The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-09-25


| which on their respective sides is cut the name
OF the State whose terminal boundary il marks.
! AT this spot the regiment was halted. We
! had not been halted many minutes before n
| deck of cards were produced, and many of tho
| boys, forming quartet at a time, INDUCED i'll
a game of cards around that cornerstone. One
would sit in one State with his legs and feet
one OF each, in another State, changing seats
| with each hand, thus boxing that stone, as it
! were, until each man had sat in each one of the
| three States, his limbs resting in the other two
at the same time, while he vigorously chucked
| his cards down at the meeting OF the rightang-
uaT lines that marked the Tennessee boundary
that separated the quadrauts ton tho stones
| semcircular surfacel of Alabama aud Georgia,
thus playing his cards in three States at one
| and the same time Not far from the station
was the famous saltpeter works of the Confcd-
eracy at Nick n iacF Cave. The boys and girls
who have read Captain Phil" will no doubt
readily recall his description of the cave. 1t is
a curiosity, and well worthy visit Many of
our comrades visited it.
| On the afternoon of the Sd we crossed the
! Raccaon and Sand Mountains, and with bri-
| gadc and division occupied a strong position in
| the Wills Valley, commanding the Trenton
and Chattanooga pike. We remained here n
| day or two, until the Fourth Corps was we'll
over the sand hills and closed up, when we
again took up the line of march, with the
| 36th Ohio in advance. The company to which
| j belonged (G) had the advance of the regi-
ment, while had charge OF their advance, or
| what was called q telegraph or signal squad,
the advance man of which steps distance of
some rods, then another and another, main
/ tanning like intervals of space between each
until line varying from half a mile or more
/ IN length is established, the rear end of which
rests on the command. IL is the duty of those
/ who constitute this line 20 scan closely their
surroundings as far as the eye can reach, and if
nugbt OF \ suspicious character presents or the
| eueny's prcseHce is discovered, communicate
/ IL o. TIE commde next in his rear. notifying or
recalling also those, if any there be, in his ad-
/ vance. The information obtained is rapidly
passed from man 10 man TO the rear until the
/ proper authorities are informed If superior
danger threatens, the limo retires upon its
command. It was thus had, as had my long
l time predecessor, Gen. George Washington. the
/ honor Of commanding Cd the Federal troops
that entered Trenton. 1t was IN this manner,
uuhcra.ded, that we entered Trenton, Ga. It
was The home Of the Bath Ga, (Confederatel in
fanny, who had been captured and paroled at
AIcksburg. and were now enjoying a season of
rest from the vicsstudes of siege and camp and
field. Orr advance was halted on the south
side Of the Courthouse Square until the brigade
cane M, when we went into camp on the
southeast border of the village. Thursday,
sept. 10, We broke camp at a. m, marched
south up Wills Valley, biv0uaekug that night
where steyenss Gap Of the Lookout Mountain
debOuches into the valley.
Gen. BTagg's report says: During the 9th
70 was asceTtained that a column, estimated at
from 1000 to 5000, had crossed Lookout Mount
am into Tie Cove by way OF Stevens and Coop
er's Gap"
10 was heTe-trusiing to memory--thst oc-
CURED one Of the many amusing incidents that
so practically illustrated the lhought aud care
Of Gen. Turchin for his men. Gen. Reyn0ldss
orders against forasing were very strict. On
tie prem Iscs whcreou we biVouacke ed that even
Ing and night was large spring OF pure, cold
water, that buGbied up near the lane that led TO
the house from the main Travelled read. On the
same side of the lane as the spring ran brock.
On the plantation were two fields of potatoes
One OF these fields was known 10 Gen. Reyn-
olds, who had il pointed out 10 Gen. Turchin,
with instructions 20 place over il guard which
Gen IurcHin had Immediately done, 20 pre-
vent a possible potato resurrection. The un-
known, 10 Gen. Reynolds, was Just opposite the
srrBg, tie lane and fence only Intervening.
Some OF the boys bad passed up the lane 10 the
house aud had offered 10 purchase a lew lU&u-
Ties Tor the inner man, rendering therefor
greenbacks, which the proprietor in language
more emphatic than polite, had gcorulully re-
Jeeted. be did not waBt any of their dirty
Yankee money, so he said, aud il was hand
sose boast. bat he had forgot, alas, to reckon
with the host" while we were marching
through Georgia y; a forgetfalBess that cost that
ryb dearly. His conduct was reported 10 Gen f..
IL Is surprising how quick certain Information
reached the General. Seemingly. the very rocks,
bushes and bfanbIes bad ears and tongues;
the busy bees buzzcd End the little birds chirp-
c. and tuittsTed it in his ears, for surely the
boys could not put in ali heir time carrying
tEles; then, suTcly.--but matter. his judg-
meut aud that of the boys we're usually very
much Ia harmony. This occasion proved no
exception. The General learned Of the action
Of the pianta aboIt the time hs turned into
the lane by the spring. Accompanied by mem
bcrs Of his staff be halted at the spring aud
was rendered a cup of wafer by one of tho
many boys who were glad to obiise him. The
water he passed on TO Lieut.. Col. Ogden Street,
Of the llth Ohio. Inspector General on his
staI- After Col. Street had drank and the cup
replcnished, Gen. Turcbin tooE it, slowly and
carefully slipped in tasting manner OF the
water. then, turning 70 Col. Street. Gen r. ia
his inimitabie manner, quietly observed that
DOT VAS DAM GooT VOTER TO BOIL PorA-
ToEs IN"
The hint was taken. and in a trice each hill of
potatoes in the patch was surrounded, vigor-
Ously assailed, aud every tubcr resurrectcd in
jify, the boys never doing anything by
halves IN those days. As the boys began 10
stTalghtcn the kinks out of their backs Gen
Tnrchin rode up 10 the fence, aud in his broken
English demanded what the - they were
dong there, and told them that If in three
quarters Of an hour he found one Of them in
the field when he brought the Provost G. uard
fiotn the other field, giving for tho fl rst time
any intimatiOn either of the field or loc alton
the men had received of this second field } he
would put them IN the guardhouse. Suffice It
% SAY that not one Of the men got into the
guard house. though the majority did into the
second field Of potatoes Thus. by a technical
obedience OF orders, Gen. Turchi u permitted his
men 70 gather in every potato.
Friday, sept. II, the regiment aided in the
difficult and very tOiisome task Of pulling the
artillery anu baggage-train TO the summit of
| Lookout Mountain While il was left for th1so
| ia command 10 knOw--if even they knew, The
| primary plan of the campaign having been ma
torially changcd-our destination. or aught Of
| the difficulties that were 10 besct MS ere the
campaign closed yet, intutiyely. we felt, as our
| forces lowered. cloud like. about I.oakout's
| rugged summit on that balny. beautiful day OF
! Sept IL, that while the world was warm with
/ summer and the birds were all in tune, with
! peace and beauty all about US, there was death
4 and danger just ahead; though in our faces
! perhaps, there was lifnned careless courage in
! our hearts there was soiuber dread
The regiment passed down through Cooper's
/ Gap 10 the mountain-base, going into biyOuac
4 1t Tie foot OF their eastern slope in McIemore's
4 Cove with Mission Ridge On the left, Chicka.
nRuga Creek 10 the right, near lanes Church
and iTOniiDg Catletts Gap. This position was
reached Little after dark with the Both Ohio
] IN the advance. We drove in the piekcts of
the enemys outpost. IL WAS very dark, and