The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1890-06-19
ROsECRANs an SToNERIyER.
a Thrllling story OF the Gallant iVth
O,y.I.by a Brave Boy VINO
Was There.
mead II weli. as IL Has Literary and His
torio Interest Of Great Value

Al the dawn OF lhf, Depoemnul ~ iu'-i
,ye we're Ia ilne OF battle on We phhhn on
stone RIVER In front oi MltilesVFIppIn,
fsniry army of the Cumberland, Gen
Rosesfans commanding, We later hal =
lille breakfast, the last meal We lndulgeu
ln for two days. just then a "hhile Or
Jern WAS read 70 uh, dlspelllng any uouhi
~ an engagement, which We Knew Woulu
I'D terrific and uncertain, 40 We Wvlp
aware that the rebel army exceeded uu,h
In numbers, and were fighting on gf9uhuH
~ their own aeleoton, our "lliyhh nv
tWo cooks. After breakfast lolu lloll W.
take our blankets, aud what faloha tl''
we're loft, and hie themselves away Wpaet
plhce OF safety thatit We were Hll,' nnni
night, weld have something 70 cay VIZ
blanEets 10 protect ua from the New ! cur
anow. A heavy mist thhtWah rrhllhH ~,
fhe river, aud that was iheh llheP lvAl,,h
before thn morning sun, Whlhru up MY
lines OF battle, our corps, cehlhlAlluVu
bv Gen. Crlttenden, OF Kentucky, Whunp
brother WAS an ollrer in Tie repel army
In our front, formed the left wing or our
army. Rosecranal plan OF palue h VIZ
brilliant, but Con, Bragg, VINO eulllna''n
ed the rebel army, hAu wy Nn NuNnune'sts t,,,' ~,
distance, lac being hul hhh INV III iIs
niir ripht. while We were mile from luh'
Afgoieioct, sharp, our corps was TO hu,
,Jauce. ford the river storm the repel
beigbts. crush hia right wing and swlig
into Nlurfreeriboro, Hut we luhi v
promptiy al o'clock We advanced, Ahl
an annalllnq roar OF muaketry, announcer
tbat the battle was on, on our rlghb prov
inc thai Bragg'a plan OF battle was luen,
tleal 10 Rosecrana' Bragg hhd mhhhen
hls army ON his loft, aud Just az O'Clock
he hurled II on our right wing, crushing "
40 we had hoped TO crush llellai Ww
rlgbt was forced back until our hallle me
formed seml.cirole, We were llhlleu
Ubiie in the rlyor, aud ordered back, on
Ionble aulek, 10 aaslat the right OF our
line. All this time the battle was raging
deruely on beautiful plain, in iull Wow
"a ain pregent, while the laundering can
non. the roar OF muakotry, the great banks
.of gnolle rlslng 20 the clouds, with the
shouts and chcera OF victorious army,
marked the progress OF the repelH hler
of, aud proclaimed victory 70 tngW
frlenda I'm Murirocrsboro, ihe plhlh,
covered with the great armies W ueatnly
teriea, dead and dying, struggling horteh,
and dead and dying mem the ground
crlmsoned with their blood the air hlloa
with screaming, bursting shells grahu'
glorious, cruel scene, never 10 be wl'hebh'
cd again OulyR lmlghty leader can save
To tie masses all appeared Ike
pnndemonium broke loose IN confusion
vet all yielded 70 the commands OF l,oho'
crana like the beautiful workingo OF q Que
ber watch. A hundred batteries OF nrlll'
lory, with ak 10 eight horses 70 pal'ory,
"A gunner on each horse, all whipping 10
tbe death, qalloping over the plains, wllirl'
ING into poaitlon, unlimborlng quick ha
tbougbt, and making tho earth lremhlo he
tbcy fire, at point blank range, rouuu
nfter round of'doublC shuttcd charges OF
canister and shell, into the ranks oil lhe
am advancing and still victorious rchelH'
Wo are lust rushing into the light Rose
Grams secs ua coming and IN on liib way lo
meet Nia. a rebel shell knocks, OIL lh1
head OF Col. Garcahc, the gcnerAlH Ir'oud
and chief Of stan, while gnlloplhg ly ms
aide. Rosecrnns saw him fall hoAulcHh 10
tbo ground but has only tmo 10 say
NBrnye mon will die to-day but the living
fnust win this battlc,N and gNllups ON 10
gulde us into the fight, lie Formed our
jlvieou in the roar Of the extreme rRhl
III orr army, that had been driven from
choir position, to receive the shock, anu
ronol the sull advancing, and ull then
victorious rebel horde, We advanced
through thc routed part OF our army, ana
d minute later wCro face TO face with tue
onomy. RosrcrUnH was right on the front
line, fright la the jaws OF death, win our
regiment speaking encouraging wQrus,, as
iI know YOU, boys, You are the lHlh
Ohio. You we're with me at Rich Noun
lion and can trust you hcrc,' aud each
word hc smoke "was worth q thousand
men, Every man would have been glad
to hnvc died right there, rather than 20
have had him see them inltcr, We COM
mcncrt firing whom within one hundred
ynrda Of the enemy, who at once realized
from the blaze OF fire and the shower OF
lead that frcsh troops were ia thclr irohl.
