The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1884-07-17

the teeth Of a huge comb Here W,
had drill, good health, good foot
and good times. Here the Divis
ion was reviewed by Gen. PIeason
ton of the Missouri State troops
After standing at attention ant
shoulder arms for four mortal hour!
momentar'ly expecting. he prob
ably did not think that, that long
line of rusty blouses as strai:h
and firm and silent as wall look et
as well as the Home Guards in theil
new uniforms. l was the maddes,
man in Missouri for l had on a pair
of tight boots. The purpose of ou1
occupation of Missouri having been
accomplished, Division returned tc
st Genevieve recruited IN heath
and spirits, and started again fol
Southern swamps and sow-beily.
Our next camp was Camp Steele
IN cotton wood break opposite
Helena, Ark. It is difficult for a
person who had never seen a cotton
wood brake, to imagine how close
those little cottonwood trees grow
Saplings from two to four inches in
diameter grew almost like grass
from twelve to eighteen feet high,
forming an impenetrable barrier
through which the pioneers had to
carvea road. Beyond this wall
stretched an unbroken wilderness
l do not know how far. I do not
remember that we ever met a sign
of human being outside of our
own regiment, in all that region.
Here we had easy times, the boys
shot coons on picket at night and
hunted squirrels by day.
At this time the army was pre-
pairing for the attack on Vicks
burg and absent men were ordered
to the regiments, and We also receiv-
ed some recruits This was, at
least to US, the great struggle of
the war; for upon the fate of Vicks
burg depended the fate of the South
ern Confederacy perhaps more
than that of any other place with
the possible exception of Richmond.
1t was no child's play that We ex-
pected, and it was therefore with
mingled and conflicting emotions
that the troops embarked for the
There was satisfaction
that at last the event was to be
tried; eagernes. begotten of ambi-
of ambition and love for the glor-
ious excitement of battle, and ap-
prehension fer the result, for we all
knew the mighty difficulties, not un
mixed with gloomy forebodings as to
their own fates, which is human
and honorable, when it is not das-
tardly, and many brave eye grew
linn and moist as the soldiers
thought of the dear ones at home.
Boats. coats, coats filled and
orimming over with .soldiers cover
ID the river, cloud of smoke rest
ID on the air like pail, and when
you wanted a drink you had to
knock scum off of the water as
.ich but not as nice as cream The
thinking water we had there just be-
ore the fleet started was a sort of
Stomach Bitters and al
most as fragrant as the waters of
ome medical srpings. But finally
We started and the long line of
,lack smoke stretched like a back
eyebrow over the horizon.
We belonged to the First Brig
de of the First Division under
1en. Steele, Crank Blair CON-
our brigade. } and were con-
in the advance. In a
bend of the river,
,road and quiet as a lake. where
7ou could ha'e dipped out river
,alf dozen times as large as the
docking without disturbing a mus
e! shell, there was a review of the
lee' of transports; at least, that is
What supposed it was. For some
eason the boats, about ore hun
'red in number. "a comrade says
me hundred and five,) stopped in
he bend aAd foated in a graceful
urve nearly ten miles long every
,art of which was IN view. A
lense and tall cotton wood brake
hat extended all along the convex
ide Of the bend formed e tim
background
The setting sun had drorped be-
Ieath the horizon and the air was
ull of a soft violet light deepen
ng in the darker shades TO indigo
which aided by the distance ob'it
rated the distinction between the
1r and water; and the boa's rest
ng so gently on the etherialized
ood, were like clouds float ng amid
he gi0ries ola summer sunset. All!
hev we're clouds each filed with
hideus tempest. 1t was one Of the
lost beautiful sights l ever saw;
, lovely, go soothing, so dream
ke.- it was an appropriate pa
cant for the close of the day that
the birth of the [
Iessed Prince of Peace. But the '