Daily globe., 1883-10-31
"JAKEY" AND " ROSY"
Gruff General Nelson's Way--.Rose-
Grams Along the Outposts.
Row Nelson's Troops Forded Duck
River---EEow "Old &esy" Pad
died q Private With ais
Sword.
IChicarn Inter Ocean.1

the war that our polished and kind-hearted
gentlemen did not always make good COM
mandeIs, and that the grulf, vigorous-bodled.
and imperious men often did The young
Americans idea of soldier was that he must
be courtly, dic ifed and calm when all others
were excited; careful Of his person and care
ful Of his men. How they were shocked
when they found such man as Gen. Will
lam Nelson at their head. This stern, gruf
old fellow meant war, and knew 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 'Old 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 careless and unsoldierly
way. The next morning there came fierce
rider down the line, riding along where men
slept, shouting, cursing, siapping officers
tents, punching at sleeping men-thls was
Gen Nelson carrying out his order. How
the officers and men scrambled!
How re boys enjoyed the coloncl's sudden
jump a.. the adjutant's handspring tumble!
The men Uivouacking without the tents knew
that the general would ride over them if they
did not get up, and they got up without cere-
mc.ly. That morning cold Jakey" had his
division in line in few minutes 1t was the
commencement of a new 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, sir!" ''Fut
on your hat, sir!1 "Buckle that strap, sir!"
'fFStri@hten up, men-strGighten Up, damn
it," Every morning the rough old horse and
rough old man stor:ned along that line, and
the result was that Nelson's division was al
ways prompt in movement, was never sur
prised, and generally led in a:tac!;. The
remedy was an original one and srs ere, 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
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 men should take Off their car
fridge boxes and fix them on their bayonets.
that they should take eff their stockings and
pantaloons and wade the river in their draw
ers, carrying their clothes in a bundle on their
fixed bayonets and holding their guns at a
right shoulder shift, and so on, with great
care as TO details. How the boys swofe and
laughel in turn at that order. They waded
the river minus the drawers, amid the great
est uproar Of good cheer shat ever character
lied the fording Of a stream.
They were disposed to be deliberate about
dressing, but there was the irTepres5ible cold
Jakey" storming and raging, and rushing
hot
front. The shivering boys saw the good
sense of this immediate quick march, Sue
ceediGg tie cold bath in the river, and later,
when q messenger from Shiloh met Gen.
Nelson, moving without orders to Pittsburg
Landing, they began TO understand thai lie
was more of a soldier than they were. They
realized more than this when they saw him
force them across the Tennessee that even
ing, TO give strength to an almost defeated
army. They heard with strange shiver bis
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 cowar,lsn This story las often
been told of how the first brigade of Union
troops went into Nashville. They vrcTe Of
Nelson's division. Much has been said of
the Tennessee at Shiloh and went at once
into action. 1t was Nelson's division. Gen.
Grant himself has spoken of how perfectly
the long lines moved forward in the next
mornings early light, and how firm they
stood all the day. These were Nelson's men.
These were the men who waded Duck river
in their shirts They were proud of cold
Jakey," and understood what all his vigor-
- lin. And hl lyE-os 1f
his old division, although be never ceased to
scold his men, until the day when wounded
ON another field and in command of other
troops, he cried out again and ogaln for his
"old iron-clad" boys.
Yol cannot say ''Here comes Old Jakey"
to one Of the old Fourth division early in the
morning now without having him spring
bolt upright in bed and put on q wide-awake
look He has other memories perhaps of
Gen. Rosecrans.
'Old Rosy always did best when he could
see his men. To The pTivates OF his army he
was a great strengtb-givor To him the
sight of his men was better than the advice
of all his generals. He had the fine dramatic
instinct. lie knew when to draw his sword
and have bloody and exhausted men follow
him to new work. He knew where to place
j pleasant word, how To give an encouraging
smile. At Stone river the people saw his
stubbCrnness and his science. The prvates
of his army, blinded by the fierce fight. saw
nothing but "Od Rosy" AS the long lines
were beaten back in unheard-o of coils and
tangles, and rs the commanding general him.
self arranged the new line, they believed him
when be said, ''We've got 'em Just where we
want 'cm" The boys will laugh over the
words now, but they found comfort in them
then.
After Chickamauga the people lost faith,
but the army did not. The men saw too
much of RosecTans One night squad was
out cutting the trees in front of one Of the
newly built forts. All work was done at
night to escape the fire and observation Of the
enemy perched on Mission ridge The men
were gathering 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. )"
rang out clear and sharp. as the sentinel
SQUAD with the choppers cooked their guns
The answer came in quick, decided tones:
sTbe commanding general" And then as
moment after Gen. RoSecraDS strobe into the
circle, there was unusual stiffness, the boys
with the axes being little in doubt as 70 the
proprietieS of the occasion.
swell, boys, how goes it, Not like chopping
out in the wood lots on Sunshiny DAYS a5