Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1883-11-06

CANNON.
Letter to the Cincinnati Comm ercial. Gazette
As we sat one night in 1875, in the
ratty old editorial rooms Of the Toledo
Morning Democrat and Herald, Of which
Steedman was .'leader" writer, and l
managing editor, | asked him for the
story Of Chickamauga, where he won his
stars and the soldier title Of "Old Chick
amsuga," of which he was so proud. He
told it as coollY as if it were dream to
him:
"Why, my boy, there wasn't much to
it. was in charge of the First Divi-
sion Of the Reserve Corps Of the Army OF
tue Cumberland, and had been stationed
at Ringold or Red House Bridge, over
III, Chicksmauga. Ny orders were ex-
plicit, to hold the bridge at all hazard.
and prevent the enemy from fanking
General Thomas. The enemy disappear
el from our front The sound of cannon
,ding and battle to the northwsrd told
me that the enemy had massed
,sainst our centre, and q great battle
va on. From the noise of conflict |
Judged, and rightly, that Thomas was
was .orely pressed. felt that my COM
nand was needed, and yet could not IN
ierstand the absence Of new orders. !
waited impatiently enough from daylight
till nearly noon, hoping for some word
from my commanding officer. Finally |
decided to risk my neck, rather than to
see the Union army destroyed through
inactivity on my part. Calling council
Of officers and men, explained the situa-
ton, read my orders, and told them my
decision, and that on my shoulders should
all whatever Of responsibility attached
o the disobedlence of orders.
You know the memorable military Law
to ask no questions. obey all orders,
md accep, consequences knew that
# my movement was failure, my judg-
nent mistaken, nothing less than court
martial and death awaited me. But the
battle was on, and every fiber in me said
[ was wanted. We burned the bridgc
and marched by the cannon's sound to
rhomass aid. Through corn field thick
cts, oak woods, we made fearful tramp,
for no man in the command knew the
country, and our only guide was the can.
mons boom. When reported to Thorn
as he wa in despair at the loss of the
key to his position, which had jus, been
:aptured by General Hindmans rebe
corps. The place was indicated TO
ne by the fash of guns and a rattle of
canister on the dry leaves of the tree un-
Ter which Thomas and stood Ii was
steep ascent, with densely peopled
crescent ridge, that lay before us. There
was a forbidding thicket and an oak for
st between us and the belt of rocks that
marked the edge Of a broad plateau on
which the enemy was jubilant with VIC
DRY. There, there, said Thomas, as
the guns flashed again. Now you see
their exact position. You must take
that ridge" Ny reply was, Ill do it.
Ia thirty minutes after we reached the
teld we were storming the rock Of Cnick-
Amauga. Ii was an awful contest up
that slope, every foot OF which was
plante with death.
ave went in with seven thousand FIVE
hundred men, and only four thousand re-
ported for duty at the next muster. We
went up, up, up till we reached the sum
nit, and planted ourselves there to stay.
1t was Il terribly hot place. and we made
tn. plateau a lake Of blood before we
drove Hindman back. | rode back aud
reported to Thomas. | Twas bloody from
head to foot. He clasped my hand. aud
said with great emotion, Gen. Steedman,
you have saved my army got ny
stars not long afterwards, and that's
about all there was Of it,
Could hero have told simpler tale Of
self, But heard Richard R,alf tell
the story Of Chickamauga in lS76-Realf,
the poet orator, who was provisional vice
president of John Browns government
and as he pictured that fight on the rock
of Chickamauga, it was heroism psrsoni-
fed in grand leader followed by grand
men. At one critical peroiod in the
stru ,g'e when an Illinois regiment was
moving back under command of colon
ell who slandered his men by saying they
would advance no longer, Steedman seiz.
ed the regiment al color, and shamed them
by saying, "You may leave the field and