The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1885-04-02

About March 1, 1863, while the 53rd was
at La Grange, Tennessee, in the middle of
the night the camp was reused by what
seemed to be volley of musketry. The
men sprang to arms when the Quarter
masters tent was discovered in blaze
and its inmates rushing through the
flames. a box of cartridges had in some
way become ignited and blew up. Four
persons were in the tent. Two, Jasper
Gorby and Mix were slightly injured.
Two, Quarter-master Sergeant Milton X.
Bosworth and Commissary Sergeant
Henry Sidel, were fatally burned. Both
were young men of promise and their loss
was severely felt. A recommendation for
the promotion of BoswOrth to Captain
and assistant Quarter-master, a position
for which he had been eminently fitted,
had just been sent forward, signed by all
the principal officers of the division.
No regiment in the Army of the Ten
nessee had better Quarter-master than
E. G. Morrison. He died April 25, 1864 at
Scottboro Alabama. When told that he
had but few hours to live he thanked
the one who told him, gave a few direc-
tions about his affairs left message for
his daughter, asked that he might not "be
buried in that unchristian country" and
then composed himself to die, like one
"who wraps the drapery of his couch
around him, and lies down to pleasant
dreams"
His last request was needed. His body
was sent home and is buried in the soil of
the loyal commonwealth of Ohio
John Davis of company "E." was well
known throughout the Regiment. He
was, what we used to consider in those
days, rather an old man and though good
soldier never quite understood the neces-
sity of all the "pomp and circumstance of
glorious war" While on picket one night
in front of Corinth where the hostile lines
were in close proximity, the officer of the
day, at midnight making the rounds ap-
preached his post "Who comes there"
said Davis. "Grand rounds was the re-
ply. 81 don't know anything about your
Grand rounds" answered Davis, "if you
move will shoot you," and he leveled
his musket. Grand rounds stood still,
until the Sergeant Of the Guard, fortu-
nately close at hand, came up and solved
the difficulty.
Davis had the gift of prophecy. One
day on Black river, Mississippi, in August
1868, he was on detail who were policing
camp. The commander of the Regiment
had just come from division head quar-
ters where he learned that the division
had been ordered to NatcheZ and that the
formal order would be sent down that
evening. Thinking to please Davis, who
was evidently unwell. he relieved him
from duty and said: "Well, Davis, the
division is going to NatcheZ." Davis
looked up and, rubbing his hand over his
forehead in way he had, replied: mo,
the division is not going to NatcheZ."
"When did you take command of the
army?" said the officer. Il don't wish to
be disrespectful" answered Davis, 'but
we are not going to Natchez. can see
the troops marching off the transports at
Memphis and I can't see no further" then
he added, Il will not be there. These
things come to me in dreams and they
always come true" The order to go to
NatcheZ was cOuntermanded. After
Chickamauga the division was ordered to
Chattanooga and early in October the
prophecy was fulfilled by the troops"
marching off the transports at Memphis"
Davis was not there. He died early in
September and was buried, with the
honors Of war, in beautiful spot on the
edge of an open field which sloped away
to Black river.