The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-04-10

occurred to me that / would wear steel
corselet and breast plate and WELD battle
ak.
Nevertheless, it 80 happened that war and
all its horrors finally came to this land, and
that !, in common with million or so of
others, bore arms in the field. My service
was that Of hundreds Of thousands, north
and south, that of private soldier, incou-
spicuoue. My experience was like theirs
not worth individual record. We simply
marched and camped and occasionally
fought, knowing not where we were going
why we camped or whom we were fight
ing. There was no romance about it..
Nothing but plain, hard, faithful work !;
work in which dreams had no part l had,
as remarked, long forgotten those of boy
hood.
One crisp Decem Der morning, after sew
erai days of desultory lighting under Gen
eral Rosecrans my command marched into
the memorable battle OF Stone River. We
were on the extreme right in the first days
engagement, and were part and parcel of
that unfortunate wing of the great army
that was hurled back upon the center in
disastrous confusion. We were reserves,
brought forward to strengthen an attenu-
ated and long drawn out line of battle al
ready outflanked by the Confederate
hordes. Marching across open ground by
the right flank to our position under a
CALLING fire which we could not return,
it required all the nerve and discipline of
trieo soldiers to preserve formation; but
we managed to do so, and were quickly
advancing in line of battle across the field,
over fences and dead and wounded, to the
support of our comrades already engaged.
| The last field we crossed to reach them
was a cornheld, the stalks still standing,
and we Joined them at the rail fence on the
rail fence ON the farther side and were
soon holly engaged.
To say that the enemy made it warm for
US is stating it mildly. A perfect cloud OF
| spinters arose from that hue of fence.
| The range was point blank Our batteries
to the right and left and directly in
/ the rear of US replied effectively with
| grape and canister so low that some
of our own men were killed by
these discharges We were ordered to lie
down, but some Of the boys would get ex
cited and reckless. We hadn't been there
! two minutes before half dozen men in my
company were killed outright and two
dozen were wounded. The blood and
/ slaughter and shrieks and yells and roar oil
musketry and artillery were awful! The
terrible ring Of those double shotted brass
pieces behind US will sound in my ears tt
my dying day.
| 1t was living, breathing hell
The gallant foe came steadily on in the
! race OF tHls sweeping uTe we COu'u SET
| the buttons on their coats. Their officers
rode backward and forward between tbs
! lines, waving swords on high One Of
! them was mounted on q snow white
! charger, a conspicuous mark for our rifles
/ He seemed to bear charmed life. In com
mon with many others, perhaps, | tried fol
| him, without success.
| 1t was my last shot. A rife ball struch
me in the left side and hurled me severa
/ feet backward stunned and bleeding, in {
| furrow of the corn field.
My poor boy!" said kindly voice a
my side, ''where is 1ti Are you BADLY
hurtl" 1t was our major in the next fur
row. He stretched mis- arm over and laiC
his hand tenderiy upon me.
Give IN h--l!' he hoarsely shouted
with quick repetition. His hand haC
sought and found mine, and the gentle
pressure brought up the sweet memory O.
home and mother.
Ammunition? We are out of ammuni
tionl" The cry rose along the fence.