We were In the cedars, by this umc, ana
could not 20 well see, through lhe ceuars
and smoke, Just what was before US !
here noticed that our two cooks, that had
in tho morning ordered 20 seek shelter
from this storm Of lcadcn hail, were right
behind Co, "An When the first man was
ahot down one of them, John Cross, OF
Navarro, unbucklcd his cartridge box,
buctlod Il around himself, picked up the
dcnd mans gun, aud rushed 10 his place
In The ranks. Fighting was fast and fur!'
GUS then, with Victory uncertain as life,
and dcfoat As probable 40 doothi until
our ammunition was becoming cXhnutcd,
when the "chargcN was ordered aud we
rushed at them with the bayoncL aud n
nyollr that was more dCmorallziug than
codars. over fences, rocks and dilches,
until the "last armed fueN disappeared
from our front
VI was famous victory but NJ hor-
riblo sacrifice Of precious blood Well,
we had neither supper nor blankets that
night, and were poor poor ns the man
who had not where to lay his head, aS
both our cooks were killed, aud all
was lost, Whom the last sun-sct of
the year was disappearing behind bank
ofsnow laden clouds, lines were reformed,
the wounded cared Tor, the dead were ~
reN "where brighter suns dispense
seroncr llQht,n and we laid down on our
arms, on the frozen ground, 70 shlver
away the Now Years eve, count the twink.
ling stars, and study the uncertainty OF
the morrow. Two mon less than half OF
the 18Th Ohio were either killed or wound.
cd In that charged An appalling percent
noe, but how did one escape! But we had
gained the victory, won the battle, and
were happy. The next day was New
Year, and but little fighting was done, ex.
cept 10y the pickcts. A few soldiers sliced
beautiful steaks Oft fine horses killed In
battle, broiled them over low fires and ate
them with a relish. Nearly all, however,
preferred 10 fast, On the following morn
ing, January 2nd we returned 10 our orlgi-
nal position in the left wing. Our divis.
ion, commanded, then, by Gonornl "Samn
Beatty, bravor man than whom fought
on neither side OF the conflict, forded the
river. ice cold and waist deep, and, like
forlorn hope, formed battle line at tho
base OF the bill we were 10 storm two
mornings before. We stacked arms and
laid down TO wait. To our left and rear
was a beautifully sodded, sopingmendow
1 noticed where shell had struck the
s.,.,.,,,,I "a al ,t,.n.pbnttp1 off oyop tho eaI |
without exploding. II occurred TO me to |
follow Il up and SEQ what had become Of |
Il. I presume followed II 800 yards |
whom II entered an old log barn While |
looking around IN the straw for Il saw a
fine fat hen. Frightened at the constant
picket firing she had worked deep down
IN the straw, and was hiding from the
world. Tho rebel shell interested me no
more. Here was something 10 entl IL |
was the work OF moment for me toRath-
or her wings IN my hand, and start on q
win a., ,,,, g,u,nnuv 1 hnu Ia unng riubi |