The National tribune., 1885-01-15
FIGHTING THEM OVER.
What Our Veterans Have to Say About
Their Old Campaigns.
BIG RIVER BRIDGE,
And The Fight Between Co. T., SD H., and JEFF
Thompsou's Men.

~
Elliott yonng Ann Arbor" graduate from
Princeton, and there meeting n like squad
from Knox Co., H., Co l., with 90 men, was
formed. and became a part of the Norma" "
regiment, of which the people OF bloomington
were Justly proud aud fraternally watchfui ;
opening their doors, their purses and their
hearts TO them on every available occasion,
bidding them Godspced as their sons, and kill
ing the fatted cali upon their return. Elliott
was elected our Captain Mr. Stone, OF Coles
burg, First Lieutenant; }. L. Bryant, Second
Lieutenant, and {. L. Hovey. President of the
Normal University. commissioned Colonel of
the regiment At FIST there was much atten-
ton paid TO the kid-glove" manual, but this
soon gave way to matter-ol-fact affairs, and
sgFand lourshes" were soon superseded by
the kind that meant business.
Our company L, of which the writer was
member had but little use for unnecessary dis
play and were from the start mainly intent on
business. Their political ideas were planted
and Hourished, with few exceptions, by the
great anti siavery leader, Owen Lovejoy, who
resided in their County, and whose leadership
haG become national We had volunteered our
lives in de.ense OF tie Union matter Of
duty, and on the 18th of August, after respond
ing 10 the CALI Of the mastering officer, we stood
there ready for business.
The gallant War Governor, Dick Yates, man
whose heart was large the Whole North,
presented the regiment to the Nation, and
charged up
oNE THOUSAND MORE LIVES
on the books of loyalty. No man ever loved Hi
nois more, or governed her SO well, and no man
ever loved himself so little; and lllinois can
Justly place to his memory enduring SHAFT,
for he was one of her grandest soldiers on her
ramparis 1T home and in the hearts OF her SONS
in the field.
We were sent across the river into Missouri
Sept. 10, aud made our frs; campat Pilot Knob
Sept. 20. Here we received our arms old
Austrian muskets that were fed upon ball and
buckShOt and were primed with a little copper
covered stick of percussion with small twisted
wire at the END Of it. in place of gun-cap.
They were daisiesl The most ingenious man
In the world would never have thought of them.
But the Old guns would shoot, provided you
didn't get the wire-end stuck in the prime-hole :;
and they would always let you know when load
went cut. They would kind'r come back like,
as if for another dose. / remember Serg't Pratt
taking d squad of us out one evening to prac-
tice firing, and to set the example he gravely
loaded his piece. and with great dignity and
military precision fred at the target, and i'm
mediately began to wipe great drops OF blood
from his nose and cheek. This was undoubt-
eddy the
FIRST BLOOD OF THE CAMPAIGN.
Pilot Knob was regarded as one of the de-
fenses of st. Louis, and in order TO protect our
communications, important points along the
Iron Mountain Railroad had to be guarded ;
consequently, Co. Z was divided and half of ii,
under Lieut.. Bryant, sent hack to Victoria,
and Capt Elliott, with the other hall, was sent
to guard Big River Bridge about the 22d of
September. This point was about half the d s.
lance back TO ST. Louis, and was an important
bridge over deep and rapid stream. We made
our camp on the top of sharp spur of ran &C
of lofty hills TO the north, looking down upon
and within rifle range Of the bridge. The rail
road cut through the spur at the western
boundary OF our camp, which at that point
was but about 200 feet wide, with the sides of
the spur very steep and difficult of ascent;
while at the eastern boundary, some 500 feet
from the railroad cut. il was a little wider,
with a gradual ascent to the east until at about
l59 yards il was about 80 feet higher than our
camp, greet deaf wider and covered with
dense growth Of cedars
On this little plot of ground we pitched our
tents on the I'D OF September and prepared TO
make ourselves comfortable; isolated, as it
seemed to rs, from the rest of the world with
enemies oil every side, and no one to rely on
but ourselves. Right here wish to record
the fact that Capt. Elliott foresaw the need of
backing up physical courage with anything
properly available. He was not West Pointer
bis knowledge OF the art of war was very linn
tied, yet he knew that tree rock, or a bank
of clay would stop bullet and that men
would escape much of the first dread of battle
If posted behind protection; SO, in few days,
under his wise instruction, we laid the founda-
ton of stone wall across the top of the spur
on the east and west line of our camp.
These two stone walls grew slowly, as the
rock had to be dug from the surface of the
steep incline of the south side and carried up
the rocky path, but the reward was great, for
they undoubtedly
SAVED OUR LIVES.
All of Southern Missouri at this time was
strongly in sympathy with the Confederate
States and, although sparsely settled, little
squads Of men, both old and young, were gath
ering together, preparing to join the first armed
body of Confederates that came within their
reach. OF some of these little bands we re-
ceiyed reports through one source or another,
and one evening dozen of US made night
scout Of seven or eight miles and brought in a
wealthy and influential citizen by the name of
Hickenbothem, who was believed to be the
adviser and head Of the Confederate movement
In that section The gentleman, however, was
soon released by the authorities at Ironton,
and came back swearing vengeance upon US.
Consequently many of us expected trouble,
although it came upon US much sooner than we
thought, and fell with heavy hand.
Our duty was quite heavy, from the fact that
We had to look after the safety of a small bridge
three miles up the read toward Ironton, and
our turn came for guard duty every other
night. The guard at this upper bridge consist
GU Vi a tOIpOTdl ana IOuI men, VINO usually
went up and stayed at the post a week at a
time. There was some quiet work amongst
those posted to get as a member of this
squad, for there some fine apples close at
hand, and a couple of pretty girls, who lived
not far away, as the writer well remembers,
whose initials, boy like, probably may yet be
seen chiseled with a jackknife in the stone
sbutments of the bridge.
Along about the 18th of October there came
TO our camp pleasant-appearing young man.
If my memory is not at fault, and who, we
thought afberward. was sent in by the rebel
authorities but as he seemed to be only a cas-
ual visitor little apparent attention was paid
to him. However, vague rGmOrs of armed
forces and prowling bands OF the enemy reach
cd us, and On the 18th of October ali hands
worked diligently on the stone wall, while in
the evening a party of us took scout, and
bringing TO camp, amongst sundry sacks of
vegetables etc, couple of fat young geese that
got In our way, calculating to have some de-
hcious roast goose for our breakfast. But alas
for the chances of war, our savory breakfast
was
EATEN BY UNWELcoME VISITORS,
and we went hungry; for, after an unusually
pleasant evening and good nights rest. and
as the crimson rays of an October morning sun
were Garting up toward the zenith, while the
greater number of US were still dreaming of
the old freside and loved ones at home, Gen.
JEFF Thompson, with about 900 men, knocked
at the gates OF our castle" and demanded adj
mtttance. de not only wanted admission, but
be wanted us; and the energy with which he
snfr l..