The National tribune., 1885-09-24
CHICKAMAUGA.
The Bugler Of the ea III. Light Artillery Has
His Say.

His Say.
To THE EDIToR The article on the battle Of
Chickamauga in q, recent issue Of The Ma
TIoNAL TRIBUNE, by Gen. II. V. ,Boynton, has
so stirred memories of that bloody engagement
that cannot refrain from asking some ques-
tions in regard to the part took, and giving
some of my experiences just before and during
those two days of fearful slaughter, which car
ried mourning into)thousands of families North
and South. Being in the Reserve Corps, under
Gordon Granger, knew nothing of the strategy
connected with the advance of our army and
evacuation of Chattanooga. Belonging to Dan
McCook S Brigade, as we always called il, with
which our battery Il, I'd Ill., had long been bri-
gaded, we were the last troops to arrive before
the battle. The long, dusty roads, the dreamy,
hazy September days all will remember. To
me there seemed some sad, gloomy spirit per-
| yading the atmosphere; some impending hOr-
ror which weighed down and made me feel that
something terrible was going to happen, not to
myself, but the whole country. Again l can
hear in memory's camp the amateur tifer prac-
ticing his lesson for the day the calls of the
| bugle again sound the reveille, the sick call,
drill-cal taps. But then they all seemed filled
with sadness and melancholy.
The General speaks of the army feeding upon
, the country. So we did. / can yet, seemingly,
| taste those splendid meal cakes we made from
the new corn. First the fOragers gathered the
new, ripe ears, and from the same fields took
fine variety of sweet pumpkins; then the ears
were put into one camp-kettle and the pump
kins, pared and sliced, were put into another
| When cooked soft the ears were rubbed on an
| amateur crater, made of an old pan punched
| full Of holes until all of the corn was rasped
| from the cob; then the stewed pumpkin, with
its delicious juice, was mixed with the meal,
| seasoned to taste, poured into the Old-tashloned
baking skillet, and baked to beautiful brown.
| Served warm with the sauce of a soldiers cam
| paign appetite, it is feast for the gods. The
| 18th of September our brigade campcd little
north of the gap in Missionary Ridge, at Ross
vile, place consisting of one house ana a
| spring coming out of the side of the mountain.
| About o'clock in the afternoon we were Or
| dered to go towards Ringgold on reconnalS-
sance. Moved through the gap and maybe
three miles south, OH Layfayette road; then
| turned to the left down narrow lane, from
open fields into woods until we passed rocky
| knoll TO low ground, when word was whispered
back to prepare the battery for action, as we had
struck the enemy. The head of our column had
crossed a stream, struck rebel line of march
at right angles, and captured band of mu-
sicians and an ambulance, besides few prls-
oners. There being no further demonstration
we fell back to the rocky hill and took position
and staid over night. In the morning the men
who went for water found rebels going to the
| same spring, DclleNe, ptSScu lne tiihc VI
| day with them-irst, banteringly, afterwards
through the agency of mimic bullets About
Z o'clock, the 10Th, things began to get little
| warm. Our neighbors across the way began to
feel for u.s. to see how big we were and how
much strength we possessed. Col. McCook, not
knowing positively how much we had on hand,
| and completing his instructions to only recon-
noiter, ordered retreat back the same road
we came, the rebels following us with shell
and skirmishers till we were again in the mar
row lane. AS we reached the Lafayette road,
| General and his staff rode up and inquired
what was going on down in the woods. 1 can
see him yet A tall, well-proportioned man,
| with firm, pleasant features, slouch felt-hat,
| long surtout coat sitting squarely IN the
saddle, with a composure that did much
to assure my somewhat troubled spirit that
while that General was; present everything
would go well. Col. McCook reported, and
asked if he should go back and meet the on
coming force, but the General told him he was
fully prepared to attend to them, and the Colo
mel should report to his own command. After
leaving the General, Capt Barnett inquired of
the Colonel who he was, and was informed that
he was Gen. Thomas. That was my first sight
of the great man, but saw him many times
after. As we passed back towards the gap, we
saw battery move into position in a cornfeld
aud begin to she'll the woods out OF which we
| had just come.
Now, where were we? We're we at the
mouth of that lane on the battlefield Of Chicka-
manga? Did Col. Dan McCook's Brigade open
the battle early in the morning of the 18th
On what bridge did the head of our column
cross the creek, and what rebel troops did we
strike?
The next day (thc 20th) our brigade was
posted with the corps, at the south side of the
gap at Rossville, till about 1 o'clock, when we
moved toward the battlefield on the south side
Of the ridge. AS we neared the battlefield the
ground showed evidence OF being fought over.
Abandoned caissons bullet-scarred trees, KNAPP
sacks, guns-all represented that masses of men
had surged to and fro in deadly conflict. To
me it seems that we struck the Lafayette road
about 40 rods north of the narrow lane, but
under the confusion and excitement of march
ing up into the most fearful roar of battle
ever listened to, could not tell. We crossed
rivulet with new board house to our right,
up gentle rise of ground with a few pine
trees and brush beside the road; then dozen
or more shell greeted our arrival in the battle
| of Chickamauga We moved across an open
field covered with coarse grass by the right
| flank, and took position behind sharp rise of
ground facing east Here we engaged in a Sc
we're artillery duel with IL guns of the enemy,
a little to our right, for over an hour, when all
of sudden there burst through the rebel
battery hundred or more blue coats, who ran
north and finally turned up into our battery.
Among them was General, who was SO COM
| pletely out Of breath when he reached us that
some of our men were obliged to hold him up
| till he recovered. ] was told it was Gen. Tur-
chin. Had this number known that friends
were so near, they might have brought away
those guns in our front; but their only idea was
toget away from the circle of enemy now nearly
around them. Noble men they were, for as
soon as they had a chance to get breath they
turned and moved straight back behind our
lines, full of pluck ever; except one poor fell
low of the 36th Ohio, who lost both legs in our
battery. As he lay there dying his friends
gathered round him to help, but he ordered
them away to the front to save the day and his
country, of which he thought more than the
few minutes he had to live.
About half hour before sundown Gen. Gran
gerca riding into our battery, and dismount-
ing, fired one of our guns several times. l
noticed one side of the rim of his hat was cut
away as smoothly as if cut with shears, and
was told that piece of shell had done the
work. He ordered us to fire as long as we saw
anything to fire at, and then give them a shell
every 10 minutes for luck, which instructions
we followed till after dark, when we were
ordered to get ready to move out very quietly.
| Somewhere about nine or 10 o'clock we left the
field with the rebel campfres in view on our
right. Shortly after getting onto the Lafayette
road we met Gen. Sheridan and staff waiting to
see the last troops off the field. When our artil-
lery duel was the hottest a little incident Oc-
| hot woo fha cuhiact nf manv a hoo W