The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1882-05-14

Cst to get permission TO charge, Miller gathered W
his strength. u was fearful thing to contemplate.
lie the Junior brigade commander and VI courfc
could only rely the support Of his brigade o
four rcglments-at most he could not count on more
| than the division numbering then not more than
| Q, 600 men, or at the very hest 5, 800.
| What would be tho chances OF success In case he
charged With that force, wadnE stream under Q
heavy IRE aud challenging d-to-haud fight with
an enemy having clearly Mt least three times his
strength There was about one chance out 1t atty hnl
he would drive the enemy back; forty nlno chance
that bis men, evcnit hc got them the stream,
woul fhest themselves like spray upon rock against
the serrlcd columns Of tho enemy whom OF course the
disaster begun with Van Glove would rcdcube, aud,
taking fresh head go on to complete rout; forty
chances to that N he did not get permission Ia
charge he would lose his orcia head tho ddn' stop,
Of course, TO reckon up the risk to his e) and have
his patriotic soldier cut short with an al
most lrredeemabe disgrace ON the other hand, what
else could he done9 There was but ono hope-cvery-
| thug else was against him-and that was that the
enemy seeing him make bold charge with his small
force would Imagine that ho had the whole army back
of him. aud become sufficiently demoralgcd to allow
him to drive them back far enough for the artillery ia
hegin to pa, on them; then certainly help would
come. II would he n grand essay of nerve, The
enemy would argue that no man would have the te-
merlty to charge under such circumstances. II
for Cst's return he gave the order TO charge, led tho
way HIMSELF and-the turning point Of tho battle Of
Stone River was at hand Midway Of the stream
Clst reached him, saying that Gen. Palmer tho first
general oncer no had encountered, whose division lay
perhaps quarter OF mile TO the rear Of Ncgley's,
| had peremptory forbidden the charge.
"it It's too late now, ~ shouted Miller his eyes baZ-
lug with the fro OF battle, land certainly never saw
mans eyes blaze as did his In battle, AMI the
men went, holding mp their cattrdge-borcs to keep
them from getting wet and altogether showing such
cool determined courage that the round eyed Confcd
crates grew demoralEed aud drew back. Then, with
shout that told OF the recognition OF the
opportunity to get even, the blue coats swarmed
up the bank. loading and firing like demons; falling
like leaves, too before the hot fire OF the enemy;
pushing, pushing at FIRST slowly and then faster
and faster the enemy yielded, TIL at last the aril-
lery from the right bank got the range, and raised
hell Of shreking dlscord with shot and shell and the
repuse became n retreat and the retreat disorder cd
rout. The day -Murfrcesboro, the prize for
which Rosecrans and Bragg had contended for weary
days, was practically In our grasp.
once again, lust Rs reached the left bank, came
an order from Gen. Palmer tthis time borne, l
think, 10y Mai TedfOrh, also Of Miller stan, OF
the sixth Auditors Oncc) not to attempt to charge.
In Wednesdays fight, In the never to- be- forgotten
"Ccdars, ~ Miller had received n flesh wound In the
neck. On Friday this wound had become very palm
fnl. Of course, and the young coonel's neck
still that he could not turn his hcad-he was compelled
to move his whole body This was very inconvonient
on horseback. and to remsly the matter lie dis
haunted and strobe foot To the front Of his line
where his flashing sword pointed his men the way to
Victory. Here again one of Palmer's stan officers
brought him order tn 'Iecross the river aud re-
form his to suppnrt ralmer's line ~ Then 1t
that he turned to his orderly and gave him the
to take back In the words which stand at the
opening Of this article,
IN point fact Miller was followed In this charge
by tue Twenty first ohio, the Seventy eighth Penn
sylvania, the Seventy Ohio, and fragments of
the Eighteenth Ohio, Thirty seventh Indiana, and
Nineteenth lllinois-in all, certainly not more than
., goo men 1t was q desperate chance, and lie took
II. II was a hazardous game, and he won 1t. And
4 you will keep your eyes him you will nd that
the soldierly instinct that made him seize this
oppo uniy Is sill with him, and that In politics and
stltesmanship they viii stand him III just us good
stead.
