Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1884-10-25
Oar Candinate--A Reminlscence Of Gov.
- ernor Bates Life.
sftsE a Mamnhfs I ei0er a.fl

1 f
F Ab6at the time that Judge Reid,
then sergeant doing possible the
i Dtsl service of his lie, in Norton,
| splendid battery, was offering tt
enlist for 90 years, General Bate
was commanding brigade IN the
battle of Chickanauga. Bates rec
ord for daring aud unselfishness is
almost without parallel. First, he
organized and carried to Virginia
his old regiment, the First Ten
neSsee, and participated in some oi
the first great battles of the war. A
little later he WAS found in the
thiekest OF the fight at the battle of
Shiloh, where he was desperately
wounded. From this cause he has
carried cane and had a limp to
the present day. For long time
he was confined to his bed and
m-~h longer walked with crutches.
When he got back TO the front, near
Wartraee, he was Immediately
given brigade, which was soon
engaged in sharp fighting at Hoo
ver's Gap. When the battle of
Chickamauga came on he still had
10 use crutch and cane, and could
not mount horse without assist
ance. He had surgeons certificate
of disability in his pocket, but pre-
ferred to be with his men and the
friends that he loved to any place
in the rear. On that memorable
day he had three horses shot under
him. after being helped on each one
by Major George Winchester, of his
staff, who has since died in this city.
After the order of battle was issued,
the Surgeon, DIR. Joel @. Hall, now
citizen of Rolling Fork, Sharkey
county, Mississippi, advised him TO
go to the rear. The advice was dis
regarded. The General, cripple as
he was, would not desert his friends
then and has never done so since.
The pale, thin, emaciated man
from the hospital remained TO par
ticlpate in one OF the most stubborn
and bloody battles that ever LETT its
red spot upon the map of the eonti-
nent. In the morning, or rather
in the night, he was assisted by
Major Winchester and "Jim," the
Generals faithful boy and body ser
want, to mount that old bald face
horse, so. familiar to the sight OF
every soldier in the brigade. The
horse fell early in the action. Then |
Tom Blanchard, OF Col
umbus, Ga, offered him hls beauti- |
full black mare which was at once |
and the command moved |
on under a terrible fire from the
trout and f1anks. In this hail of
death the second noble animal fell.
AT this critical moment Lieutenant |
Woods, now of New York, or some |
officer of the Eufaula Light Artil-
Iery, near the splendid old brigade,
cut loose from a c,tiSson Ii little |
coiored, bob tailed horse, on |
which the pale man with the crutch
and stick was placed to lead his |
on to victory. The men
would have followed such leader
into the jaws OF death. Near the |
Kelly House, aud near the spot |
where Loomis' brigade was being |
this horse was shot, but
the battle was won for the day,
y, 1868. And as the |
sun went down the pale crippled |
man rode on still another horse in !
front of his shattered brigade which |
had lost 81 per cent. of its numbers,
and was wildly cheered by the ex-
and half fainting survivors.
This Is an incident Of the war |
that has never before been more |
than merely mentioned in print.
There Is but few left who remember
It. Deeds of valor are expected of
the American SOldierV. and more |
have been performed than can ever
be recorded. 1t may be said that
the war is over and that it should
be forgotten. This is only halftrue.
It is over, but the real heroes, |
whether living or dead, should not
be forgotten nor their great acts be
permitted to perish from the MEM
Dry of men. 1t does not follow that
, soldier is always a great man in
civil life, but in this instance the
nero has overcome misfortune and /
greater victories in peace than in war
hat we must conclude he was
ordained and set apart to
meet and fulfill the highest require
nents that can be made of any
nan, in peace or war, public or
private stations. Unchanging fidel-
ty to friends and TO every duty !
md trust has marked and distin-
pushed the whole course of VIM.
B. Bates life. He can be trusted
till, and will be, with renewed as
urances of public respect and affec-
ion.