Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-04-17
sATTI,EOF CHlCKAnAUGA.
Ehe Crash Of war 40 Severe That
NOu Could Hear the EsOnes
crash.
Indlanapolis Pap.r.

Indianapolis Paper,
met Gen. Horton 0. Hunter IL
Indianapolis the other day, and after
talking over political campaigns. re-
marked:
General, you have forgotten the
war, | SUPPOSED"
'Ohs. no, no. No sir, neveIl Think
of 1t often, in tact, every dag, and
some days 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 that it was
the greatest crash that ever came on
any government, and none but ours
could standit"
General, in your experience was
there any battle that for hard fighting
aud dead men beat all the restp"
"ChickRmauga, Marshal Lannes said
at Marengo that at some volleys
be could hear tue bones crash in
the division. My 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 the roar that seemed
like Judgment day had come.
An aid came TO me from General
Thomas. He wanted to know how
long We would stay there. told him
| thought awhile longer, it we could
get cartridges. The staff officer was
killed. My men took the ammunition
from their dead comrades and by some
luck chance were brought a fresh
supply soon after, SO We held the place
till ordered to retire. But | lost 10 a
few minutes III men and had to leave
them there. My Adjutant 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 handful were left to fall
back, the rest we're down, dead, dying
and wounded. 1t was terrible. l
don't think Gettysburg, Antoitam or
Franklin can show half hour redder
to both blue and gray. By the way,
there was one thing happened there
that struck me hard at the time. The
day before the fight / was walking
round in the woods and saw soldier
sitting on log all alone, and he was
crying.
He went down in his pocket and
brought out one Of those old fashioned
gems; picture poor enough, taken in
some country town, a woman and five
children. He says: That's my fam
lily, my wife and children" well"
says l, that's a pretty good looking
group, boy; don't see anything to cry
over there. I've got exactly the same
group at home, and | wish | had their
pictures here now, I'm sure it wouldn't
make me feel BIT bad"
Yes, but General, you're an officer
and you are getting a heavy pay; you
have property at home; you could
resign if you wanted to; and if you got.
killed there would be something left
for your wife and children; | have
nothing at home or here, and if were
gone there would be nobody to lsok
alter Maggie and the children" /
told him to shut up, laughed at him,
seolded him and tried to make him
feel better, and | believe l did.
Says |, 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. stand
just as good a chance to get killed as
you do; am not going to resign and
leave you; we'll fight through this
war together, come out as poor as We
went in, and go home to our people
together. We shook hands and /
walked on.
We'll, sir, the next day, as we fell
back, | looked down in a dead man 5
face; it was the soldier l 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 picture"
Here the Generals voice got husky,
and he looked at me out of eyes a little
damp. | said: Good by, old SOL
der; | am glad to have met you"
and walked away, thinking how many
Of these meetings promised, when
the war was over" had been des-
tined for shore beyond 1.-THE Chicka>
manga"