Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1884-09-25
Eyes SIR

wind and q mean drizzle TO represent
the field Of glory. MY first glance fell
/ upon the blue-coats scattered among the
telled trees and stumps. The march of
our troops up the hill had been some
what In the form Of broom. Until near
the top they had been In columns, a long
narrow line ike handle, and as they
rushed at the bEeastWOrk they had
spread out like the broom. This ground
was drearily dotted with the dead.
was astonished to find how many were
streWn upon this narrow strip. Here was
one close to me, six feet away another,
and a little further on two had fallen
side by side. In a little triangle of twenty
yards on a side 1 counted eighteen dead
bodies, and many, I knew, had been
carried away during the night. The at
titudes were peaceful. The arms were
all but one case thrown naturally over
the breast, as if asleep, and no face gave
any indication Of painful death.
1 passed on and entered the breast
work. It was about the height of man.
On top was a large log, and between the
log and the earthWork a narrow slip.
Through this they fired on u.s. The log
had hidden their heads so that while we
were in plain view they were complete
/ " hidden. Just inside were six more
| bodies of the Second Iowa and one dress
ed in butternut. He was the only one of
1 L44C C44CALAg III AAAC E4OuA4As nc ntlQ DEEA
shot through the back Of the head while
running, and his face expressed only
WOnderment and fright.
/ Meanwhile our troops were forming
along the hill to take possession of the
/ fort. All voices declared that the Second
/ Iowa should lead. AS it moved past to
| the head Of the column the other regi-
ments cheered it and the officers I'M
/ covered The handful of heroes seemed
f sc u a nd rrTaavinH fNlrau hoI
/ but a few were left to share it.
1t was a beautiful sight to see regi-
ment after regiment mount the second
! breastWOrk, and watch them successive
| ly halt and cheer and wave their colOrs
as they crossed. I pushed on and
/ scrambled over the second breastWOrk
also, to find myself in the midst of five
hundred prisoners. They were strange,
unCOuth figures, In white blankets or
carpet coats, and sto8d, unintelligent
faces. I stared at them, and they re-
| turned the compliment. They looked
/ crestfallen and confused, but showed lit
\ tie feeling. Many of them claimed to
/ have been for the Union, but were con-
scripted. One of them asked me:
"Will your officers let me write to my
/ folks that I'm alive?"
| ''TO be sure they will"
"And viii we be furnished with fOOd"
| Yes; the same as our own soldiers"
'IOst of our men expected that if we
surrendered Internationally you would
! kill US"
There don't seem to be much sign of
! that does there?"
''No I guess some of our folks have
! been lying to u.s."
A few sentinels were placed around
regiment of prisoners, and, as far as APP
! pearance went, half Of them might have
/ walked of. But the country around the
| fort was full of Union troops, and the
| captured rebels saw it would be far
more healthy not to attempt escape.
We were assigned the old quarters Of
| the Fiftieth Tennessee, and 1 got the
house that had been built for the Colonel.
1t was a nice little cottage, built Of oak
blocks, laid up so that the wood and bark
alternated, giving very tesselated ap-
] pearance. They had evidently had many
| comforts never dreamed Of in our camp,
and, while commissioning them about
their hard times, wesuddenly found that
they had been living in comfort, we had
! been rOughing it.
/ Tennessee and some Of his officers to
spend the night with US They behaved
with dignity, made 40 complaints, and
apparently submitted quietly to the for
tunes of war. They were Tennesseans,
and although they made no professions
in words, they convinced US that they
had been Union men at heart, and wish
ed the Union back again with themselves
in it.
One of US remarked that if those who
had been released heretofore had not
abused their paroles and violated their
pledges and Oaths, the prisoners at Fort
Donelson would probably be released in
the same way.
The Lieutenant Colonel said he wish
ed it could be SO; he was confident none
Of his men would be thus guilty.
'But," said he. 81 cannot blame the
government for sending US North; I
Iacknowledge that I am a rebel taken in
arms, and it is justifable in treating me
accordingly"
This thing of spending the evening
with our late opponents was a novelty
! and a very enjoyable one. We made no
illusions that, could hurt their feelings,
but talked over the events Of the siege
until late hour. They told us the sur
render was a thunder-Clap to most of the
officers and men, very few of whom had
been able to see that they were COM
pletely surrounded and had been made
to believe they were successful. The
evening before they were told this, and
in the morning it was announced that
their Generals had run away and that
they were prisoners Of war.
why 6alu a uJGl6 06Org la6 stan Lieu
tenant, with his nose turned up In scorn,
"I'm blamed if the very first one Of our
Generals to desert wasn't in front of his
tent half drunk last night telling his
niger that if there was no cold roast
Yankee for lunch to-day he would make
cannon Wads out of him."
So, boys, putting this and that together,
I've kind Of come to the conclusion that
there were other people quite as badly
scared as I was at the assault on Fort
DonelsOn.
A Careless Artist.
The Graphic.
[Er--1aA