The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1883-10-09
"JAKEY" AND ROSY"
GruT General Nelson's Way---Rose-
Grams Along the Outposts.
How Nelson's Troops Forded Duck
Riyer---How "Old Rosy" Pad
died a Private with His
Sword.

tChicago Inter Ocoan.1
II was hard to realizs at the beginning OF
the war that our polished and kind-hesrted
gentlemen did not always make good COM
manders, and hat tho gruff, vigo~rous-bodied,
and imperious men often did. The young
Americans idea of a soldier was that he must
be courtly, diguihed and calm when all Others
were excited; careful Of his person and care
full OF his men. How they were shocked
when they found such a man as Gen. VIII
lam Nelson at their head. This stern, grun
old fellow meant war, and know what war
was He compelled men to drop all of the
citizen that interfered with the soldier. He
was concise in his orders, and RELENTLESS in
carrying them.out. The private soldier will
remember how he hated odd Jakey" at the
beginning, and how his opinion changed
Soldiers and commanders of regiments
were averse to forming line of battle before
daylight. Gen. Nelson ordered it. The order
was obeyed, but in u careless and unsoldieriy
way. The next morning there came a fierce
rider down the line, riding along wEsro men
slept, shouting, cursing, slapping officers
tents, punching at sleeping men-this was
Gen. Nelson carrying out his order. how
the officers and men scrambled
How the boys enjoyed the colonel's sudden
jump and the adjutant's handspring tunblel
The men bivouAcking without the tents knew
that the general would ride over them il they
did not get up, and they got up without cere-
mony. That morning "Old Jakey" had his
division in line in a few minutes. 1t was the
commencement of a now era. The next
morning every man was up at the first blast
OF the bugle, but again came the fierce rider,
roaring out: "Put on your sword, sirt" Put
on your hat, sirr' "Bucklo that strap, sirP'
"Strighten up, m~en-straighten up, damn
itln Every morning the rough old horse and
rough old mdn stormed along that line, and
the result was that Nelson's division was al
ways prompt in movement, was mover sur
prised, and generally led IN attack. The
remedy was an original one and severe, but
it was very effective.
At the first crossing of Duck river, on the
southwark march from Nashville, the major
ity OF the division commanders waited for a
bridge to be built. Nelson chafed under de
lay, and volunteered to ford the river. He
was allowed the advance and crossed his
division, issuing a characteristic order to the
effect that the mon should take OF their car
fridge boxes and fix them on their bayonets,
that they should take Off their stockings and
p~antaloons and wade the river in their draw
ers, carrying their clothes in a bundlso on their
fixed bayonots and holding their guns at a
right shoulder shift, and so on, with great
care as to details. How the boys swere and
laughed in turn at that order. They waded
tho river minus the drawers, amid the great
est uproar Of good cheer that ever character
lied the fording of a stream.
They were disposed to be deliberate about
dressing, but there was the irrepressible "Old
Jakeyn storming and raging, and rushing
them off as though a battle was going on in
front. Tho shivering boys saw the good
a,, - thsr ;,n,nltntn ,nfrly /, rob mo
ceeding the cold bath in the river, and later,
when a messenger from Shiloh met Gen.
Nelson, moving without orders to Pittsburg
Landing, they began TO understand that he
was more OF a soldier than they were. They
realized more than this when they saw him
force them across tho Tennessee that even
ing, to give strength to an almost defeated
army. They heard with strange shiver his
advice to turn the guns on the ~stragglers,
and, with a thrill, heard his softened tones as
he turned to his own division and said:
Gentlemen, remember you are soldiers;
they are towards" This story has often
been told of how the first brigade Of Union
troops went into Nashville. They wero Of
Nelson's division. Much has been said Of
how the advance of Buell's army crossed
the Tennessee at Shiloh and went ut once
into action. 1t was Nelson's division. Gen.
Eou LIhE mas oDOA~A VI hOF RpA AC~bAl
the long lines moved forward in the next
mornings early light, and how firm they
stood all the day. These were Nelson's men.
Those were the mon who wnded Duck river
in their shirts. They were proud of 'tOld
Jakey," and understood what all his vigor-
Gus discipline meant And he was proud of
his old division, although he never ceased to
scold his mon, until tho day when wounded
on another field and in command of other
troops, he cried out again and again for his
''old iron-cladn boys.
You cannot say "Here comes Old Jakeyn
to one Of the old Fourth division early in the
morning now without having him spring
bolt upright in bed and put on a wide-awake
look. He has other memories perhaps Of
Gen. Rosecrans.
''Old Rosy always did best when he could
soc his men. To the privates OF his army he
was a great ~strength-giyer. To hin the
sight Of his mon wins better than the advice
Of all his generals. He had the fine dramatic
instinct. He know when to draw his sword
and nave bloody and exhausted men follow
him to new work. He knew where to place
a pleasant word, how to give an encouraging
smile. At Stone river the people saw his
~stubbornness and his science. The priyates
of his nrmy, blinded by the fierce fight, saw
nothing but "Old Rosy As the long lines
were beaten back In mheard-o of coils aud
tanglos, and as the commanding general him
self arranged the now line, they believed him
when he said, We've got EN- just where we
want EN-" The boys will laugh over the
words now, but they found comfort in them
thon.
After Chickamauga tho people lost faith,
but the army did not. The men saw too
much Of Rosecrans. Ono night a squad was
out cutting the trees in front of one of the
newly built forts. An work WAS done at
night to escape the fire and observation of the
enemy perched on Mission ridge. The men
were olattsring away with not very sharp
axes. when a sound in front and a challenge
from the sentinel caused axes to hang sus.
pended without striking. who goes there, n
rang out clear and sharp, as the sentinel
squad with tho choppers cooked their guns.
The answer came in quick, decided tones,
''Thc commanding general" And then as a
moment after Gen. Rosecrans strobe into the
circle, there was unusual stiffness, the boys
With the axes being a little in doubt as TO the
proprieties Of the occasion.
"Well, boys, how goes it. Not like choppins
out in the wood lots on sunshiny days at
home, is itf But this is good work, boys.
The idea is 10 fell tbs trees, tops toward the
Johnnies you know, then we will sharpsn the
branches and they will come up here and get
tangled and then we will sweeten their coffes
for them" Tho last bit of slang broke the
ice, and tho wood-choppsrs aad the com
handing general had a rsther cheerful in