Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1885-10-09
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Grand Army Ga1stt I
7 enlisted in the year 1852, ID .
small western town, under the lamented
Gilbert Hathaway, who later ID the
war, while We served ID the famous
Provisional Brigade, 4 sealed his de-
votion to the Union and the old flag
with his LIES blood. While the subse-
quent years brought US new and merii-
torious commanders, and the years
themselves were 50 pregnant with
events, with battles lost and won,
with capture and prison Life upon Belle
Isle, his memory was ever held sacred
by the men, who served under him, for
they knew and loved him as q brave
Christian soldier. .s So
asIt was in the yard surrounding the
county court house, where the muster
ing officer had his quarters, and where
men were eagerly enlisting to serve
their country. Crowds Of people were
thronging that day to listen to the
speaking from the steps Of the build
ing. f .+ss +. + -, ..
l had concluded the oath my ad-
vanced years entitled me to take, and
as | stepped back my place was filled
by slight, boyish form with smooth
face that did not seem nearly SO good
passport to the oath without ques-
ton. was struck by the clear-cut
features, and the honest, vigorous ex-
preston of the boy's eyes; eyes that
were of q calm, determined blue, He
was expostulated with by the officers,
and told that he was too young, to
stand back, &c. The boy insisted that
notwithstanding his youth there was
no one to dispute his right to serve his
country in her hour OF need. q
After some questioning and ascer-
tanning that the boy was an orphan,
with no one to interpose objections,
he was duly sworn in as "Richard
Moss" and assigned to Co. oh"
walked beside him to the rendez-
vous, and laying my hand upon his
shoulder said to him, Orchard, we are
destined to be comrades-in arms, and
I trust you fully understand the step
you have taken" He expressed graf
itude that we were to be comrades,
said he only understood that his coun-
try needed his services, and that he
was willing to accord them, and that
there never could be a moments re-
gret for the course he had taken.
Although the disparity in our ages
would imply that we were illy-mated,
we thus became mess mates, and an
affection sprang up between us that
only ended with the going out of that
young, devoted life upon the field of
carnage.
We were ordered 'front.'" and in the
Buel-Bragg campaign we were duly ini-
tiated into the details of a soldiers
life, and into the terrible sequence of
an internecine war.
Around the blvouac, and upon lone
iy watches / LEARNED the history OF my
boys early life, He was born in Ten
nessee, and at IL years old his parents
had died and were buried near Nash
vile, leaving only himself and an old
er brother, who still lived, at the be-
ginning of the war IN east Tennessee
At the death of his parents he had
been confided to the care of a maiden
aunt who lived in New Hampshire, and
with her he had lived and been educa-
teda5fp to her death, which occurred
simultaneously with the breaking out
OF the war. ~
Our campaign lay in the once beauti-
full Tennessee Valley, 80 familiar with
his early life, before the devastating
hand of war, that subsequently, laid
waste this fair land, before the dread
ful civil strife with it's hot breath
swept over It like the blisshtins SIMEON,
leaving this beautiful valley a dreary
wilderness with great blackened CHM
neys standing out here and there
against the war bronzed sky, like grim
senine|s guarding the ashes OF once
happy homes.
The army had camped for the night,
and as we stood in the fast receding
sunlight, and looked out over the val
ley, athwart which the shadows were
deepening, he pointed away to where
two large chimneys were visible against
the twilight sky, and while the shad-
ows that had crept up over the valley
seemed to have entered his soul, he
said, "Ehat was once our: home" and
the look Of unutterable anguish that
came over the sweet, blue eyes, can.
not forget. said, "Come away,
Richard, you see the hour of
regret you onceso confidently thought
should never come, is now here" "No,
no." he said, edo notmean that, you
wrong me, but, oh, it is so desolate, SO
desolate." said no more, but as we
still sat therein the deeper and darker
shadows OF night, / remembered that
"a sorrows crown of sorrow is remem-
bering happier things" and as I
watched the stars, one by one, assume
their sphere allotted them in space, l
found myself questioning the wisdom,
mercy and omnipotence OF the God who
had spoken them into being, and spec
ulating as to whether in caring for all
these worlds he had not forgotten ours,
and I found it in my heart, too, to
curse thepassion and prejudices of bad
and ambitious men, who through.
sectional hate and damnable heresies
had bEought about the disintegration
OF our happy country, and sorrow and
desolation to thousands Of happy
homes. : Il. R8 #a.s @* -
The campaign, after some months of
weary marching and some fighting, cul-
minated at last in the battle Of "Stone
River, y or Murfreesb oro, a battle both
lost and won upon that memorable
last day of the year, a bait tie that left
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