The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-07-24
POOR NIKE M4HONE.
The Story Of all Unknewn and UETe-
warded Hero.
FW4tlen for The National Tribune
BY NAPOLEON B. WASHINGTON, NJ. c.


the Confsderates under Gen. Price at Iuka,
Miss. and fought them hard. he had the two
divisions of Hamilton and stanley-10000 men;
Gen. Price had $4,000. lit had been arranged
by and between Gems. RosecTans and Grant,
that the former should move upon the Confed-
crate position from .acinto and the south,
while Gen. Grant and Gen. Ord, with an army
OF $4,000, should come from Corinrh and the
west and north and between The two jaws OF
q trap the Confederates were to be crushed.
But only the Rosecrans jaw worked; the Grant
and Ord jaw hung by a hinge.
Itwa not believed that Rosecrans would do
much fighting; the weight OF the conflict, it
was planned, was 70 fall on Grant and Ord.
But soon as Rosecrans came up and began
skirmishing, the Coniederates fell upon him
and iogcci him 10 fight fast and hard from
O'Clock In the afternoon till at night, to
save being overwhelmed and driven from the
field. The contest was stubborn, fierce and
considering the numbers engaged very bloody.
Grant ana Ord lay at huntsville. seven miles
TO the west, but never moved up, as agreed.
Ii was declared that neither of them heard the
pounding OF the cannon and the roaring OF tie
musl1etTy, owing 10 the contrary direction of
the wind" But Rosecrans held his OWN. the
Couiederatcs rctreated during the night, and
the next morning Grant and Ord came up.
Tins much Is written history. Now Tor the
unwritten part, aud touch, incidentally, upon
the unknown and nnrewarded heroes and
her0ines OF the old war days.
Dave Barclay and myself were comrades in
tins iuka fieht-b0th OF us private soldiers IN
a Missouri regiment, which was in reserve
Immediately IA the rear OF the 10th Ohio bat
terry, which was captured and recaptured four
times and around which. after the fight was
over The dead OF both armies was fairly piled.
Our regiment lay along slope, just nnder the
crest OF Il hill. where the battery stood and the
fercest fighting was. We were in an old field,
gravelly and brambly.
Hot as Tophet il was there! We caught
nearly all the balls and shells that the rebels
sent at the battery and its immediate defend
ers, but could not strike back because of a thin
line OF our OWL men intervening. All soldiers
know how trying such q situation is.
At last an internal machine, called bomb
shell exploded fairly IL the ranks of my COM
pany, tore three mems legs of, and wounded
eight others volunteers TO carry of the
wounded, only two TO the man! The Captain
looked obviously at Dave and me as he said,
Can you boys carry Of Dean there and come
bach ?"
We caught Dean up in blanket The was
mere boy and we were mere boys and carried
him away, our muskets slung on our backs.
We were glad Of any excuse to get out of
that beli-hele,P SIS Dave called it.
We carried poor Dean 10 the field hospital,
the whiEe bones ia his legs sticking through
the bloody MASSES Of laangied flesh and cloth
ing full in niy sight could not keep nay
eyes IRON them-znd MS voice murmuring of
bis mother, and growing fainter all the while.
The surgeon looked at him and turned away,
and then came the priest-the same who had
administered the sacrament to Gen. R0secrans
an hogr Beforehand shriEsa him, and then
the spirit of the dear, handsome little fellow
passed above the battle-clouds to where ali is
peace evermore.
We composed the poor boys limbs, and then
walked Oh, the tears washing our faces and our
hearts beating violently. The lions of the bat
tie were still roaring and tearing.
y hen we came IL view Of that heil-boie /"
both Of ms instincrvely faliered and stopped.
] pretended 10 fix my shoe. Dave caught at
the idea 1.nG pretended to fix has shoe. ! rose
mp and sighed, and then looked at the field.
Then /
-sighed ena Looked. sighed and looked.
AE-d sighcc again
Dave did the same Then VIC gazed into
each others paliid faces moment, and Dave
said:
e don't think the regiment is now where
we leff lido youy
] said On, ao; ] have no idea il is. II
oouidn't stand IL there this long"
Dave said: - Aes the General mas had some
mercy ahoni him, and has sent another rcgi-
nDent 10 Lake the place Of ours. Where do yon
think ours i n0w;" be added.
] replied very promptly, answering the cue
he gave me-lOr both Of US were PLAYING a
farce Wei, ] think most likely il is over
there in that thick TIMBER" and ! pointed
IN direction directly away from the locality
where we had left the Tegiment-sn mile
distant
Said Dave. readily: Yes, of course; and,
Ike as not, il has gone over there TO flank
them"
Come on, tben,D said determinedly, "Iet
Us JOIN il al once. 1t is our duty TO stand by
CUR comrades at all hazards and under an
Ficissitudes," and j ducked my head TO avoid
O stray humming mimic.
Dave looked queerly at me and replied
That's 10 SLOUGH Of speech for yoa 10 gel of,
even on an occasion like this. The sentiment
does you credit, reallylv
There was 50 much Of sarcasm and irony in
his remarks that il was impossible to charac-
tcrIze them properly.
We were trotting along toward cover when
] again spoke:
I'm rot afraid; are ycu, Davef"
Oh, no. OF course lot. Amt / on nv
way 70 join my comrades in the thickest Of the
fray Afraid The ideal"
" arr glad Of IL" returned. =" j am glad
Amt AFRAID, either. But if some persons should
See Us, they might rnisconstrne our motives. you
kDow-might think We were trying 10 keer
from going back into that internal place again
But, thank heaven, we are both too strong
stopped short, and 50 did Dave for there
scross our path. was a well-mOunted Union
csvalryman, sitting his horse finely he had
large Dragon revolver IN bis hand, and be
called out as he brsndished it:
"Arrah. RON. al fHhere are yer goin'gD
Dave stopped 10 fix his shoe again. and
answered: " Just rightoyer there waving nv
hand in the direction Of the good thick timber
% near and 50 dear Just then
Vel, 5ist right over there with such 4
whitening sneer. begorrah, git back agin. an
90 jist right over there!D And he pointed int
that horrible Old field
Eut we want ~ get 10 our regiment-thc
tn Missouri, Dave demonstrated
Well, the - ia Mizzoorie Is there an Ia,
been there. an I'm here 10 sind back 10 II All
Of IL min that's tIgin 70 run 90 20 an now
20 an-Ro an-gct out o this" and be dis.
played hls revolver and urged his horse upon
Ne AZ every command he gave.
] said 70 Dave, harTiedly: He seems 10 be
az ll-bred person and, ike many Of his conn,
tTymcD, addicted 70 drnk-probabiy intoxi
Gated BOW; We can have 10 controversy will
him, Let Us 20 nanG we were going before
had finished!
Zach kept his thoughts 70 himself ms we
Ieifealea IN the direction OF our command
hAsa we reached the company the fight wal
a. MOI ahG The bullets as thick Is ever. The
SsI'iilh greeted us admiringly. saying we wer.
brave boys 10 return 50 soon and under sfcl
cifec INSTANCES he didn't know ALI the cir
cunstanecs however, "The others have NO.
come back yet" be added; full grown men
Zoo - @~f'ta -'NA'