Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1886-10-30

going to the polls. Should the companle
refuse to grant the request the men will til
up and take day of. It is said that th'
brass workers will also take day off.
Incidents of Chickamauga.
Sergt. A. Alspaugh OF the Thirty frs
Ohio. writing of the severe fighting OF
the right of Gen. Thomas line after the
enemy had broken through the gap left
by Woods withdrawal, Gays: At one
point, in countercharge, we occupied 9
position held few moments before by
the enemy, which brought their skulk.
ers and killed and wounded in the rea,
of or mixed up with our irregular line
Seeing fine looking young soldier
dressed in q neat suit of dark blue, un.
armed and standing behind tree fol
protection, pompous colonel inquired
why he was not firing like the others.
why, I'm color-bearer," said the
soldier, hugging the tree still closer an6
exhibiting his color-belt.
"Well, then, where is your fag?" said
the colonel, who liked to carry point
81 lost it in that close work back
there" said the soldier.
swell, pick up gun and go to work
like the other men," said the officer
thinking he had added one more soldier
to our depleted ranks.
"Why, colonel, eaid the soldier, with
a kind of foolish look getting possession
of his face, 81 b'long on t'other side
And sure enough, it was one of Long.
streets men that the colonel had been
trying to force into our ranks. Just
then was no time to care for struggling
prisoners, and as the enemy occupied the
ground short time after, the young
color bearer probably rejoined his regi-
ment, and may yet live to tell his chill
dren how near he came to bearing arms
on the federal side.
And this contested ground had also
it's pathetic scenes. As we finally fell
back to the summit it became necessary
to abandon many of our killed and
wounded, among them noble looking
young soldier, member of an Illinois
regiment, who, shot through both thighs,
lay helpless. His appealing look as
passed was more than humanity could
resist, and asking him to clasp bis arms
about my neck I gained an erect posi-
ton and attempted to bear him beyond
danger, but in vain, for, as leaned for
ward in bearing my burden, his legs,
which hung limp and ifelsss, became en-
tangled with my own wearied limbs and
I was soon compelled to abandon him
from sheer want of strength. As I sank
down upon the ground he unclasped his
arms and, with look of mingled graft
tude and resignation that will cling to
me through Life, sank back upon the
earth.
Men who were inclined to struggle did
not halt there, and probably the most
prolonged hand to-hand contest of the
war took place that calm Sabbath after
noon for the possession of that portion
of the ridge occupied by the concen-
trated front of Wood, Brannan, Palmer
and Reynolds. A knowledge of militia
~ skill would hardly have taken the
place of pluck upon that occasion and
saved the army from the worst defeat it
it ever met.
Some very unmilitary scenes were wit
messed there; for instance, commits
stoned officer in the rpnks armed with
musket and bayonet, while a private
with ramrod in lieu of sword led that
portion of the line into the fight. Veri-
ly, tactics we're at discount there and
the determination to stay that pervaded
the remnant of Rosecrans' army upon
that ridge was worth more to the coun-
try than all the knowledge distributed
throughout the land in quarter of a
century from its West Point depot.
The possession of the rail piles crown
ing the ridge was more than once de-
cided with empty muskets, and each man
who tarried there and did his whole
duty, felt responsibility resting upon
him that he could not shake off-felt
that while his own immediate front was
firm the army was safe.