We spent an hour or two de-
str"ying ammunition and preparing for
the retrograde, Cleburne doing a pri
Yates part.
CLEBURNEs TENDERNESS OF HEART.
We heard groans in the wood off
from the road, and proceeding there
discovered a poor fellow lying in a
sitting position against a log, paIlid,
faint, dying, bowels torn out, suffering
uuutterable agony, and begging God
for merciful death. There was moth
ing in which to remove him; he could
not bear touching if We had had a
Thousand omnibuses; there was no
hore for him but speedy death, the
quicker the better, aud we had to
leave him in tho falling night to faint
" whine for the dissolution IF body
aud soul that alone offered relief from
his measureless misery. 1t was cruel
and suggestive case of wars horrors.
With "poor fellow" as tenderly Ut
tered as a mother could speak to a
sick babe, and tear in eyes that 10
the battle blazed like fire, Cleburne
left him.
A MEMORABLE SUPPER.
As We passed through a camp we
saw some immense hard tacks, a buck.
ct of butter, and a half sack of corn.
The writer lifted the corn to the front
of Cleburne's saddle by his direction.
l then buttered each one of us one of
the huge blankets of biscuit, and
swinging the bucket on my own arm
for further use, on We rode, eagerly
munching the tough provender. | Of
ten afterwards joked the General
upon bis comical appearance, holding
with one band the bulky sack of grain
on his saddle pommel, and with tho
other grasping sheet of cracker as
broad as a map of the United States,
aud craming it in heavy relays down
his throat. The rain began to fall,
adding to the gloom of disaster. 1t
got heavier until it became a steady
pour, and the ground was converted
into deep slop, and the way impen-
etrably dark, and We could 20 only
by the occasional fash a,thwart the
zimmerman darkness. We fed our
horses about nine o'clock, and then
resumed our weary ride for Corintb.
Men and animals were worn down.
We rode sleeping, and would he
awakened by jostIiug against some
one. or q deeD oath from aoma