The National tribune., 1890-09-18

camp Just at dusk The wind aud
showers had ceased, % and, with the large
camp6res we built 10 cook aud TO dry our
clothes by, we were comfortably fixed. Most
OF the boys had lain down before the dcmoral-
jzad troops began 10 arrive. We were
about TO lie down when we heard noise as
Of troops in the road etc.
Verify. he would have it believed that these
CORPS had covered that - miles in about two
hours! Whoever knows that country knows
that its one road through broken woods does
not aGmi; Of such quick passage for any con-
siderable force. Had he not chosen 10 regard
tie suffers and cooks aud slulks, who make
MP the van Of disaster as the men who fought
there he would not have wEitten that Some
thing is the matter with his log
The night was very dark at Sabine Cross
roads. In our front the country was not only
strewu with the dead, but the wounded were
there, and their cries we're constant. Just
beyond was the enemy, who had parted from
us with yell responsive TO our cheers. Both
sides threw out pickets.
"It ,gas about 9 o. m. when Capt Jordan,
who had been selected by Col. Beal, took his
company lG) and thirty men of L, with Leuts.
Graham. Millett and Stanley, and went crawl
ing noisplessly through the woods in our front
for about a hundred yards. He arrived there
Just as the commander of the rebel pickets was
TRYING 10 unite two lines Of his own Capt
Jordan, with his usual grace, undertook to
heln and whispered 10 them, Come this way.
BY this ruse, one after another OF tho rebel
piclcts and straggIeTs both officers and men,
were captured" Hist 29th Me-
IN this battle u Of the 13 regiments Of our
corps in the expedition were engaged. The
H55th n. J. had been left at "the Mill y with
the trains. Our regiment held the read, the
point where the efforts Of both armies centercd.
Major a huge dog formerly belonging TO the
10Jh Me., and inherited by us at the reorgani-
cation Of that regiment after Its muster-out
was with Us.
he WAS ALWAYS IN BATTLE,
and had survived Cedar Mountain and Antie-
tam but Sabine Crossroads was his last. de
was ia our front when the attack came. The boys
OF other regiments had often and yalnly tried
10 steal him. but rebels bullet got him, aud
might covered him among the dead soldiers
We lay on the ground whore we had fought
but silently through the evening the other
froops were drawn away, and then the other
Regiments OF our corps until, near midnight,
OUEs was left there alone In terms OF express
commCEdation the 2gth had been assigned the
place OF iear-guard for that retreat / could
understand The battle, but why we should
Withdraw was a puzzle. il the rebels OUT
nUWbeTcd rs. as iudce! was the case, u seemed
60 me easy 10 bring up the Sixteenth Corps
By 3 night march from Pleasant Hill as TO
move rs back over that l3 miles. Also, our
spirit would be at food for opening another
day OF Battle, and the enemy would ngt have
the encouragement OF pressing US on TO new
battlefield
The army was now gone, but the woods
were .uli 81 stTaggieTs who had lain down lor
. good nights sleep With them were the cooks,
daTkics. etc. All must be reused and driven
on, ana never was a rearEuaTd more fully
occupied. Many would protest against moving,
especially The ones with mulelOads OF belong
ings or uandcscript vehicles gathered ia on
the preceding marches. The dreaEy business
was cuUvened by the volube explosives Of a
general officer vino superintendent. Whether
he was inspired by the energetic Aald that the
natives ulstii from Louisiana molasses, or had
only iu4b. led OF tie iiue cOmmissary' saved
from the wreck Of the supply trains, ] never
knew. but as We stumbled upon each fresh
sOmBEr3buiist. he gave the inyariabe order,
''SBcoi him!" One fellow stoutly objected to
leaving has yaluables behind. Shoot him
Shoot ail shouted the commander. Tip
his czrt over. and send the niger and the mule
ahead 4"
At The Mil we were relieved from rear
guard and the SD \. Y. took our place. Now,
a. COmTade Brysgn viii ask, What did you
retreat Tor, ii you were not driyeng" viii
reply. For the same reason that you went the
wrong way Tor Texas after Pleasant Hill was
fought" 10 VIII
RANKS ORDERED IT.
Al daylight we were still three miles from
Pleasant Hill Get on my horse and ride. G."
said Alj't Gould. for ! saw you were lame
yesterday morning" De was always looking
around 10 relieve some boy who might need
help. v Hcu the last three miles were nearly
past and we were almost 10 Pleasant Hill, "a
sudden stampede Of stTaggiers came rushing
Up from the resr. ] turned 70 the AdjuiGnt,
who directed me 10 take his horse 10 the Ser
gsaut-&ajoT, = lille il advance. and then
return 70 my company. This deue, found
the reg aieut dep.0yed az right angles with tho
Tcao. Later came more permanent dispositions.
From various sources u was subsequently,
leaF;.ed that II dawn tie enemy bad sheiicd
cur position On tie field Of the evening before
then, Erst learning how things stood, they
seat their cavalry In all haste, and these had
caused ne above mentioned stampede Oi siTag-
Eiers. 4 drove Of beef cattle was also back
there by the rear guard, and contributed 10 the
crush
do not doubt that the retreat from Sabine
CF0ssr0aIs surprised the enemy As mich IS il
di6 OBs troops. Admiral Porter states jH.ge
5O6, Navai History: Gen. Emory's Nine
teeut8. Corps got into action Is tho evening
was sBIsIg IN, and checked the ad vance Of tho
enemy completely by Ais mastery manage
ueBL VIII their superior numbers.
r.
eOHid Egi disiOdRe him from his position"
Pri0r 70 this time the TAirtegBth Cgrpa, OF
2,4i5 men, and three regiments OF mounted
inizBiry had for several hours conieuded
WitLgui supports ! submit 10 the reader that
Their part was the most gallant in al the cam
rSiga. also, by PsTters figures, the men Of
tie Sixteenth Corps lying back at Pleasant Hill
numbered c.GO0, the balance Of 4. }. Smiths
men, with Gen. K.lby Smith, being al tie
river Witu the feet.
Now, CDmTade Bryson says: /" II We lad had
the right u the line We would have gone
through 70 Shreveport with half the loss. % gtc
Wei, 1000 infantry might have gone through
where 2 500 fought longer time than did his
owH bIggsde At Pleasant Hill. So viii leave
% hin the glory ol his "a IL" and turu from
Sabine Crossroads y The batile of ApIil 8.
PLEASANT HILL
ComEade Brys0n has told the story Of this
batt.e, but Jet ug look behind the glass which
Tehecis 50 much glory on 3 part Of tic actors
IN IL.
CoaFaac Brysan was in Sbaw's Brigade. He
siates that they we're IN advance of tic main
line. This latter was IN the general form Of an
arc Of q circle, with shaw's Brigade near the
center. Hence that force was no moro in ad-
vance t.l@n one part q the arc Is in advance Of
another Concerning the genera! formation.
HE paper proves that he only knows what he
saw and got from camp talk. What a man
could zee there Was Little for hills rayiucs and
brrshwOJd was the rule aud ciearings the ex-
ce5flOB. ] he enemy demGnEtra, ed toward the
night but tie attack fcll on the left aud left