The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-07-18

Of Woods division, under Ihomas AT
Chickamauga Thomas held the left, so
history SAYS, while the center and right
were swept back in wild disorder.
Woods division Joined on to the broken
line at the center. Thomas saw the dlsas-
ter creeping toward him as the Confeder-
ates walked over the brigades and dl-
visions beyond. To Opdycke he said, lndl-
eating ridge where the Ohioans lay, '"This
point must be held!' well hold it or go
to heaven from it," was the reply
Opdycke then told his men to fix bayonets,
made speech OF six words and started
in to clear the ground Of the encroaching
enemy.
A second Confederate column bounded
forward, seeming to want the position as
badly as did Thomas. Opdycke made an
other speech, longer than the first by ten
words, and coolly rode up and down the
line, the only mounted officer in sight. The
charge was repealed and in the midst of it
the old Forty-first Ohio reached the scene
at double quick The men recognized
their Shiloh hero and set up wild cheer
The newcomers took their place on the
left of the One Hundred and Twenty-fifth
and the two regiments stuck together like
twins during the rest of the fight, a chink
at least in the rock that buffeted disaster
that day along the "River of Death"
A modern army does not travel on en-
thusiasm, SO the emotion is extra powerful
when a streak of it lights upon a favored
company Of soldiers. Opdycke aroused en-
thusiasm, not by being camp fire favor
lite, for he was Just the contrary-a rigid,
stern ascetic-but by the much decried quail
ity of earnestness. The speeches skipped
in this story, if put in cold type, would
read as fiat as a last years sermon, but on
the lips of lion hearted soldier, standing
at the lannon's mouth, they moved the
heart as fiery eloquence.
In the next battle Col. Opdycke led
demibrigade of five regiments 1t was at
Mission Ridge, and he told his officers that
when the word came to ''go" he purposed
taking his men up the heights whether
the rest Of the army got there or not.
True to his word, he led on up the noun
tain, took the first crest without halt
and pushed on to the second, capturing
the headquarters of the Confederate gen
eral and seven cannon. His superior Off
GERS asked for his promotion, but it did not
come until the Atlanta campaign was half
over. In the meantime he figured in a
daring exploit with his own Ohio boys.
1t was at Rocky Face Ridge, Georgia, May
10, 1854.
The enemy held spur of the mountain
that jutted out into the valley, forming an
abrupt angle. The crest was 500 feet above
the base, the slopes precipitous and rocky.
Opdycke was ordered to scale it with his
500 men. The details were left to him.
The valley around the ridge was neutral
ground, and he led his little column to the
foot of the eastern slope, opened fire and
threw out skirmishers as a make believe.
Then withdrawing the bulk of his forlorn
band, he hurried around the point to the
western slope, mounted the steep and rocky
side, his very boldness paralyzing the Con-
federates, who, were rallying to drive him
back.
To the enemy it looked like an attack
front and rear, and the narrow ridge wasn't
a good place to be in that case, SO they
skedaddled along the crest to the main
land, leaving the Ohioans clean sweep to
crow over.
Four days after the mountain exploit
Opdycke was wounded and carried to the
rear. Recovering self control he instantly
rode back to his place in the line. After