But Lord bless you. my friend Do you ever read
these old reporsS 1t did my soul good find ont
how many brlgadler generals and major generals and
colonies commanding brigadesand regiments were will
ing(afer the fact and after had become that that
charge the battle Of Stone River to assume all re-
sponsbility FOR the affair. why, all the general on
cors who Intimate, less broadly and posltIycy
in their Official reports that they ordered the charge and
perhaps led it, say II all these gentlemen had been
the right bank of the river ~ the In all the
pride, pomp, and panoply they Were accustomed To
sport In those days, Brecklnidge's men would never
have attempted TO even attack Van Cleys-such u
horrld front of would have frightened the soIs
out them In point of fact seemed TO expect
determined attack at that point. Miller the rank
Ing oicer the spot and In the frantic endeavor To
find general officer To authorize tie charge his stafl
officers wasted even more time than did tho generals
themselves In setting forth in their OiCia reports
each and individually, the ntimation that lie had
originated and designed and carried ont tie move
ment.
Prior to this Col. Miller had made a reputation as
hard, quick, and successful fighter, hut all of HIS
successes had been In comparatively snail affairs
This battle made him Drieadier general and In lead
Ing his brigade at the affair at Liberty Gap on the
FIRST day of the Tullahoina campaign he Was struck
by mimic ball, destroying tho left eye completely
lie was knocked from his horse and stunned hut he
recovered In a few moments sficientIy to Give in
structlOns to the next In command, when e taken
to the For twelve long, weary years of
pain and suffering he carried that lead in
the bones above the eye. During this time II is said
that he was never once free from paln-neyer slept
night of undisturbed Iepose. But 1t was only his
family or.hs more Intimate friends who knew that
he endured pain such AS Is not usual to men. He
never was weak enough to complain Have you ever
observed that such an afiiic0n this, long Illness
or prOstfalng physical snifering-yes or mental,
either, for the matter OF that-wlen 1t neither kills
nor maddens, has wonderful effect to strengthen the
man. character, to broaden and elevate his man
hood, to refine and purify him? Believe me- INV
friend, there is truth In the homey old doctrine that
our greatest blessings often come III The guse adj
versity.
But the mimic ball cut short Gen. Miller's career as
an active soldier almost completely. lie remained
and afterwards the District of Mobile. At the bat
tie OF Nashville, December, 1864, he commanded the
left wing of Thomas armY-s. COO men.
At the close OF the war Gen. Miller was offered "A
nigh rank In the regular service which hedeclined.
President johnson made him collector OF customs at
the port of San Francisco, where hs took up his
abode. He has not been much of an ONCE Ing
politician. When the war broke out he was "A mem
Der OF the Indiana Senate; before that he had been
believe, the prosecuting attorney OF the county In
which South Bend Is situated. lie Is enthusiastic
Republican. however, aud always has been, and has
been chosen a member of the Electoral College at
every Presidential election since war, save the
last one. lie was also member of the Constitutional
Convention In California few years ago. His cleo
ton ~ the Senate Spontaneous tribute from his
party, and came to him we'll learned but scarcely
adequate reward for his services his country and
MS party. At present so great has his popularity
become because OF tile magnificent fight he has made
TO restrict Chinese Immigration that IT. is moderate 10
estimate the Miller party on the Pacific Coast as
other parties. If the ''slope'' had the making
of president to-day there would be no di-
cancy, John +. Miller would reign In Arthur's trad
before the setting of to-morrow's sun Indeed his
performance upon the Chinese question has won for
him high encomiums from all over the Union and
from those who differ with him In the premises as
well as those who agree with him. The press the
country without division accord him the honor of
having lifted the consideration of the question ont of
the depths OF hoodlnmsm " To the regions Of brond
craftsmanship. His arguments behalf OF the pro-
lection and elevation and the conservation Of the dig
nifty OF labor have no shade of demag0gical appeal no
taint OF unpatriotic self seeking No speech that has
been delivered In Congress In the last years aside
from campaign speeches made at the Capital To save
posiage) has had 80 Wide circulation, aud the de-
mand for 1t Is still growing, although II was made
over two months ago IL has attracted tile attention
not alone Of the workingmen hut of students of pOi-
cal economy, ministers Of The Gospel, college fucul-
Ties, and educated men GENERALLY. II has given him
fame which lie might well lie content 10 win by
years OF toll In the Senate and IL Is A fame
loo, that VIII endure.
Senator Miller WAS born In Union County. Ind Ia
1881 His parents we're Nirginians, his ancestors
from switzerland. Hell man Of commanding figure
handsome and manly, and of fine presence. Natur-
ally reserved no bears beneath cold exterior The
heart OF woman for tenderness of Hon for courage
ana magnanimity. He Is fsticent, but his word his
bond, and he hates liar nnspeakably.
When others are suffering, drop A word of
kindness and sympathy. II they are suffering fiOm
cold, give them Or. Bulls Cough syrup; few doses
of this valuable remedy viii afford Instant relief and