The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1889-03-28
WAR SKETCHES
ny An Army Surgeon,
NO. w.

| UP MY lpHlHpNl NAh lplb Nv WV WY
as q Provost Guard, aud WAS made
Post Surgeon, The duties Of The Pro-
yO6t Quad gave us an interesting ex'
perienee, Many Of the mostpTomlnent
and wealthy citizens who gave aid and
comfort 10 theenemy upon refusing to
take the oath Of allegiance 10 the Gov
eTnment, WeT6 arrested aud either sent
| North OF confined in the l'enltentlary
There were ministers 0t the gospel,
laWyeTa doctors and retired gentlemen
OF leihufe, too old 10 light, yetp0saeaaed
OF the auimuR 10 make mischief, Dur
ing their confinement, ! was frequently
called 10 see them and always enjoyed
their society though sorry 10 hear their
expressions OF determination 10 resist
coercion,
There we're likewise citizens OF the
female persuasion, who were inclined
10 show THAR enmity toward ua and the
Government, sometimes IN very in
aulting manner, Where the National
nag was suspended over the pavement
70 indicate certain military quarters
they would show their contempt for tho
flag by walking Ia the street rather
than under the nag Frequently IN
passing ladies on the street they would
move to tho opposite side OF the pave
ment, or, II compelled to pass near you
with u COntemptuOua Alr, hold their
skirts 10 one side,
The Lieutenant Colonel Of my fegi.
ment was u bachelor anu when Ia full
dreaa uniform felt the dignity ana im'
1 pOTtanCe OF hiB position, one day IN
ihe absence OF tie Colonel, (the Lieu
| teuHnt Colonel being IN cOmmand) he
was passing Il fine residence when hG
heard an unmiglakUbe hiss emanatlng
from behind o pUrlOf window blind,
Satisfied that n was directed at him he
| Immediately on renchlhg htH0Qudr-
teH directed the Adlulaut 10 detail u
/ Sergeant with q guard 10 repair 10 the
| dwelling Of tho lady, with instructions
TO post u soldier NJ each outside door,
! front and rear, aud allow no one 10 pass
In or out untll u proper apology was
made IN writing Tor tho Intended IN,
suit The apology came before bed
| time, Afterwnrd btcNme acquainted
with this same lady, ANA lOuud her to
be- Of Now England birth SHE had
| been q teacher iu the South before the
! war aud married aSOUthCrn gentleman,
! IL was q subject OF frequent rOmgS IN
! The army, that when men or women OF
northern birth Joined the cOnlederacY
they were more bitter and Yindictiye
againat the north than were native
gOuthcrnera, Like Benedict Arnold,
when hG turned traitor and united his
| fortune with England, they considered
10 necessary 20 make Nn extra eXhibl
tIon Of their fealty 10 the south, least
their loyalty be suspected
An order was issued about this time
by the Post Commander requiring every
citizen owning or having IN his poses
sion fire arms Of any description TO dc
liver up the same at the olllce OF the
Provost Marshall upou penalty OF llne
and Imprisonment m case OF n0r'c0m'
plIance, Many valuable iOwllng pieces
lOund their way north under tnis or,
der aud circumstance occurred
Ia connection Herewith which | must
tell A well known citizen Of Nash
Vile, whose hospitality ! had enjoyed
previous 10 and during the war, had be-
Fore the war presented u near relative
with u very fine Damascus twiSt double
barreled i0wling piece, The gentle
man was very anxious that the gun
should be saved 10 his relative, who
wagbut u mere boy, and not NJ oil like
ly TO use IL In any Objectionable way
and In his tribulatlon came to me for
assistance, Satisfied In my own mind
that the retention Of the gun IN the
hands OF the owner would never
work any harm TO our side, | OBJ
tained the consent Of Colonel Camp.
bell, Post Commander that ! should
take charge Of the gun. IL was accord
lngly doliyeded tome packed up the
case indOrsed upon the package my
name and rank, and left II In care Of
the proper owner, where II yet remains
No harm done, and several good people
made happy,
The aspect of military Affairs In
Nashville nj this time on our side had u
rather 8Qunlly outlook, and rs many OF
the friends thought itmight be unpleas'
and for Mira. S---t0 remain, she con
cluded TO return North, and remain
temporarily, or until the cloud had
pagsed over. 10 WAS but u few days af'
Ter she left, when my regiment
became engaged In their FIRST
niqht with the enemy. Colonel
John Morgan of Confederate
cayalry fame had swOoped down upon
Colonel Boone OF the 25th Kentucky
Volunteers, stationed ut Gallatin, and
captured his whole force, Information
of the attack having reached Colonel
Campbell, he Immediately organized q
force from the 6gth Ohio aud llth
Michigan, and section Of artillery
and securing transportation by rail In
box aud Hat cars We were soon on the
way IN high hopes of being able to af'
ford relief. Gallatin Is 20 miles from
Nashville ana on reaching u bridge that
spans q creek about mile from town,
Il was found partially burned. The
troops left the cars, forded the creek
and moved forward toward tie scene OF
action. Belore.prOceeding far, dense
smoke was observed 20 the left, ascer'
tanned TO be the buildings Of the county
fair where u quantity of government
forage had been stored Anticipating
| the enemy still TO be near ut hand, the
column was ordered TO double quick
The road upon which we were moving
formed an acute angle with the road
from the fair ground Ut the edge Of
town and when we were within few
hundred yards Of where the roads came
together, the rebel cavalry were seen
coming ut Il break neck speed, evidently
with the intention of passing the head
of our column and escaping, They
yelled and fired promiscuously but did
us no damage Immediately upon their
approach the Colonel gave the com
mand TO fire, and then followed fusil.
lade from our side, and TO see those
rebels unhorsed and tumbled in the
dust excited in me feeling very sim.
liar to that which had enjoyed when,
as u boy, | brought down squirrel
| from A tail tree In the Hartford woods