The Portland daily press., 1888-01-16

MONDAY MORNING, JAN. 1e.
SOME WARTIME MEMO
RIES.
The Story of Two Drummer
Boys.
M. 5. c. IN u. PAM PIoneer.press.l

Ii
rode cut to-day in the gentle Tennessee
winter to the central part of Chickmauga
battlefield, good ten miles from this now
bustling city. The road lay under the brow
of lofty Lookout mountain. and around the
modest spur of Mission Ridge, through Nc
Farland Gap, Rossville hamlet having been
passed, and along the sweeping Southern
road that comes now and then in sight of
Chickamauga creek, known to history and
in the battle reports as Lafayette road.
I.drew rein at medium-sized farm house,
once painted white, about which, and in one
particular room, was to be seen many relics
of the battle, of bullets, shells and their
pieces, broken muskets, soldier buttons, etc.
This was the Kelly house of history, the one
of few habitations in all the region that wit
messed the havoc and desolation of those
dark and bloody two days Of September,
1868. The Chickamauga lies little back of
the house, winding past from the South.
The fields and grounds about the place are
substantially unchanged from what they
were SO many years ago though the then
sparse woods beyond have grown thick Win
underground almost beyond recognitions
The wagon road, proceeding SouthWaan ndf
crosses the Chickamauga a mile and a nan
beyond the Kelly house, and at the little oit
bridge stands Lee a. Gordon's mill as y
stood that day, and from which, stretcne 'i
along the road, now on this sac, noM ai w
that in the changing fortunes OF tne eTniis''
were the Rebel and the Union lines, th9 eei ir,
trail point of struggle near 70 tne he'i9
house. ,.,aro isonothar
road coming in from the right mana or west
that at little less tlan liiiG 5o,nn then rs
fine Dry Valley road, runs along under the
T,oolronf mountain range from Chattanooga
10 Trenton, Ga. Thus the latter ana the La
favette roads diyerged from koSevliie, tneir
Meeting point and il WAS by them, the Con-
federates upon the Lafayette and the Union
forces upon the Dry Valley road, that the
two armies crashed together as the roads
upon the field came near together. Az OF
near the point where the CROSSROADS l nave
described as coming across from the bridge
reaches the Dry Valley road. is the wonder
full issue of water named Crawhsh Springs.
Thus this point was, as The forces coDcen-
trated, corner of or entrance upon the san
culinary field
Last September Monday and Tuesday
were the twenty-fourth anniversary OF the
battle. ON the former day, about midday,
broad-sweeping Southern carriage, ap-
preached from the SOUTH As 1t neared the
springs a colored driver could be seen out
side. and within four people, evidently nus
band and wife, son ana aaug su ras, mno
lively. Some slight luggage told that tne Jour
neV was not far. perhaps from some growing
Young city few miles TO the SOUTHWARK.
Just up from the spring at high point In
the road near little school-churcn tHs car
parent animation, alighted. The children
were such blossoms of personal beauty ana
of sparkling intelligence as only bloom IN
this land Of oursl The mother, evidently
scarcely past thirty years, was the picture
of mature and maternal beauty, and had
such glow of health and yivacity OF manner
as suggested origin in hardy cline: es,
she must be Northern born. But the Iather,
surely glance would prove MN oouVneIn'
Perhaps thirty-six or thirty-elght years 9ia,
he was tall, dark and almost swarthy. his
figure was 1.-THE and active, and his large ana
dark eyes had the soldier-hero look; put an
awful scar on either cheek bespoke person.
al experience like that which SO many an
American endured in those fearful days.
