The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1885-07-25
GRANTS FIRST BATTLE.

The Hero's Experience at BeImont-Ire
Acknowledges IA Lack of Moral Cour-
age.
''As soon as the enemy saw us
speaking of his first battle in the civil
war; they decamped as fast as their
horses would carry them. kept my
men in the ranks and forbade them en-
tering any of the deserted houses, Or
taking anything from them. We halted
at night on the road, and proceeded the
next morning at an early hour. Harris
had been encamped in creek bottom
for the sake of being near water. The
hills on either side of the creek extend
TO a considerable height, possibly more
than one hundred feet.
LAS we approached the brow of the
hill, from which it was expected we
could see Harris camp and possibly find
his men ready formed to meet us. my
heart kept getting higher and higher,
until it felt to me as though it was in
my throat. l would have given any
thing to have been back in Illinois, but
had not the moral courage to halt and
consider what to do. / kept right on.
When we reached point from which
the valley below was in full view |
halted. The place where Harris had
been encamped few days before was
still there, and the marks of a recent
encampment were plainly visible. but
the troops were gone. My heart re-
sumed its place. 1t occurred to me at
once that Harris had been as much
afraid of me as had been of him. This
was view of the question had never
taken before. but it was one l never
forgot afterward. From that event to
the close of the war lnever experienced
trepidation upon confronting an enemy.
.'At the battle of Belmont, fearing
that the enemy we had seen crossing
the river below might be coming on us
unawares, l rode out in the field to our
front, still entirely alone, to observe
whether the enemy was passing. The
field was grown up with corn so tall and
thick as to cut off the view of even
person on horseback, except directly
along the rows. Even in that direction,
owing to the overhanging blades of corn,
the view was not extensive. had not
gone more than few hundred yards,
when saw body of troops marching
past me. not fifty yards away. looked
at them for a moment, and then turned
my horse toward the river and started
back, first in walk and when thought
myself concealed from the view Of
the enemy, as fast as my horse could
carry me. When at the river bank /
still had to ride few hundred yards to
the point where the nearest transport
Ia N oil in, -
transports terminated at the edge of a
dense forest. Before l got back the
enemy had entered this forest and had
opened brisk fire upon the boats. Our
men. with the exception of details that
had gone to the front after the wounded,
were now either aboard the transports
or very near them. Those who were
not aboard soon got there, and the
boats pushed off. was the only man
of the National army between the rebels
and our transports. The captain of a
boat that had just pushed out but had
not started recognized me, and ordered
the engineer not to start the engine.
He then had plank run out for me.
My horse seemed to take in the situ-
alton. There was po path down the
bank. and every one acquainted with
the Mississippi river knows that its
banks, in q natural state, do not vary
at any great angle from the perpen-
dicular. My horse put HE fore feet over
the bank without hesitation or urging,
and. with his hind feet we'll undcr him,
slid down the bank andstrotted aboard
the boat. twelve or fifteen feet away,
over a single gang-plank. Idisnounted
"A Al Il 4.