The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1883-03-29
CHICAMAUGA.


Where You Could Hear the Bones Crash
Crying Over "Maggie and the Children, -
Up North.
l met General Morton c. Hunter in In.
dianapolis, the other day, and after talking
over political campaigns, remarked
General, you have forgotten the war, l
suppose?"
"Oh, no, no. No, sir, never | think of
1t often, in fact, every day, and some DAYS
every hour. | am too old, old, and you,
howard, are not young enough TO hope OF
fear that We shall look upon its like again.
l tell you II was the greatest crash that
ever came on any government, and none
but our could stand it,"
General, In your experience was there
any battle that Tor hard fighting and dead
men beat all the rest ?"
"Ohicamauga. Marshal Launes said at
that some volleys he could hear the bones
crash in the division. Ny brigade at one
Time he'd the keystone OF the arch where
Thomas took the last grand rush of Long
street. There was ono sheet of flame blazed
out at short range. That was when the
zones crashed. Alter that you could see
tue cannon burn through the smoke, but
could near only Il roar that seemed like
Judgment day had come An aid came TO
me from General Thomas. He wanted 10
know how long We would stay there. |
toid nm | thought while longer, If we
could get cartridges. The staff officer was
Killed. My men took the ammunition from
their dead comrades, and by some lucky
chance were brought a fresh supply soon
after, so we held the place till ordered to
| la fam
men from my own regiment, and had TO
leave them there. My adjutant in the
morning was handsomely dressed in new
uniform. Amer the battle he was ragged.
and that from lead. My clothes
were cut IN eight places. OF the brigade |
TOOK there only handful were left to fall
back-the rest We're dOwn--dead, diving and
wounded. 1t was terrible. don't think
Gettysburg, Antietam or Franklin can
show ha!s-hour redder TO both blue and
gray. BY the way there was thing hap
pened there that struck me hard at the
time. The day before the fight was walk
lng round III the woods and | saw a soldier
SlttluB on log all alone, and he was CRYING,
walked over to him and | says, here,
what's the matter with your He went
down in his pocket and he brought out one
OF those old-Iashloned gems, u picture poor
enough, taken III some country town: a
woman and five children. He says, that's
my family my wife and children Well
says |, that 3 a pretty good looking group,
boy; don't see Anything to cry over there.
I've got exactly the same crowd NJ home.
aud ] wish | had their pictures here now !;
I'm sure 1t wouldn't make me feel bit
bad
Yes, but general, you're an officer, and
you are getting heavy pay; you have
property at home; you could resign il you
wanted to; and ityou got killed there would
be something lett for your wife and chill
dren; l nave nothing at home or here. and
II was gone there would be nobody TO look
after Mag5ie and the children. told him
to shut up, laughed at him, scolde him,
and tried to make him feel better, and |
believe | did. Says |, IN tell you COM
rade, I've not got so much at home as you
think, and don't save anything here; we
are both in the same boat. ! stand inst as
good a chance to get killed as you do; am
not going to resign and leave you; we'll
light through this war together come out
us poor as we went in, and 20 home to our
people together. We shook hands and |
walked on. Well sir, the next day as we
fell back | looked down in dead mans
face; it was the soldier | had promised 10
go h0ne with when the war was over, and
that he should see his wife and children.
His old blue blouse was red over the pocket
where he carried the picture
Here the generals voice got husky and
he looked at me out of eyes a little damp.
| said, goodbye old soldier; am glad TO
have met you, and walked away, thinking
how many of those meetings promised
when the war was over had been destined
for shore beyond Tine Chicamauga. ~
Frank Howard in Rockville Tribune,