The hearts of husband and VIE seemed
strangely full, as they looked about, and
then advanced TO a ledge of the outcropplng
LINES tone from underneath which the crystal
waters of the spring welled out, Just as they
did on that day twenty-four years ago, 70 De
dyed with blood on their way TO the ohlcka-
manga. -, 49, soor.od
voting veteran. for such he was, taking his
wife's hand, show strangely my heart Is
moved at approach TO the scene ana all IL
brought TO me" ,,;oa
'and all it brought to me-"
He kissed her tenderly, and wife ana nus
band seated themselves, the children nest
ling at their feet, ;, a.. h.o,.od
SoutbeIner began, "our story begins. AT
this spring our dusty and thirsty Southern
battalion rested and refreshed themselves
Papa" interrupted sweet-faced, Maud,
''why were you called Johnny hepf hs
such an awful name"
81 guess it isn't any worse than 1anK,
put in Charlie, looking up earnestly Win ms
big brown eyes.
The fathers eyes glistened as he went on:
"aere by this ledge of rock laid down
NV drum to fill our mems canteens Whlle
they rested. While j was doing so the Dugie
sounded, and when returned up the CHI
the column disappeared ever yonder slope:
/ followed. but could only see their cloud Oh
dust on the road that LEADS 70 our rign'' ,U oa
ought to, up yoDueT hIIic Auleuoi' q" w
Our o. men marched on for an hour, and then
went into line to await the enemys assaull,
which soon enough came. But my Iegiiuene
/ could not find, though / searched all the
nevt dav. going hither and thither in the bat
tie now fiercely raging on all sides: AT night,
If was Saturday, after dark, suddenly in
lonely part of the field, there came a shower
of bullets, and / was stricken, snot through
the face. When was next conscious IL was
day ,r, ,r,
But YOU know the rest. The Union sur
oann was attending me and the Union drum
mer lad my age and size, was az my Slde,
and tall Union soldier, WHO they iOld me
had borne me to the Union hospital IN his
arms" 4;
rambling search for the spot where TINS ones
blood moistened the sacred soil, but MAUI
rally it was a futile search.
"If / am correct" said the father, after
they had gone long distance, we ougnt 10
come ont of these woods at a farmhouse"
They did-the Kelly house-and the scene
of the rebel drummer's thrilling experience
was near it,
On Chickamauga battle night, Saturday,
the last of Thomas's brave corps reached tne
field. coming up from the southwark by the
Drv Valley road. One of the final regiments
Sone from Ohio-arrived at the sprlngmthls
selfsame spring-a little before DARK. 1hese
men. too, slaked their thirst, ana the waters
were as sweet to them as TO the enemy, VINO
had been there so soon before. God knows
no preferences in dispensing his proVldences.
Out of these ranks another drummer BOY,
Union lad. went to fill the mems canteehs,
as the other lad had done, and, 700, az 3e-
fore the bugle called the men on nuuiiSuly
while he was doing so. The lad followed on,
his column of dust, however, turning to tine
left al the cross roads where the other had
turned TO the right On they went, now at
fhe double quick. now carefully pushing
through the thick timber. They passed Gen.
Rosecrans's headquarters at the "WldoW
Glen' house. cheering the battle flag that
hung over the little porch. On through the
woods, and, as the night grew thick, to the
edge OF a partially cleared field, and the line
now displayed in battle form filled gap In
the Union line, close up to the enemy. IL
was ground that had been fought over all
day with changing fortune, attested by the
commingled bodies of Union and Confeder-
ate dead. Out to the front of the line was
pushed the picket skirmish line, the men
creeping forward silently, almost on their
faces, or lodging specter-like from stump 10
stump; and on part of this line was the
company to which the Union drummer lad
belonged, whose captain was the LADS
father, the line in his command. The men
were silent, save as they whispered the
signs they saw or almost felt, when an
enemy would be imagined as ready to spring
M as out of the very ground. oh, night on
he battle field, with its impressive stiffness,
,1nhrOken save by the wall Of suffering or
the erOan Of the dying
me captain moved along his line, or crept
frono man to man, when in the deep night a
tiIioi-et whom he approached whispered in
pm breath, Captain, ! am sure there is
peeP IN INV front, just out there" pointing
man Zee, 81 or so ahead. 81 can make out
zen eli pSI If the butt of log and something
STUMP " - Onna / thouuht haard tho