The National tribune., 1883-06-28
WHERE BONES CRASHED.
What General Hunter Had to Say About the Bat
tie of Chickamauga.


A newspaper correspondent met General
Morton G. Hunter in Indianapolis the other
day, and, after talking over political campaigns,
remarked:
General, you have forgotten the war, sup
pose2"
"Oh, no, no. No, sir, never! I think of it
often, in fact, every day, and some day every
hour. am too old, and you, Howard, are not
young enough to hope or fear that we shall
look upon its like again. / tell you it was the
greatest crash that ever came ON any govern
ment, and none but ours could stand it."
General, in your experience, was there any
battle that for hard fighting and dead men beat
all the rest"
Chickamauga. Marshal Iannes said at
Marengo that at some volleys he could hear
the bones crash in the division. NV brigade
at one time held the keystone of the arch
where Thomas took the last grand rush of
Longstreet There was one sheet of flame
blazed out at short range. That was when the
bones crashed. After that you could see the
cannon burn through the smoke, but could
hear only roar that seemed like Judgment
day had come.
IAN aid came to me from General Thomas
He wanted to know how long we would stay
there. / told him / 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 supply soon after, so
we held the place till ordered to retire. But l
lost, in few minutes, III men, and had to
leave them there My adiutant in the morn
ing was handsomely dressed in new uniform.
After the battle he was ragged, and that
from lead. My clothes were cut in eight
places Of the brigade | took there only a
handful were left to fall back-the rest were
down-dead, dying, and wounded. IL was
terrible. l don't think Gettysburg, Antietam,
or franklin can show half hour redder TO
both blue and gray. BY the way, there was a
thing happened there that struck me hard at
the time. The day before the fight l was
walking around in the woods, and | saw sol
der sitting on a log all alone, and he was cry
ing. | walked over to him and says:
80 Here, what's the matter with your He
went down in his pocket and brought out one
OF those old-fashioned gems; g picture poor
enough. taken III some country town-a woman
and five children. He says: That's my fam
ily-lny wife aud children WELL says 1,
that's pretty good-looking group, boy; don't
see anything TO cry over there. I've got ex-
actly the same crowd at home, and 1 wish /
had their pictures here now. Pm sure it
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 if you wanted to; and
if you got killed there would be something left
lot your VIE ana children nave nothing 1T
home or here, and if was gone there would
be nobody to lock after Maggie and the chill
dren.' | told him to shut up, laughed at him,
scolded him, and tried to make him feel better,
and believe | did.
Says I, Ill tell you, comrade, Pve not got
so much at home as you think and / don't
save anything here; We are both i'll the same
boat. l stand just as good chance to get
killed as you do; | am not going to resign aud
leave you, Wen fight through the war together
come out as poor as we went in, and go home
to our people together We shook hands and
/ walked on.
Well sir the next day as / fell back, ]
looked down in dead mans face; it was the
soldier promised to go home 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 pictures
Here the generals voice got husky, and he
looked at me out OF eyes little damp. l said
Good by, old soldier; am glad TO have met
you" and walked away, thinking how many
of those meetings promised when the wal
was over" had been destined for shore be
yond The Chiekamauga."