The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-01-19
WAR MEMORIES.
The Curtain Falls on the Lurid Farce OF
Corinth.

The Curtain Falls ON the LuIid Farce
Corinth.
The longest night is succeeded by
morning. "The Seige OF Corinth' was pre-
tracted 70 the limit OF fUrbearanCe of tn
troops who survived its wasting trials, 81
uselessly imposed, and the vast numbers q
the people interested in their welfare, anC
of that Of the country generally. Thu
Commander, deaf to MI protestation
against protecting the siege, constantly re
plying: 1t Is according 10 the Science D
War, and shall continue To Use the spade !!
Perhaps he and others of that class Of ob
structiOnists, of whom there were many II
that early period of the war, acted NOR,
wisely than they knew, in making suCl
movements training schools for men so uu
used To the art Of war: a wedding out O
the unenduring. Perhaps he had read o.
the Spartans-tAe ttest only surviving
and thus designing to create an inylnciOlt
army,-a course which steels the muscles
for severest action, trains the limbs to un
firing exercise, and tests them every way
the hardest. Which also foTtllies the mind
10 sustain them with cheerfulness through
continued worst experiences and even un
10 death.
The greater light puts out the lesser--as
array of light but makes dense darkness
deeper. Great horrors, like the tiendlsn
scenes Of Libby and Andersonville, render
such minor ones as Corinth deadly, though
they proved to 80 great multitude of vic.
TINS relatively inconsideraDle; and thus
they fail duly to be noticed during the
progress OF an extensive general war. Thus
are too soon forgotten after passing. How
few member-how few of the people of
today ever heard,-0f our army's long
consecutive destructive encounters with
the fends Of COrinth !-dlsease and death |!
Getting where the woods were thinner,
the soil lighter and drier, the country more
elevated; where pure water could be obs
tanned with weather atfcrdng us occasion
al sunshine, all did much To improve the
health and spirits of those who had sur
vved the trials of those dreary weeks.
And as our ample supply Of "parallels"
had been constructed behind us to which
to escape, Ia anticipation of probable neces'
sity for retreat! further work on them was
gradually discontinued. All favoring cir.
cumstances reasonable to expect, there
began 10 obtain general air of cheerful
ness and hope
These slow, dalying movements contin-
ued till we drew very near to COrlnth, In
the latter part of May. so near, in fact,
that 1t would have been plainly In view
but for light intervening woods. So near
that for several days we became aware of
unusual commotion and activity in the
town. Constant ringing of bells, whistling
OF locomotives, and rumbling of trains,
could be distincly heard. Some imagined
they could hear the hum of voices "com-
mingled with the City's sounds" CT, uds
of smoke could be seen by day, flames by
night; and foul smells as Of burning meat
pervaded the atmosphere about us. Occa-
si.nsl explosions were heard.
One evening during this unusual diver
sion, considerable number of us, officers
and men, among whom | remember Lit
Col Hit, Capts, Earl, Allison, Skinner,
and others-qulte company-were gath.
cred about headquarters discussing the
subject Of the unusual stir In Corinth
Though Col. Cushman commonly kept
himself somewhat aloof and exclusive
from the rest of US, on this occasion he
mace his appearance.
Discussing the late extraordinary
movements going on in Corinth, gentle
men" he remarked.
Yes; Colonel. The rebs seem TO be
stirred up there, this day or two passed.
We are wondering il they be not receiving
reinforcements and supplies preparatory
to a sortie upon us all along the lines"
No difficulty In solving that question.
Too clear to be within the limits of mere
speculation"
How do you explain 1t, Colonel"
said.
Plain enough. They have been stead>
lily evacuating Corinth during several days
past. Having removed the disabled very
large number) and their other impedi-
menta, they are destroying what is more
incumbering than Of value TO them, pre-
pairing for q sudden departure, and making
best use Of their time"
"And we lying quietly here and allow
Ing them to get Oh In this wsyi Why 10 itp