News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1883-04-19
BATTLE OF CHICAMAUGA,
AN OFFICERS PROlIISE UNAVOIDABLY
BROKEN,
The Crash Of War So Severe that ON
Could Hear the Bones Crash

met Gen. Morton C. Hunter in ln-
dianapolis the other day, and after talk
ing over political campaigns, remarked
General, you have forgotten the war,
7 suppose?"
ooh, no, no. No. sir neverl I think
of it often, in fact, every day, and some
days every hour. I am too old, and you,
Howard, are not young enough to hope
or fear that we shall look upon its like
again. I tell you it was the greatest
crash that ever came on any government,
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?"
Chicamauga Marshal Lannes said
at MarengO that at some volleys he could
hear the bones crash in the division. NY
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 q roar that seemed like
judgment day had come.
can aid came to me from Gen.
Thomas. He wanted to know how long
we would stay there. l told him 1 thought
while longer, if we could get cartridges.
The staff officer was killed. Ny men
took the ammunition from their dead
comrades, and by some IucIy chance
were brought Il fresh supply soon after,
so we held the place till ordered to re-
tire. But I lost in a few minutes III
men and had to leave them there. My
adjutant in the morning was handsomely
dressed in a new uniform.
''After the battle he was ragged, and
that from lead. My clothes were cut in
eight places. OF the brigade l took
there, only handful were left to fall
back-the rest were down-dead dying
and wounded. 1t 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 thing
happened there that struck me hard at
the time. The day before the fight I was
walking round in the woods and saw
soldier sitting on a log all alone, and he
was crying, I walked over to him and /
says:
Here, what's the matter with you p
He went down in his pocket and brought
,ut one of those old-fashioDed gems;
picture poor enough, taken in some coun-
ny town, woman and five children. He
ays That's my family, my wife and
children We'll, says ], that's pretty
rood looking group, boy; don't see any
hing to cry over there. I've got exactly
he same crowd at home, and 1 wish ]
lad their pictures here now, I'm sure it
wouldn't make me feel a bit bad.
Yes, but general, you're an officer,
nd you are getting a heavy pay; you
ave property at home; you could resign
you wanted to; and if you got killed
here would be something left for your
wife and children; | have nothing ut
Lome OF here, and if 1 was gone there
would be nobody to look after Maggie
nd the children. I told him to shut up,
lughed at him, scolded him and tried to
make feel better, and believe l did.
''SaysI, I'll tell you, comrade, I've not
got so much at home as you think, and
don't save anything here; we are both
IN the same boat. I stand just rs good
a chance to get killed as you do; l am
not going to resign and leave you, Wen
fight through this war together, come
ont as rrqor rs we went in, and go home
to our people togctner. we snuuk
hands and 1 walked on.
''WeII sir, the next day rs we fell
Dack looked down in a dead mans face;
t was the soldier l promised to go home
With when the war was over, and that
le 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
le looked at me out of eyes little damp.
said: "Good-by, old soldier; I am glad
0 have met you," and walked away,
linking how many Of those meetings
promised, ''when the war was over" had
peen destined for shore beyond ''The